On The Road to The Life Lessons From Ireland

We learn from experience, from our children and from each other. This perfect trifecta sums up the life lessons I take with me from my Ireland adventure. Remember, I started this trip as a parent chaperone, hoping to spend time with my daughter while exploring a foreign country - I did learn quite a bit about "The Emerald Isle," for one, the official color of Ireland is "St. Patrick's Blue," not green!

The harp is the official symbol of the country (not the Guinness harp - it faces the other way)!
The striking red hair of the Irish people is attributed to the early blending of the blonde Viking men and the black haired, fair Celtic women. (Dublin was established as a Viking settlement in the 9th century!)

The city of Dublin gets its name from the Irish words "Dubh Linn" meaning "black pool," referring to the dark colored tidal pool of the nearby River Poddle, which ran under the present site if Dublin Castle (no moat jokes, please!)

My travel companions and fellow chaperones come from all walks of life - lawyers, educators, small business owners and performers.

They are single parents, blended families, modern families, all somehow making it work. They have a strength I admire, and hearts as big as the country we were visiting.

I learned the most from the students. Music is universal; they were here to share that commonality, and no matter what "drama" was going on behind the scenes (they are teens, right?!), they were amazing ambassadors, representing our city and country in a most respectable and admirable manner. Every parent would be proud.

A special thanks to Courtney for making sure I understood the following (and these were just the ones I picked up along the way - there were so many more!!)
LOL, OMG, LMAO, OTT, GYFO, WTH, JK, ROL, SML, GTHO, TMI, JK, OIC.
Guess I'll TTYL cuz I'm TTTT.

A wealth of gratitude goes to Elaine H., choir director extraordinaire (and my roommate on this trip!) for organizing this amazing adventure. The incredible gift of music you have given these 40 students is priceless.

The concert at St. Patrick's Cathedral will stay with me always.

 

Comments

[Tamara Ducey]

Thank you students--your songs are in my ears still--in a good way! Thank you Elaine for bringing them to the best of their abilities and thank you chaperones for keeping count and cheering them on-it was a tremendously successful team effort.