The Transition Chapter

Being in Belfast, I have spent a fair amount of time transferring pictures from my camera to my computer, journaling, blogging,facebooking, and doing whatever I can to record my time here so that I may look back and remember my adventures.

However, during this process, I have discovered a hole in my life. Between the gaps of documentation, I've been forced to ask myself: What happened between December of 2009 and September of 2010?

In December of 2009, I was interning at the Embassy of Ireland, busily running about DC in my Sofft Mary Janes and dating a fellow called Lapo. The night before I left DC there was a Christmas Party at the Embassy, and many pictures of glittering trees and snow surrounding Union Station. According to my records, the moment I next lived was when I arrived in Belfast in my new apartment.

In a way, I am extremely depressed by a gap of time that has seemed to creep by, and I am searching for landmarks to spot the time. In January, I moved back to Wesleyan- where, oh yes, I was a resident assistant. Now I recall. Then there was Winter Formal, where I accidentally shared a friend's secret in front of her boyfriend whilst putting on my makeup. What a fun night- then there was the rowdy freshman trying to steal my seat on the bus, and my new friend who defended me from him.

There was the preparation for my scholarship application, which sadly, has been rejected. And the 21 credit hours, ah yes now I remember. There was February with all of its horrid days and cold nights.

Then came St. Patrick's Day in DC, where I roamed the streets feeling as though I had never left. Skirting the parties and riding in all those taxis.

I remember getting my acceptance email to come here to Belfast. I remember standing in my window and calling my best friend to tell her. I remember the acceptance call that I got the internship for the summer. Remember being excited about my salary and going to buy frozen pizza and cheap champagne with my friend Olivia. Olivia encouraging me to buy my daisy necklace. Picking up my new necklace in the mailroom. Working in the mailroom. (Ew, did I really do that?)

Then there was my wisdom teeth. I got my teeth pulled and after the 6th, 7th, and 12th appointments, I am just now completely recovered.

In addition to this, the hundreds of appointments. The internship. The research team. The happy hours. The appointments. The visa application. The visit to have my "biometrics" collected. The trip to Pensacola.

And in a way, it seems a good way to reflect on the past- in vignettes of images, colors, and tastes.

Last night talking to my good friend Olivia, she said this "In a way, this period of our lives, from the time we left DC, until this moment, has been like a transitional chapter of a book. You don't want to read it, and you hate that it is there, but it's absolutely necessary for the plot to advance."

Wise words indeed. Now, looking back, I think on this period and I am amazed at the amount I accomplished without taking picture, writing a blog, creating a facebook album, or even taking notes in a journal. And now, joking with my friends how my "drought" is over, I think of how nice it was to have one.