It was 1993, I was 21 and spending the summer working in Palma de Mallorca. My parents kept my letters home & discovering them sparked all sorts of thoughts when I returned to the island this summer.
I loved reading this, Harriet! It's made me think of the exchanges I went on to France and Germany and how maybe I could hold these up to a light and see more in them than the face value of nearly getting deported for bad behaviour!
My brother was a Newcastle Poly student too! But a wee bit earlier than you.
I loved reading this Harriet, finding out about the Newcastle Poly girl, her take on Mallorca and her grown up self looking back fondly. It was privilege to get a sneak peek during the writing sprint at the behind the scenes genesis of this piece, how you grappled with your Substack pause and gaining the confidence to post again.
Thank you so much Bec! Your sprints are invaluable, there’s a magic in those 7-days & I always look forward to them starting because I know I’ll write and that something of value will come from it. This time I felt able to share those thoughts, fingers crossed it’s the start I’ve been looking for. Hx
I loved reading this. (I'm sure you could have guessed I would!) So much of it resonates with me, that journey both geographical and emotional, and the interleaving of the two. Looking back is hard, or at least perhaps the thought of it is, but as you say, you should have given yourself more credit and I'm glad you were brave enough to read yourself back and not hide away in a dark drawer. It also sounds like past Harriet has reached forward to influence present and future Harriet, a hand on your shoulder. Thank you for sharing these reflections with the world!
Thanks so much Jayne! There are so many layers to these letters and others that I’ve found. I think they have potential to bring a lot of texture and depth to the memoir writing as well as being an entertaining trip down memory lane. I’m pleased I read them. Hx
So beautiful to read, Harriet - I felt transported there with you. So interesting about the ‘lightness’ you felt emanating from the letters, rather than the emotions remembered. I’m sure you feel glad that you didn’t banish them to a cupboard. My Spanish Duolingo streak is at 83 today - I’m wondering why I never tried to learn it before.
Thanks so much for reading! I didn’t really know what to expect from Duolingo but I’m kinda enjoying it 😂 I’m wondering where to go next with the letters theme. There was also a bundle of letters my dad wrote to my mum in April 1964. Newly-ish married & mum pregnant with my sister, she was in London and he was in New Zealand on a long work trip. For a man who was always the quiet, unemotional, one in the partnership, he wrote with real emotion & was incredible articulate. These letters we send…so illuminating.
I think it’s so incredible that you have all these letters - I never kept any over the years, and I can’t remember ever writing to anyone or them to me. It must be lovely to read your dad’s words where he’s so open and honest.
I loved reading this, Harriet! It's made me think of the exchanges I went on to France and Germany and how maybe I could hold these up to a light and see more in them than the face value of nearly getting deported for bad behaviour!
My brother was a Newcastle Poly student too! But a wee bit earlier than you.
Oh now I need to hear about the bad behaviour & nearly being deported 😂
Yes, it's a chapter for the memoir! It's quite a tale!
I know I’ve only met you once IRL but I had a feeling there’d be a good story there 😂
I'd like to look more at the memoir when time and headspace allows...
I loved reading this Harriet, finding out about the Newcastle Poly girl, her take on Mallorca and her grown up self looking back fondly. It was privilege to get a sneak peek during the writing sprint at the behind the scenes genesis of this piece, how you grappled with your Substack pause and gaining the confidence to post again.
Thank you so much Bec! Your sprints are invaluable, there’s a magic in those 7-days & I always look forward to them starting because I know I’ll write and that something of value will come from it. This time I felt able to share those thoughts, fingers crossed it’s the start I’ve been looking for. Hx
I loved reading this. (I'm sure you could have guessed I would!) So much of it resonates with me, that journey both geographical and emotional, and the interleaving of the two. Looking back is hard, or at least perhaps the thought of it is, but as you say, you should have given yourself more credit and I'm glad you were brave enough to read yourself back and not hide away in a dark drawer. It also sounds like past Harriet has reached forward to influence present and future Harriet, a hand on your shoulder. Thank you for sharing these reflections with the world!
Thanks so much Jayne! There are so many layers to these letters and others that I’ve found. I think they have potential to bring a lot of texture and depth to the memoir writing as well as being an entertaining trip down memory lane. I’m pleased I read them. Hx
So beautiful to read, Harriet - I felt transported there with you. So interesting about the ‘lightness’ you felt emanating from the letters, rather than the emotions remembered. I’m sure you feel glad that you didn’t banish them to a cupboard. My Spanish Duolingo streak is at 83 today - I’m wondering why I never tried to learn it before.
Thanks so much for reading! I didn’t really know what to expect from Duolingo but I’m kinda enjoying it 😂 I’m wondering where to go next with the letters theme. There was also a bundle of letters my dad wrote to my mum in April 1964. Newly-ish married & mum pregnant with my sister, she was in London and he was in New Zealand on a long work trip. For a man who was always the quiet, unemotional, one in the partnership, he wrote with real emotion & was incredible articulate. These letters we send…so illuminating.
I think it’s so incredible that you have all these letters - I never kept any over the years, and I can’t remember ever writing to anyone or them to me. It must be lovely to read your dad’s words where he’s so open and honest.