Travel, Housing, and Visas, oh my!
Whew, it’s been a while, huh? Since April, to be exact. That’s only because there’s so much that has been happening, but I’ll try keep it brief. I’ve been in such a whirlwind state of transitions, saying goodbyes, preparing to move abroad, and etc. etc. etc., but I’m focusing on one day at a time and trying to stay organized the best way I know how: to-do lists and spreadsheets. Anyways, as I get closer to my departure date, I’m excited to share with you all everything that’s been going on. The overall news within all of this is that I’ve had a fulfilling summer so far and I am about 98% set to start my new life in London! (I’m just waiting to sign up for my classes in mid-September.)
Summer Travels + Transitions
My last day in my DC apartment of three years.
Firstly, I moved out of DC! May was all about wrap-up and moving out. I knew I would be traveling around to see family this summer and figured it’d be best to save my rent money and move out early. I thought I would have to pay an early move-out fee but thankfully my leasing office came through and set me free! I spent the month leading up to my move-out (5/28) cleaning, packing up, getting rid of things, giving away things, saying goodbyes, and making sure I did everything I needed to before I left DC. Granted it wasn’t my absolute last time in DC as I stored some things in a storage unit until I can move them to my aunts and I still had to make a trip to return my work tech in July. However, it went faster than I wanted and with the pandemic, I didn’t really get to say goodbye to DC and the people in it in the way I would have wanted. But some transitions happen fast like that so you just have to move with it. Nonetheless, before I left, I’m really glad I got my driver’s license finally - I’m in these streets!
Me on Lake Shore Drive in front of the Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park in Chicago
On 5/28, I returned my apartment keys and headed to the airport where I started my 40+ day journey of traveling around to see family + friends and check out some new + familiar places in the US. I first headed to Kansas to see my family there which is always rejuvenating then I headed to Chicago for the first time which was beautiful! I was only there for a couple days but was able to accomplish a lot, see wonderful folks, and I can see why folks fall in love with Chicago. One of my favorite moments there was visiting the Harold Washington Library. As I was walking up the side of the building, the YOUMedia center was showcasing the work of the youth there. Most people know I have been a big fan of early Chance the Rapper and I always loved knowing that he created his 10 Day mixtape at the library in the YOUMedia center - how cool is that? It was this small, but powerful reminder of why I’m entering this next chapter of my life with library school and all. Libraries are and can be so much for young people and their communities. I can’t wait to be a part of that.
Relaxing in the Observer Car of the California Zephyr as we go through the Colorado mountains
Chicago was also the start of another great part of my travels: the California Zephyr train that runs from Chicago to San Francisco! I always heard of this train and finally found the perfect opportunity to take it, especially since I was visiting my mom who was in San Francisco at the time. A trip within the journey! I’m a big fan of taking the train and I love solo time so I had an absolutely fantastic time. It won’t be your most luxurious situation, but if you get the room (with meals included), it feels worth getting all that included. Plus, the views alone are breathtaking.
Mom and me at Crissy Field Beach in San Francisco
I spent about 10 days in the Bay area visiting San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and El Cerrito and got to see some really lovely folks while there! It was my first time ever in California and I think these were a great set of cities to start with. So much culture, beauty, and history are all weaved through. It feels like you can get a little of everything out there. On 6/18, I took an overnight flight to what I call my second hometown: Boston. I know Boston gets mixed reviews and certainly has its set of issues, but the experience I had in Boston after graduating from BU will always make this another home for me. Boston was where I grew up into an adult, where I deeply transformed more into who I was meant to be, and was the origin story of my journey in youth work. Safe to say, when I’m in Boston, it’s spiritual, nostalgic, and comforting. I went partly for work with the Roxbury International Film Festival (Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston® 2021 - Best June Festival!) which equated to a lot of really late nights, but per usual, is always amazing to be a part of. I got to see a lot of great friends, have some of my favorite foods, and be back in my second home.
While in Boston, I was also officially wrapping up on my “main” job with Critical Exposure. My last day was 6/30 and in the days leading up to it, I had bittersweet feelings from a bittersweet experience over the last three years. Ultimately, I’m most grateful for all that I got from the organization, the young folks I got to work with, the friendships I made, and the passion projects I got to work on and leave for the next set of folks. I know the organization is headed into a wonderful place with the new leadership, but I knew it was my time to go and pass on the torch. As Kendrick Lamar recently said, “There’s beauty in completion. And always faith in the unknown.”
The first fish I caught (+ released) in Vermont at the Waterbury Reservoir
July 1st was literally a new day in all the ways. I completed most of the work I had been doing in various aspects of life so I was basically on a “pre-grad school vacation” and I was now in Vermont visiting my cousins! Vermont was exactly the place I needed to be to reset and recharge. It’s absolutely beautiful. I fished for the first time and got to take in so much nature! It was filled with trees, mountains, food, laughs, adventures, fishing, exploring, and so much more. I can see why my cousins moved there and I will definitely be back again.
Baby cousin cuddles
As my travels were mostly coming to a close, I had a multi-city errand day where I flew from Vermont to DC, returned my work tech to my Executive Director, did a quick repack at my storage unit, and then took a train to NJ to be with my aunts and their toddlers for the rest of the summer. Since then, time has gone QUICK! We went to Florida on a big family trip which was fun and then in true Gaillard fashion, we had so much going on so the days all meshed together. Plus, the toddlers are quite active so have I actually slept in the last couple months? Who knows. But their laughs and cuddles always make it worth it. I’m used to seeing them nearly every other month so not seeing them for the next year is a weird reality I don’t think I’ve comprehended fully yet. I’m spending the next week or so in my home of the Bronx to see some family and friends (as safely as possible) in the area before I head to London!
