I’m writing this blog post on the bus from Dublin to Belfast. My previous bus from Galway was late, so I only had 2 minutes to catch the one I’m currently on. Isn’t travel exhilarating?!
Work at Fighting Words has been great for the last couple of weeks. I am slowly learning each of the components of a workshop leader’s role, and I’m doing my first practice run of some of those administrative roles next week. I have also begun a very exciting new aspect of my job, where I will get to put my love of stories and prior work experience to use! Fighting Words’s 10th Anniversary is coming up next year, so my supervisor has asked me to interview some past participants and volunteers about how Fighting Words has impacted them! I’m eager to hear their stories and exercise the old writing muscle. I’ve also had the last week off work, since schools are out for Halloween break (why don’t we have that?!).
I’ve made good use of my time off, visiting Dublin, Galway, and the Cliffs of Moher. Dublin is such a unique city— the vibes there felt completely different from Belfast. It still has the beautiful historic buildings that the rest of Europe does, but it also has a modern, artsy feel. I loved the Dublin Portal, which has a screen that shows live footage of identical portals in other cities around the world. I was traveling with some friends, and we had fun waving to the people on the other side and sharing a brief moment of connection with people we otherwise never would have crossed paths with! Some other highlights were getting licked by a deer at Phoenix Park, filling our stomachs until they were about to explode at Milano, and stopping to enjoy some truly spectacular street performers (my favorites were a jazz duo and a graffiti artist).
My trip to Galway was my first overnight solo trip, so it was a big milestone for me! I had an amazing time in Galway—it’s definitely my favorite trip I’ve taken since I got here. I made a list of places to visit, but also left plenty of time for wandering. Traveling alone is such a liberating experience. If I think a vintage shop looks cool, I go in. If I have to pee, I stop to find a bathroom. If a random person strikes up a conversation, I engage enthusiastically. I’ve noticed that traveling alone has made me more open and attuned to the people around me. Because I’m not in the travel bubble with anyone else, my head is up and my eyes are wandering. Solo travel is a practice in awareness. I catch hilarious bits of conversation, notice the swirling moods and expressions of the people walking past me, smile at the child dancing to street music. There is a connectedness that comes from having nothing and no one to distract you.
That is how I started both of my nights in Galway alone and ended them with new friends sitting at my table! On the first night, I went out in search of live music, preferably traditional Irish music. I stopped in 5 or 6 pubs and lingered for a song or two, before continuing my exploration. I landed at The Quays, sipping a pint of Bulmer’s and tapping my foot to the beat of the gifted guitarist’s musical expressions. Before long, two girls came up and asked if they could join me at my table. We struck up a conversation and talked for the rest of the night, exchanging travel stories and getting to know one another (one was from Switzerland and one was from Iceland). I felt instantly comfortable with them, sensing an affinity with the two young women who also enjoy solo travel and the spontaneous interactions that come with it. The second night, I met some girls at my hostel and had dinner and drinks with them, once again feeling delighted by the ease of quick community. The next day, at the Cliffs of Moher, the fog completely obscured the view, but I didn’t even mind! I had so much fun watching everyone giggling to themselves about how silly it was that we came all this way and paid money to stare out into a deep gray abyss. We gave each other knowing glances as we snapped photos of nothing and shrugged our shoulders good-naturedly. I love those moments of wordless connection!
Back in Belfast, I’ve also been having lots of great social and cultural experiences. I finally have some established friendships, and I’m getting to the point where I can just hang out with people without having to prove how fun and cool I am. That being said, I’m still remaining open to any new friendships that come my way! Having cool friends has opened me to cool experiences. I tried Turkish eggs at a nearby brunch spot, shopped at the Asia Supermarket (snack heaven), made personal apple pies with Bramley apples grown in a church member’s backyard, attended a book launch at Queen’s University, watched the fall leaves dance at Ormeau Park, and took in the sensational music, words, and lights of the North Star show honoring Frederick Douglass’s legacy.
Being in such a colorful city has made me feel very creatively inspired. I’m writing poetry, snapping photos, cross-stitching, singing in cathedrals, and glimpsing art in even the most ordinary of objects. The release from academia has made me more eager to write, think, and create than ever. My reflections lead to evolutions and I feel like a new version of myself each time I publish one of these blog posts. As I’m finishing this post, Halloween fireworks are launching in the Belfast sky outside my bus window. There’s no place I’d rather be. I’m glad I’m me and I’m glad I’m here!
Eleri x