It’s almost time for my adventure to begin! Two weeks from today, I’ll be stepping off the plane in Belfast. I’ll be wearing everything that doesn’t fit in my suitcase (I’m talking multiple winter coats), so I will definitely not be putting my best fashion foot forward.
Let me catch you up on my preparations for the move– it’s been a busy summer. Since receiving the joyful news that I would be going to Belfast, I have been making lots of arrangements to ensure that my transition in September is smooth. My main accomplishment has been procuring a UK visa, which involved reading the entirety of the UK immigration website, bothering my endlessly patient partner organization with a bunch of forms to fill out, paying lots of money, and even taking a little road trip to the Cincinnati USCIS Office. I’m happy to announce that I finally have that hard-earned stamp in my passport, so I can finally breathe for the first time in 3 months. I also applied for an international credit card (with no foreign exchange fees!), secured housing (I’ll be living with college students in Northern Belfast), bought a plane ticket (departing on 9/11), purchased a UK phone plan (excited to have the +44 prefix), and got a Belfast transit card (can you tell I’m extremely Type A)?
Aside from handling the practical things, I have also done a lot of emotional processing and transitioning over these past few months. I knew that this could be my last summer living in Nashville, which has been my home for the past four years, and I wanted to hold space for the magnitude of this change. In my last days there, I lingered in wistful goodbyes and reflected on cherished memories. I visited places that held meaning for me, ceremonially experiencing “lasts” (last church service at Belmont United Methodist, last walk at Shelby Park, last drive down Belmont Blvd, last Chocolate Milk Latte at Sump Coffee Co, etc). My heart brims with love for the city that has remolded me! The physical space and the people within it have forever changed me and my trajectory, and it is quite bittersweet to realize that we will now be evolving separately. I will never be this version of myself, in this city, in this phase of life, with these people, ever again! Instead of feeling daunted or disappointed by that reality, I am invigorated. I feel confident in my choice to leave and excited by the prospect of a new environment. I know that moving to a new country alone will not be easy– it will probably be isolating and stressful at times. However, I am sure in the friends and family who are rooting for me, my ability to find wonder in the ordinary, and the joy that will come from doing work which impassions me.
I stand where I am today because someone taught me to love stories as a child; now, I am ready to pass that love to students in Belfast. At Fighting Words, I will facilitate story workshops, empowering children and illuminating their ability to expand their own creativity. I will also lead a creative writing club, strengthening young writers’ skills and supporting their growth. I cannot wait to meet the students and my colleagues at Fighting Words– I know I’m going to learn so much!
Until next time,
Eleri xx
a picnic with friends right before I left Nashville
a gorgeous Nashville sunset to see me off
a hopeful and timely message!