Choosing to be a digital nomad at that moment- exhausted, over-extended, a one-woman team carrying some of the heaviest research of my life- was not a retreat. It was resistance. It was joy, chosen deliberately & without apology, as an act of defiance against every structure that had demanded my brilliance without protecting my humanity. I stopped fighting. & I lived instead.

Research that is not desk based asks something different from the researcher. You have to be prepared, adaptable, & properly equipped to do the research well....I hope this post offers a few ideas, or perhaps affirms choices you have already made.

I can’t believe I really organised & conducted all of this – a three-year, multi-site research project across three countries on three continents, employing three methods. (Three is definitely my magic number, lol!) It’s amazing to see how my proposal, once just a collection of ideas & a plan, has truly come to life.

Since childhood, I have found joy in being surrounded by books.....to step into the role of writer-in-residence- not just anywhere, but at the Library of Africa & the African Diaspora (LOATAD)- is a dream come true.

From the very beginning, UCC offered me an academic home away from home. It was a perfect match. Its proximity to key research sites, its academic depth, & the welcoming spirit of its community made it ideal. I came in search of connection & understanding. What I received was more than I imagined, especially since I hadn’t even known about it properly beforehand.

The first year of my Leverhulme Trust project was the 'UK leg' which I detailed in a previous post. However, the start of my second year...

A reflection of my time as a visiting fellow at the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank (ACIJ/JMB).

As I sit here writing & thinking about my postdoc year, I can’t believe how quickly time flies or how much can be done in a year with...