The Farewells have begun

It’s actually happened, the first of our group have left! Bye SAWIPers!

I’m starting to question my own intelligence, as I really don’t pay much attention to things when they happen! The night before I came to Washington, I still didn’t believe I was leaving home for 8 weeks. It didn’t actually hit me until we landed in Washington, and now, as we all say goodbye to the SAWIPers, it hits me that I too will be leaving soon. I’m starting to think about things like do I have enough credit on my phone to tide me over until I leave? $9.47 left and 11 days…. Considering AT&T see fit to deduct $1 a day, it probably won’t last but there is NO WAY I’m putting more money in that phone!

SAWIP are an incredible group of people. Their passion for their country and their drive are remarkable. I can safely say that WIP functioned better as a group because of having SAWIP there, and I know personally, that I got more from the SAWIPs than they probably got from me (mind you, Christo was starting to get pretty good at mimicking a ‘Norn Iron’ accent, a couple more weeks and I’m sure we would have got a fair amount of laughs out of him mimicking my accent, in his own Afrikaans accent!). I’m wishing now that I spent more time “having it” with them, but I’ll take one for the team and go to South Africa to visit them. I’m selfless like that……

As everyone’s mind turns to home, the question “what are you going to do next?” seems to come up a lot. I’ve never been so grateful at the fact that I have another year of university to go, as it means that this question doesn’t have as much importance for me as it does some of the others! Truthfully though, this ‘tour of duty’ as I like to call it has really opened my eyes to the possibilities and opportunities that are open to me. The day at the UN and my work placement in the Law Library of Congress have really changed my outlook on what I can do with my degree and being given the opportunity to attend Congressional hearings on issues like Guantanamo Bay and Darfur has made topics like Human Rights Law and International Law far, far more interesting than I ever thought they could be. Suffice to say the old Solicitor/Barrister route in Belfast just doesn’t have the same appeal it used to….. Sorry Dad!

In other news, Soccer Sunday looms large on the horizon. With a trophy involved, there is all the more to play for! The boys are already talking tactics, I wouldn’t be surprised if they arrived on Sunday with an official kit sponsored by Adidas! We are also into our final week of shopping, and as the pressure gets too much for some, we resort to internet shopping (mentioning no names Neal Gartland!) and to really ram home the point that we are going home soon, my sister has a countdown timer until I come home. 10 days of DC left…