It’s been a while since I’ve written anything for this blog, so let’s catch up quickly.

I’ve been living in Durham for almost two months, and it’s safe to say, I’ve fallen madly in love. Life here feels slow and gentle; misty morning walks along the riverside and generally marvelling at how pretty the city is. It is, however, incredibly strange acclimatsing to a new place and meeting new people when socialising is limited to outdoors – a challenging feat during winter.

Despite the new challenges of the second lockdown, I feel genuinely happy here. I’ve met some amazing people, I’ve been given the chance to get involved in some amazing projects, and I’ve signed up for as many societies as I can humanly manage. After a less than stellar experience during my undergraduate degree, my Masters experience is everything I could’ve ever hoped for.

I’ve also begun to apply for PhDs which has put my imposter syndrome into full force, which is something I am consciously trying to unlearn everyday. Rather excitingly, my intended research (looking at reproductive rights in dystopian literature) feels slightly less desolate following Biden’s win yesterday. I’ve begun to visit the cities where I’ve applied (Edinburgh, Durham, Oxford, Cambridge, Manchester, York, Exeter, Warwick, and Bristol) and I think I’d be happy living in any of them for the next few years.

Although we find ourselves in lockdown once again, I’m thankful that this time that I have considerably more certainty and stability. Revelling in small rituals like my morning coffee, commute to the library, and evening film sessions have been crucial in keeping me afloat. The end is in sight, so here’s hoping that this lockdown pays off.