A Summer in Motion

It still feels a little surreal to say: this fall, I’ll be starting my MA in Creative Writing and Publishing… in London.

Most days this summer, that feels like the only constant, a bright, inevitable little star on the horizon, while the rest of my life has been in motion, busy and a little chaotic in the best (and sometimes worst) ways.

I recently sold my car to help cover my visa fees and my first couple months of accommodation, and though it felt strange to let it go, it was oddly freeing — a quiet, practical step toward what’s next. I’ve been sorting through my things little by little, deciding what gets packed, what gets left behind, what no longer belongs to this version of me. And yes, I’m still overthinking how many notebooks I really need to bring. (It’s probably six. At least.)

Between all that, I’ve been carving out time with friends and family, trying to store up as much of their company and laughter as I can.

And on top of the usual chaos of moving, there’s been the usual chaos of… life. My water heater gave up at the start of June, leaving me boiling water for dishes, and showering at the gym for nearly a month. Though if nothing else, it kept me on top of my workouts. And of course, I’ve been locked in an ongoing tug-of-war with student aid. I don’t know why I thought a UK university would be less of a headache than my local one. (It’s not.)

But it hasn’t all been stress and to-do lists. I’ve already started connecting with my future classmates in the Creative Writing and Publishing program, and it’s been so exciting to see how talented and kind everyone is. We even had a Zoom call with the department heads recently, walking through all the courses we can choose from and I can already tell I’m going to have a hard time narrowing them down. There’s so much I want to learn, and it’s thrilling to feel that spark of possibility.

I wish I could say I’ve been writing as much as I’d like to, but the truth is, moving prep takes a lot out of you. Still, I’ve managed to keep up my daily poetry practice, it helps keep me grounded. I’ve also been submitting more work, and I’m happy to say my tenth poem publication is coming out this August. (Details soon.)

This summer has felt like an in-between, messy and busy, full of little goodbyes and quiet joys, but it’s all moving me toward something I’ve been dreaming about for a long time.

And the closer it gets, the more ready I feel.