Well, it’s been a hectic few weeks here in Scotland for me since my last newsletter.
The biggest thing: I’ve moved to Edinburgh! I enjoyed living in the countryside this past year, but I am so excited to be living in a city where things are happening. I’ve been getting to know my neighbourhood, walking around doing errands, and enjoying the rare sunny days we had earlier this week. Today I woke up to fog and an overcast sky. This is Scotland.

The actual process of moving took up a lot of my brainpower in the last few weeks (hence my silence here on Substack — I had intended to keep up my newsletter schedule in August but, oh well, here’s to a new month and new beginnings). There’s been a lot of “life admin” to get out of the way, but my to-do list is finally mostly checked off.
My body hurt so much the day after I moved into my new flat. Every muscle in my back, arms, and legs felt awful. Lugging everything up two flights of stairs was clearly more work than I had anticipated (and no, I don’t lift, bro).
I signed up for an Edinburgh library card (and added it to Libby!) and more importantly, I mailed my absentee ballot application back to New York. To my American friends: election season is quickly coming and it’s so important to make sure you are registered to vote. It’s easy to check your registration on vote.org. If you are living abroad like I am, make sure you register to vote absentee — not every state lets you register online. New York State, for example, requires a physical letter in the mail. New York has multiple swing districts (NY-22 was decided by less than 200 votes in 2022, so despite what the electoral college may make it feel like, YOUR VOTE MATTERS). So, make sure you are registered to vote, that you know where your polling place is, and that come November 5th, you are ready to cast your ballot. Especially if you live in/are registered to vote in a swing state or district. I’ve been thinking back to the 2016 election: we cannot rely on the polls. We all must turn out and vote. We must do it together.
Tiny steps forward are better than giant steps backward.
I won’t sugarcoat it: I’m a bit terrified of what could happen. But the elections in the UK and France gave me a little hope. Fascism won’t win. We cannot let it win. Please, if you do nothing else today, check your voting registration. Vote.org makes it simple!
To end this newsletter, I’m going to start sharing poems I’ve read and liked throughout the week, in addition to my usual closing “What I’m Loving” section. This week, I want to highlight “Caesura” by Nancy Burke, published by Gramercy Review, a lit mag based in NYC. This a beautiful poem, rich in musical words, about language and introspection.
What I’m Listening To: The Show: Live From Madison Square Garden by Niall Horan, Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter, what I have to say by Faith Zapata
What I’m Watching: the other day, I watched this snippet from World Ballet Day 2021 on YouTube and Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell are just such gorgeous dancers and actors
What I’m Loving: Isey Skyr (blueberry flavour), walking around Edinburgh, the photos my dad sends me of Charlie and George (watch this reel of them on a playdate with Golden friends Risky and Peach! So cute!)
missed the claire letters ⭐️🫶🏼