On the streets of Bristol, spontaneous conversations often open up into meaningful dialogues about finding your community and embracing your authentic self. In this feature, we connect with Andi to talk about connection, university life, and the beauty of belonging.
For Andi, feeling alive is anchored in university life, meaningful socialization, and the comfort of finding your circle:
"Being here in uni and like socializing with people & communicating with people and just having a circle makes me feel like I belong."
Reflecting on the hurdles of growing up and carving out their own path, Andi shares an honest look at navigating cultural expectations and personal identity:
"I guess growing up in a Arab household, being like bisexual... I don't really like culturally agree with a lot of things and that just like created lots of conflicts, but like I guess, you know, you grow up and you learn who you are & I came here and I get to be myself. It's nice."
Closing our conversation, Andi shares a powerful message of resilience and permanence for anyone facing difficult circumstances:
"Don't change who you are because of the circumstances you're in or because you feel like it's never going to end. Everything is temporary & you're going to get out of whatever you're struggling with & it's going to get better, like no matter where you're at in life."
