Featured image: Richard Davis

Moving to Manchester was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. When I think of the mountain range outside my window and the hummingbird that flutters in the garden, my eyes get misty as I reminisce about Trinidad. Still, I know there’s no place I’d rather be than Manchester.

When applying to the UK for postgraduate study, I found myself applying to several universities across various English Literature and Language programmes. I almost didn’t accept Manchester Met’s offer for an MA in Multimedia Journalism, but nearly a year in, I cannot imagine studying journalism anywhere else.

Before moving, I devoured study abroad blogs and created Pinterest boards, romanticising my new life as a journalist in the UK. I was ready for my aesthetic ‘English girl’ life, but not for the relentless Manchester rain. My first day at Manchester Met was nerve-wracking; I was amazed at the size of the modern, sprawling campus compared to my undergraduate university back in Trinidad, which was located on a former slave plantation in a valley between two mountains.

My first semester was far from what I expected. I wasn’t prepared for the heavy workload or being thrown into the deep end of journalism — sitting through Manchester City Council meetings and racing to meet newsroom deadlines. But journalism became my guide to the city, leading me to places I may never have discovered otherwise. Assigned to report on Hulme as my community patch, I discovered my favourite place in the city: Hulme Community Garden Centre. It has become such a safe place for me. When I’m feeling homesick, I’ll visit the garden centre, treat myself to a hot chocolate, and read a book while the resident cats snuggle against my legs.

Getting involved with aAh! Magazine opened up another world of opportunities. As an editor, I met and interviewed writers who felt larger-than-life to me. One of the most memorable encounters was with Malika Booker, an award-winning British poet of Grenadian and Guyanese descent and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL). The first thing she asked me when we met was: “Where is that accent from? It sounds like home to me.” Whenever she spots me on campus, she calls me ‘Trini’ and greets me with a warm smile.

I also had the privilege of interviewing Monique Roffey FRSL, an award-winning Trinidadian-born author whose novels I turned to comfort when I first moved to the UK to feel a sense of home. The moment she heard my voice, she asked: “Is that a Trini accent I hear?” Monique told me that I was the first Trini she had ever met at Manchester Met, which created an instant connection.

Working on aAh! also introduced me to legendary Hulme photographer, Richard Davis. Meeting at The LEGACY Issue magazine launch party and exhibition, we connected over our shared interest in Hulme. Before Richard became the photographer that he is today, he started off as a student photographer for Manchester Met’s previous student magazine, PULP. He captured Nirvana at their 1989 concert at Manchester Polytechnic Student Union, as well as iconic portraits of the likes of Sir Lemn Sissay, Steve Coogan and Caroline Aherne in and around Hulme.

My time working at aAh! and getting involved with both the online and print issues has allowed me to connect with other aspiring journalists, designers, illustrators and photographers. Through these connections, I’ve found a community of ambitious creatives who share my aspirations: to gain valuable experience, enter the professional world, and dream big.

As I come to the end of my time in Manchester and reflect on these experiences, I am reminded that, even away from home, my West Indian identity will always find me. Manchester has given me a newfound appreciation for and connection to home through the people I’ve met and the projects I’ve worked on. I have always carried a part of Trinidad with me, and this city will always have a special place in my heart because in Manchester I’ve found a home away from home.