this is me trying

Sometimes to feel comfortable, one must experience a little discomfort and for Eva Valtersen, that was exactly what she needed. After being recruited in the Summer of 2021, the 21-year-old Norwegian midfielder decided to leave the comfort of her home country and make the move to her dream club in England, Manchester City.

At City, Eva soon settles, finding new routines and traditions that fit around the noise in her head, and hurt in her heart. Through newfound friendships with Hayley Raso, Georgia Stanway and Keira Walsh, as well as frequent international breaks and tournaments with her best friends, Ingrid Engen, Guro Reiten, and Frida Maanum, Eva finds her supposed peace.

That is until a derby match between the two Manchester teams rocks her newfound comfort. After the unexpected meeting with Ona Batlle, her world changes. Her mind changes. Ona brings out something in Eva that she thought was never possible: peace.

In the mean time, Eva is there for Ingrid, while she is developing her own romance with the Spanish centre back, Mapi Leon, as she lives her life in Barcelona.

Throughout all of this, Eva's brain continues to tick. Why did she consider her intrusive thoughts to be calming? Why was this all happening to her brain? And how come Ona was the only person who could make her feel better again?

This Is Me Trying is a story about love, forgiveness and mental health, representing how the mind can truely affect the heart.

The Story of Eva Valtersen in the Swiftly Pitched series