Friendship and Festivities

The main thing I have been working on in the last couple weeks is creating our submission for the Irish Times spring edition! We have the opportunity to submit some of our workshop stories from the past year, and the editors also asked me to write a piece about my experience with Fighting Words! I had so much fun combing through our story archives for this project, and I got to read everything our young authors have written since last April. I noticed patterns, like how younger students often start their stories in the forest, and common motifs, like lots of characters named Bob. It was fun to see how young minds work and what common themes they write about over and over again. I loved all the stories, but had to narrow it down to just a few for us to submit for this year’s feature. I tried to pick a variety of age groups, story themes, types of schools, etc. I won’t give too much away about the piece I wrote, but I shared about what I’ve learned and how my perspective has been shifted by my experiences with workshop facilitation. I’m proud of the piece and excited to see it come out soon! We’ve also welcomed a new colleague at Fighting Words. Sorcha has joined us to work on a 3 year project called A Shared Agenda for Peace. It’s been lovely to have a new person in the workspace and Sorcha’s energy compliments our office dynamic quite well!

Outside of work, I’ve enjoyed a rich array of experiences and adventures. I was approached in an art gallery by a photographer who took some beautiful portraits of me, attended a Galentine’s themed book club while floating on the River Lagan in a barge, enjoyed nights out and in with friends, revisited favorite films and saw new ones (I was not impressed with A Complete Unknown), read feminist theory and beach reads on public transport, and hosted a dinner party (I had to use paper plates because I only have 2 real plates). 

Last week, my two best friends from Nashville came to visit me in Belfast! It was surreal and exciting to see their familiar faces in the streets that I walk every day. We took a trip to Geneva, Switzerland and Nice, France and it was nothing short of magical. When I think of the trip, I see a montage of so many beautiful moments that it’s hard to choose which ones to share. Even though we spent all of every day together, we still stayed up late talking every night because we just love being together. The trip was full of loud expressions of joy, quiet moments of rest, and steady friendship. My senses were overwhelmed with goodness: colorfully undulating dancers at the Carnaval de Nice Flower Parade, creamy burrata and fresh green pesto, cake crumbs in bed and giggles over a silly movie, salty sea air and panoramic views, softly smudged artwork, candy-colored buildings glimmering in the reflection of night water, ice cubes rattling in stirred peach tea, peacocks strutting across the sidewalk, fondue dripping on the table before reaching our mouths, gracious smiles at stilted French phrases. There’s no one I’d rather travel the world with than Megan and Alana. We are perfect trip companions because we share curiosity, positivity, openness, and an ability to go with the flow when travel inevitably throws curveballs. I miss them already and look forward to our next adventure!