I’m back at work and things with The Story Works are looking to be busier than ever! Workshops start back up this week, I delivered my first self-designed Songwriting workshop, and we’ve got several special projects coming up. Before I get into that, I’ll give a brief update on what’s been happening in my personal life.

I started working remotely after the holidays in the second week of January, so I have gone on less adventures and have spent less time practicing the fiddle. It’s good for me to have work to do, but most of my colleagues and friends spent much of January still away on vacation, so I’ve missed social interaction badly. Last Saturday, to spice things up, I took a little day trip into Ringwood, a small town on the way to Salisbury that boasts a priory, a few cafes and a handful of nice charity shops. Although there wasn’t much to do and my bus back was delayed by over an hour, it was still nice to get a change-up. A few days later, I had my first show of 2025 in Bournemouth! I played a short acoustic set at Chaplin’s Bar, a Charlie Chaplin themed bar and live music venue, and it was nice to do what I love and feel more connected to the city after my time away in December. 

I was anxious about starting my songwriting lessons, but visiting the school a few days before and meeting the kids soothed my nerves. They’re a group of about 25 Year 10’s (14-15 year-olds), and they were a very social bunch and had plenty of questions about life in America, a few of which included: Have you driven Route 66? Are there beaches in Nashville? What NFL team do you support? The lesson itself went well, aside from lots of attempts to quiet the room. The kids seemed engaged, which is all I can ask for, but it is always a little disappointing when you imagine the impact of something you make to be bigger than it actually is. I’m proud of myself for designing the class, finding a school, and implementing it. It seems like the teachers are really excited about it, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the next three lessons go.

Beyond that, I designed some prompts and activities for a one-off Holocaust Remembrance workshop that we were asked to attend. I’ve also started brainstorming workshop plans for collaborations with a paddle board non-profit, a non-profit that designs movement-based mental health teaching resources for schools, and a family therapy center. It’s exciting to see our charity expanding and being involved in so many new projects. On top of all that, we’re trying to find funding to support a full-time role after I leave, so I’m starting to prepare funding applications. 

To be honest with y’all, I’m feeling very lonely. So much time alone since Christmas has begun to take its toll, and I have not felt support from some of the relationships here that I relied on. I’m feeling quite nervous for the next three months ahead of me, but if this experience has proven anything to me, it’s that I’m adaptable, and I’m confident that the rest of my time in England will have good things in store. 

With love, 

Elisabeth