“I’m sitting in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral, and I’m reminded of why I love England. The sun is out and the sky is blue for the first time in what feels like forever, and it’s a public celebration — throngs of people are out on their afternoon stroll, talking to friends and soaking in the sunlight — this is the Mecca of England. I’m leaning against some ancient monument (who it’s honoring, I don’t know), but I pay respects by propping my feet up on its base, a coffee and croissant by my side. I love this view: the cathedral tall and proud, the grass so green, and the sky is so blue!!! What a joy, these little things that make all the difference.”
        – February 19th journal entry

The sun has returned to England, and that has made all the difference. Seasonal depression and slow days spent alone made January the longest month of my life, but February has swept by, and I’m starting March feeling optimistic about life. 

The sun outside Winchester Cathedral

I’ve led more workshops in the last two weeks than at any other point during my time here! To start was my third songwriting workshop with a secondary school in Poole, and this week my students started writing their songs. I was a bit fearful that the kids would struggle with the prompt or get distracted, but most of them rose to the challenge and have a promising song in the works. One is about heartbreak and one is about a traditional Polish dish known colloquially as meat jelly, so we’re not short on variety. One student proclaimed with excitement that her song was better than she expected, and it brought me such joy to see them enjoying the process and to witness their ideas sparking. This class has been such a unique experience for them and for myself, and I’m excited to hear the finished songs and to reflect on the course as a whole. 

We also had our first two paid workshops that were sponsored by the council (our local government). These were two full days in schools where we delivered a two hour workshop to two groups of sixty kids. I was in charge of organising everything and running the workshops as neither Dee nor Tom could make it, so for perhaps the first time in my life, I was the designated adult. Scary. Despite facing several new variables, both days went smoothly, and the response from the students and teachers was so validating. Kids left comments on their feedback sheets like “I learnt that I have a wonderful imagination” and “It encouraged me to be brave and enjoy writing a story of my own and being brave to read out my story.” I’m so grateful to LUMOS for enabling me to do work that I both love and actively improves the lives of others. In no other context would I be the manager of a charity; it’s not something I take for granted. 

Workshop team!

My social life has also been quite busy. I started attending a new weekly jam night with a few of our student volunteers, went to a jazz night and a writer’s group with some other volunteers, and attended my first-ever Premier League football game with Dee (Brighton vs Southampton — Southampton lost 4-0). The charity volunteer base has been a great source of friendship for me lately, and I’m grateful that I work so closely with a university. 

Southampton vs Brighton!

Some doodles a friend made from jam night

I’ve got a busy month ahead of me, and before I know it, I’ll be back in the States! My time here has gone by so quickly, and it makes me sad that the friends and habits that have become my everyday life will soon be foreign to me. But I’m grateful to have people and memories that make goodbyes hard.

With love,

Elisabeth