DREAMS OF TOMORROW

Friends… It’s been a while.

At last, the time has come to pen another cozy read! The last few months have been chaotic, and in all honesty, continue to be. A lot still happens in my own little but quite significant life. However, with the arrival of Autumn, I have to keep reminding myself that a good life is the one that is well-spent, doing the things that matter. The falling and decaying brown leaves remind me that all meaningless toil will come to a pointless end. So amidst all the chaos of the mundane life, I revel in the opportunity to slow down and chat with you. Right now, I may not have an audience like that of mainstream celebrities, but whoever’s listening (or reading) out there, how’s your autumn going? How did your summer go?

Since I’m the one talking now, I’ll tell you all about mine…

Upcoming Book.

The big project!

If you are close to me, have my direct contact, or have been anywhere near my Instagram, you’ve probably heard of my latest musing.

After getting the first inkling of a story -about four years before present- I embarked on a journey to write a book. Not that it was the first time I was going on such a journey. I had gone on one many times and aborted the project halfway. However, this particular endeavour shone with so much potential that after writing the first draft, I realized my dream to have it on the bookshelf.

And thanks be to God, I’m still very much determined.

Following many midnight hours of writing, tears, sweat, panicking, writer’s blocks, and energy drains, I’d finally ended up with the first draft of the story. And over the course of last summer, I spent time editing, giving, and getting feedback from my closest friends about the development of the story. And I am proud to say: My team and I are making good progress.

So why did I even decide to write the book?

Since I got into reading about twelve years ago, I’ve been looking for that ultimate cozy book, filled with a little bit of everything about life, especially coming-of-age life. Once you have romance, faith, family, home, love, friendship, seasonal living, and other wholesome themes in a book, you’ve got me. However, I have only been able to find a handful of books like that: A book that gets me thinking about its themes days (and sometimes, years) after reading it. A simple yet rich book.

But in a world where vulgarity is exalted the most, we are unfortunately inundated with reads that cannot be published without festering plain obscenity in them. And you would think that children’s/YA books would be spared from this, but it is in those that you find the most criminal content.

Moreover, whether you notice it or not, we now live in a society steeped in materialism, hedonism, and nihilism. As my close friend pointed out to me, these doomsday philosophies permeate our current literature today, and engaging with those is not only incompatible with a Christian mind; it also corrupts our imagination with a bleak reality that isn’t even true.

So with all that frustration, I had to take up the pen and write the ultimate book that I (and I hope others) would read:

It’s a coming-of-age novel set in historical England (post-war), but more importantly, it centers around characters going through what every coming-of-age person experiences: the quest to find meaning in life and hold onto what already matters. Aesthetically, it’s a combination of visual themes from ‘Little Women’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, and ‘The Sound of Music’.

Like the sound of that? I hope I’ve got you interested! However, I won’t give too much away. To save the mystery. If you want to find out more, consider visiting here, or better, subscribe (for free) to my street team. That way, you’ll be able to get updates about my publishing journey and sneak peeks into the novel itself! What’s not to love, hmm?

Next…

Christine’s Adventures.

That is actually the name of a society formed by me and a couple of very good friends. P.S.: I did not name the group.

Aside from book-writing escapades, I’m glad to have been on many adventures (local but impactful) during the same summer. And the most edifying thing in life is to have friends who have the same affiliations as you and can accompany you while you answer many questions in life.

The birth of ‘Christine’s Adventures’ began after a three-day Catholic retreat with the Dominican order. While at their serene estate, situated in County Tipperary (Ireland), life felt like an Oxford/light academia experience: learning about Christian history, sipping tea, and discussing all things intellectual with habit-clad monks and nuns. Whilst on that stimulating escapade, I reconnected with many friends and formed bonds with new ones.

However, returning from the retreat was like returning home from Narnia. We all wanted to talk about it -constantly. So out of nostalgia, friends and I formed our own society for the purpose of discussing all life questions, and critiquing culture/art. One of us was being cheeky by naming it ‘Christine’s adventures’, despite my protests. But in reality, aren’t we all on our own adventures?

Over the summer, we’ve visited the National Art Gallery in Ireland, which has many collections of paintings from many eras and art movements; the Chester Beatty Library, which contains collections of ancient artefacts (even some of the oldest manuscripts of the Gospel) owned by Chester Beatty (1875-1968). He was an American mining billionaire and philanthropist. He owned a rare private library, featuring old and modern collections of books and manuscripts from many cultures. We’ve also been to the National Museum of Ireland, from which I learnt a lot about Irish Christian civilization.

Those are the main journeys, which I will never forget because of the deep conversations we had while traversing the halls of paintings and artefacts. On the quieter days, we’ve sat over lunch and tea, talking about life, dreams, faith, contentions, and everything else in between. I have been praying for virtuous friendships for a very long time, and for once, I can tangibly feel that my prayers were answered.

I am immensely grateful.