Getting Ready for London
In the midst of toddler life, I’ve been prepping for London in a various ways! Firstly, I got my student visa — wooo! I was most nervous about this because any mistake on the application could mean a rejection, hundreds of dollars lost, and a complicated timing situation to re-apply. I also desperately needed it in July because I was starting my new student job remotely in August so I needed my visa as proof of work. I have to say the process isn’t as scary as I thought it would be but you do have to be very detailed and triple-check everything. Also, I had immense privilege applying as a US Citizen so I have to recognize that helped a ton. There’s a lot I didn’t have to prove or do that I know other international students have to do just to apply for a visa. Also major thank you to my folks at the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program who approved professional development funds for me to use towards my visa and housing - appreciate y’all! A helpful thing about the UK visa process is that you also pay the NHS surcharge at the same time to access health services while there so I’m already covered health-wise for the whole time I’m in the UK and it cost me less than two months worth of the health insurance I pay in the US. UGH - this is why we need free healthcare.
Success on the Visa front!
This is also to say that I started my new student job! Thankfully, it’s only about 10 hours/week but because of the time difference, I have early mornings in order to catch the afternoons there. It’s been great to start to meet other City, University of London staff and students already and it’s pretty cool to now have access to the school as both a student and a staff member. I have two City emails too! I will say that I am very much looking forward to being on the same time zone soon though so I don’t keep waking up feeling like I’ve missed a whole day of happenings with work and the school. Once I get my schedule set for the Fall, my hours will probably adjust anyways so that’ll be helpful as well.
More exciting news: I secured my housing in London! I was able to book my housing at an accommodation for postgraduate students. It’ll be all studios so I’ll have my own bathroom and kitchen which ya girl needs. I can’t imagine going back to a roommate situation after 3 years of living on my own. I was waiting everyday for an email to book and finally it came in perfect timing when I was in Vermont and my cousins and I stopped by the house before we went fishing. Hence I was able to sign up and get the exact room I wanted! A major thank you to a dear friend who made a generous contribution to help me cover my housing deposit and more — you know who you are and you are so appreciated. I’m very excited to do some home shopping and decorating once I get there as well. By the way, If you want to contribute to my settling in, check out ways to support here (gift cards are much appreciated!)
The image from the City communications team that is being used for the new student welcome emails
Even more exciting news: I secured a student loan for my tuition and expenses! I’ve been saving and all, but as I got closer to applying for my Visa, I realized I wanted to be extra secure and prepared with my finances so I didn’t have to spend any time stressing about having what I needed in time. I was very hesitant to go down the loan route again, but since my current student loans aren’t at an outrageous amount and are currently deferred given the federal pause, I felt better about pursuing a loan so I can guarantee my finances now. I was very grateful to find out the school can actually issue US federal loans with the FAFSA so I could have a federal loan versus a private one and still attend university in the UK! Also, I’m still holding out hope for student loan forgiveness so let’s hope this degree happens retroactively for free. Another few things I reminded myself of when considering the loan was: (1) Part of pursuing a degree abroad is that it would be 1 year vs 2 years so overall, I would be saving a year’s worth of tuition/expenses aka not as much of a loan, (2) The loan disburses three times over the year and each time, I can adjust the amount so if I don’t need the money, I don’t have to take all of it, and (3) the benefits outweighed the risks for my specific situation. And I have to tell you, the relief I feel is immense. The university already has me listed at a £0 balance, my housing payments are already scheduled to match up with the loan, and I made sure to allocate enough funds for myself for my ongoing general living costs — which they consider a part of the maximum loan amount you can take (everything from groceries to your flight costs are considered). Speaking of, I got my flight to London as well! It’s on JetBlue and I’m excited to check out their new NYC to London flight. By the way, JetBlue, if y’all want to upgrade me to Mint/first class in exchange for some social media promo, hit me up! Major thank you to the lovely folks that generously contributed to purchasing this for me as well — you know who you are and I love y’all!
Last but not least, I’ve also been preparing for London in small ways such as reaching out to get any questions answered, looking up spots to check out in London, dreaming up getaways and trips to take, researching youth work- and library-related things to connect with, and wrapping up on anything I want to complete before I start — among many other things. Have any suggestions for literally anything? Let me know via the form here!
When the time comes, I want to be a completely free to fully focus on school and any other education-related obligations. I’m not taking for granted this experience I have been blessed with and I want to make sure to make the absolute most of it.
Well, that was quite a lot. I appreciate you reading it all. I don’t plan to make future updates this lengthy, but I had to cover 4 months’ worth of updates and that truly wasn’t even everything. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for the mailing list on the main page here.
Thank you to everyone that has supported me and the journey through your love, well wishes, and blessings in all the ways.
I’m now a little over two weeks away from heading to London which is pretty surreal. I’ll be moving in a few weeks before things start up at school at the end of September so that gives me time to adjust to the new time zone and settle in. I still have a lot to do before I go so I’m focused more on those things but I know this journey holds a lot of beautiful and transformative moments ahead. ✨
til the next update (which may be from London),
Renée ♥️
