This Greek journey didn’t start today when we arrived, but already on Thursday when we packed everything, and even on Wednesday when I went shopping with my kid for the missing travel essentials. This is a major milestone for me, because if you take a water-loving girl (whose superpower is being able to happily raise a child alone, move, change jobs, and educate herself if needed) and consider the past few years—either burdened by a global pandemic or moving from point A to B, changing schools, and all the surrounding chaos—it’s no surprise that the only salty water I saw was for cooking. Being here now, in a sleepy corner…

Moments that will always stay with me, moments I cannot let go of. Moments that do not fade but deepen as time carves them further. Moments when I was whole and weightless in my completeness. Moments where one can truly arrive, believing with absolute certainty that everything is exactly as it should be. And when torn away, they leave a pulsating, almost living void. Dated: May 26, 2024

– Gerbeaud – Dated: May 26, 2024

I’ve always loved the idea that one day I’d have my own little garden, where tender seedlings smile at me from neat beds beside a well-kept lawn, bursting with produce that proudly bears the mark of my own hands. Well, I’m determinedly working toward that goal, and I’m not discouraged by the fact that mowing the lawn takes at least two hours and requires full concentration because of the hidden treasures planted by my predecessor—sometimes it’s hard to tell whether they’re actually weeds or not. When, after work, I set out determinedly and then fell during the mowing session (including edging and some half-hearted weeding), night had already fallen—even though…

Igen, igen igen!!!! A szombat reggel, amire szilveszter óta vártam: amikor nyüzsög a reggeli piac és nehéz a dunapárás levegő a virágillattól! Amikor egy kicsit korábban kelhetek fel, hogy válogathassak a nyáriasítandó erkélyem (ez a bevésődött rutinom tavasszal) és a gondoskodásra vágyó kert (ez pedig az ÚJ rutinommá avanzsált tennivaló az édes új otthonunkban ♥) leendő virágtövei meg palántái közt a helyi termelők és kertészetek gyönyörűbbnél gyönyörűbb hajtásainak soraiban. Imádtam ismeretségeket kötni az idős nénikkel és a fűszernövények történetét elmesélő fiatal lánnyal a standokon, tapasztalatokat és jótanácsokat bezsebelni az évtizedek óta kertet művelőktől, és térdig koptatni a lábam amíg mindent a megfelelő minőségben és a legjobb tudásom szerint beszereztem a madárcsicsergő…

Photos from a birthday where I tied a bouquet from flowers in my own garden, a beautiful moment in Vác with petals falling and the first warm afternoon, a girls’ night out with my mom featuring Thai dinner and a visit to the Vigadó, a Women’s Day earring gift from a teenage boy, and finally: technical training sessions now that I have someone to train with! Theater with burgundy lipstick, artisan burgers, mind-blowing desserts, a borrowed red hat, the shoes I always dreamed of, and my very first snowdrops! Dated: April 14., 2024

In this breathtaking place, one hardly knows what to admire first, moving from one wonder to another in awe. You can almost see the carriages, the stockings, the pomade—and just as the luxury nearly blinds you, a thought nestles in: What if these statues have witnessed more tears than laughter? What if the books are true, and beneath the profusion of beauty, happiness faded away under the brocade? If a woman’s loneliness could be sparked by a harsh word, an ill-fitting dress (does that sound trivial? It’s not), or a fleeting human mood—so easily crushed, right? No wonder they sometimes didn’t feel their own worth. And with every step I…

– Little Letters to the Spirits of Christmases – Dear Spirit of Past Christmases,Thank you for being with me, but it’s better now without you. I grew weary of waiting and hoping for something better. Maybe it was necessary, maybe you made me wiser, but I didn’t become happier because of it. However, you were an excellent starting line for me to meet your big sibling here and now: Dear Spirit of the Present Christmas,Thank you for being with me and filling my home, filling the corners, and flowing over the set table. You outdid yourself with your light, the feelings you planted in me, and everything you brought with…

Our first Christmas here! I love that this place still holds ‘firsts’ for us, and I can’t wait for the big family Christmas where I’ll be the host this year 🙂And as such, welcoming guests comes with lots of preparations, which wouldn’t be such a big deal if I didn’t have to handle it all alone! Wishing you a joyful Christmas season! Dated: Dec 24, 2023

And it happened! Last Advent it was just a bold thought, and now here I am: sitting in my living room in a magical city, close enough to the bustling heart of Budapest, yet after work I’m greeted by fresh air, the Danube’s shore, and a peaceful garden (where raking leaves on weekends or shoveling snow early in the morning before work isn’t exactly a party, but maybe I still love it enough). This Advent is special in my life—a new first time that adds a little extra spice to the feeling that fills you at this season. It’s a bit more than last year, and I adore these small…