Graduation and the Beginning of a New School.

One thing I should really be grateful for is the closing of a chapter in my schooling and the opening of a new one.

I recently graduated with a second-class honours in physiology from University College Dublin. Due to my stressing over book-editing during the days leading up to the graduation, I have to say that I may not have been well prepared to enjoy that blessed day. Nonetheless, in hindsight, I am truly grateful to have closed a chapter of my life and entered a new one.

A month later, after the graduation, I began a one-year master’s in Public Health, which will get me hands-on experience in engaging with the public on health matters. I am particularly interested in nutrition as it is the closest thing to home. I mean that literally and metaphorically.

I love food. Not only does it nourish the body, but it can also bring people together. Having dreams of being a homebody someday, with a family to nourish and communities to help, public health was the best way to get an idea about that. This intention is currently undercover because, as you probably already know, the academic sphere can sometimes be alien to the whimsical dreams of a Christian girl…

Please remember me and my studies in your prayers.

Living the Cottagecore Dream.

I never thought it would happen… But it’s happening.

Once (many times, actually), I prayed to God to grant me a little experience living in a home that I could contribute to. Of course, I’ve always had a roof over my head, thank God. However, since I moved away from Nigeria, I’ve been missing the joys of living in an actual house with people I can help. Not an apartment, a student accommodation, or a dig. A home.

Two months ago, I moved into a cottagecore dream. I currently live with two Dominican sisters (again, I know), who live in a well-kept home. It’s not exactly a cottage, but the house itself is very old. Hence, it retains all its 1700s/1800s interior design. Never have I lived in a home with such beautiful furnishings and seamless running. Now, I’m more grateful!

The sisters have their own garden, where they grow potatoes, onions, tomatoes, etc. Someone’s often making a delicious meal in the kitchen. It’s such a jam-stirring, bread-making, wool-weaving, grandma-vibe sort of house, and the best part is that I get to do and learn something! I get to help clean the house; to help cook hearty, healthy meals; and to have warming conversations over the dinner table. This is the closest I’ve felt to being home in a long while.

As they always say, an opportunity only comes knocking once. So I have to carpe diem. I have to take the opportunity to learn some more homemaking. What’s not to love?

Finding New Places and Cultivating New Languages.

In the Georgian-styled streets of Merrion Square in Dublin, there sits a house called the Central Catholic Library. At first, it was a little hard finding them open because me and my friend, Hannah, always visited when its big red doors were locked shut. However, upon our first successful visit, we discovered that the library was actually maintained by people we were acquainted with.

Note: In Ireland, you get a lot of surprises like that.

Of course, with that, we became more invested in the place. The library is a volunteer-operated house of archived books. Most are on Catholic theology/spirituality, and include both modern and older books. Some books even date back to medieval times! It was founded by a Catholic priest in 1922, whose painted portrait can be seen upon entering the house. The house is tall and big, sporting that preserved 1700s/1800s interior design, and what makes it more impressive is its tall bookshelves. The leather-bound books give the interior a sort of cozy, dark hue that reminds me of Professor Kirke’s House in The Chronicles of Narnia.

This is not just a library, it’s also a house of Catholic intellectual cultivation. My friend and I took Latin classes (very important to us as Roman Catholics); and I even gave my first seminar on prose and novel-writing.

In the midst of all that, we formed deeper bonds with the friends that maintain the place.

Podcasts and Radio Shows.

Over the summer, the second biggest thing after my publishing project was a new adventure I began with RadioMaria Ireland. After having an interview on their show about life as a Catholic young woman in the 21st century, I decided to begin a podcast on their platform as well. From July to September, I recorded a series of shows featuring Christian stories and the moral lessons they impart. The show was called ‘Christian Tales’, which you may check out here.

Being on the Radio was something I considered way out of my league. That is, until I began doing shows. Usually, one would think that media and publicity is something for celebrities. While that may be true in many cases, that might not be so in others. Depending on the platform, you will gain more or less publicity. But as a Christian, publicity should not be your first goal in seeking to speak in the media. One should be, first and foremost, aiming to impact people and learn the craft of effective communication.

That is what I could both give and get, respectively, from RadioMaria Ireland. Hence, I appreciate the hands-on opportunity I got to experience at the station, and the support I received from the staff. Since the Radio channel is solely run on the efforts of volunteers, anyone with the stamina can step up to the plate and impact hearts with their voices and stories. In fact, if you’re reading this and feel called to do that, don’t be shy. Feel free to visit their website.

And even after a couple of months as a radio show host, I still escaped the slightest bit of fame. I am not a celebrity, and I hope never to be one. I can still walk around the streets as a nobody to the world, but a somebody to the people I love.

May I get an ‘Amen’?

Alright,

I should probably shut up now. If I go on talking (or writing) about what my summer was like, this article may turn into a novella. What about you? How was YOUR summer?

I’d love to know!

Carpe diem,

Christine.