March 25th was one of the best days of my life because I learned how to surf. My instructor warned me that surfing was so addicting that it could ruin your career and marriage, and while I have neither of those things, I now understand the dangerous allure of this sport. I stood up on the board on my very first try and after that thrill, I continued to throw myself around in the waves for a few hours until the instructors dragged us out of the water. I was so sore the next day that I could barely get out of bed but worth it. My parents think it’s hilarious that I grew up in California but learned to surf in Ireland.
Also – can you believe my semester is over? I can’t! As Whitties are just getting back from Spring Break, I’m wrapping up my classes. All I have left is a few final exams.
So, an academic semester in review:
My favorite class by far was Philosophy in Irish Schools. We spent the first four weeks learning the educational theory and pedagogy, and the next seven weeks practicing philosophical inquiry with a class of 29 10-year-olds. Some memorable quotes from those sessions include:
Mary, the class clown: (in a somber tone) “the purpose of life is regeneration.”
Orna, Mary’s accomplice: “it is bad to take risks because you might end up in a pit of blood-thirsty alpacas”
Eoin, a very serious and very tiny child: communism is important for the way people live their lives… [many confusing minutes later] …and then the start of the universe was because of the first atomic action…
Our last session was my favorite – we did flash philosophy (quick 10-minute inquiries into questions like “is there a limit to imagination?” or “do you control your own destiny?”). Then we played a review game similar to musical chairs where the kids went wild to the song Dance Monkey (just as kids would in the US). We ended with a chaotic game of Bish Bash Bosh and said goodbye in fits of laughter. I miss them. I now also believe that children are better philosophers than people who like to call themselves philosophers. If you ask me about this I will go on a very long rant, I’ve drank the Lucy and Orla P4C Kool-Aid and I believe wholeheartedly in the pedagogy. Perhaps I will follow this passion after graduation.
The school was an Irish language school, so they loved our session because it was the only time of the day when they could speak in English, for most of them their first language. It was hilarious to hear their American stereotypes – Emma asked me if we eat beef for breakfast and Darragh asked if I’ve ever played hide and seek in Target.
For our last class meeting, Lucy (one of my amazing professors) baked homemade vegan lemon cake and cinnamon rolls. We sat in the philosophy house on campus, opened up our appreciation notes from the rest of the class, drank tea and ate Lucy’s delicious cakes, and swapped “kids say the darndest things” stories.
I also loved my Paleoecology class. We learned about what pollen preserved in bogs can tell us about the climatic history of Ireland. Here’s a picture of one of our field trip labs, where we took a core of peat and analyzed the layers.
Celtic mythology was eh, unfortunately – the professor was bad at teaching and also mean. But I loved Imagining Modern Ireland, taught by three brilliant, kind professors. I learned about Irish fiction, music, and dance.
Approaches and Aesthetics of Picturebooks was not as exciting as I expected but still a sweet class. Now I have to go figure out how to create my own picturebook for the final assignment!
Today we jumped into Galway Bay, despite frigid temperatures. I have never felt more alive! Plus, there’s an acai bowl truck right by the shore. 
