Falling in love again wasn’t on the cards for American TikToker Danah Clipa when she decided to move abroad while attempting to navigate life following her divorce.
Not least because she didn’t fall in love with a person, she fell in love with a place: Belfast.
The 33-year-old content creator from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had only visited Belfast once before making the move across the pond for a few months.
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“I visited in 2019 and I just visited for a couple of days, but it really stuck out to me because of how kind the people were. That was my first impression,” Danah said.
The decision to move came alongside a return to studying.
“I really wanted a fresh start. I decided to go back to school but I was doing online schooling, so I was like, ‘I can do this from anywhere, why not go somewhere, venture out?’
Three weeks after settling on Belfast, Danah had secured a room in a house in the east of the city and was boarding her flight.
“I’m kind of a spontaneous person in that way,” she said.
“I was just really, really down. I was having a hard time just adjusting. Right before I came here, I kept thinking, ‘I really hope that this helps me’ because I was really, really struggling.”
Over two months later, Danah believes that Belfast has helped ‘heal’ her.
“It’s definitely the people,” she said.
“Everybody is so helpful here, so kind. I know you run into bad people in every city you go to, but there are drastically more really kind, welcoming, giving people here than most places I’ve ever visited.
She believes being around the city’s warm, welcoming people has helped her ‘live in the moment’.
“That’s so easy to do here,” she said.
“At any point, I can reach out to somebody and they’ll be willing to go grab a pint with me or go grab some food.”
Aside from her love of the people, Danah has also come to enjoy to local food and drink scene.
“In Louisiana, you know, we have really good flavourful, spicy food.
“I was kind of nervous a bit about the food here because I think the first time I came I had fish and chips the whole time!
“I wasn’t really sure what to expected but I was definitely pleasantly surprised.”
As a “social person”, the city’s hospitality venues and the fact there is “always be people around” is also a welcome bonus.
“I know that sounds silly but back home, on like a Tuesday night, if you go to any pub or restaurant, most likely, it’s going to be dead.”
And while traffic and transport have been a point of contention in recent weeks, it’s one of Danah’s favourite parts about living in Belfast.
“I’m always on the Glider!” she laughed.
“The access to public transportation is phenomenal. I also love that it is so incredibly walkable. I go on mental health walks when I’m feeling down. Being able to walk anywhere in the city really has helped me a lot,” she added.
With a departure date in January fast-approaching, Danah is looking to make her stay in Belfast a permanent one.
“The longer I’ve been here, I’ve realised it’s definitely somewhere I want to settle,” she said.
“I kind of haven’t been able to accept that I won’t live here. Hopefully I’m [home] for a very short time and then I’ll be back.”
