It's been a while, hasn't it?

Life has been pretty busy lately — moving, working, and, oddly enough, enjoying summer. Me, actually liking summer? What? I know, it's baffling for you and me both.

So, let me catch you up on my recent shenanigans.

I have moved! Packed up a decade into forty-odd boxes and left my old home on a sunny Thursday morning. The move was as smooth as moves go — no major hiccups, though quite a few deep scratches in my wooden furniture pieces. Nothing I can't fix, still a bummer.

And now, here I am in my new place! I cleaned floors and painted walls, built furniture and sorted things. Stef came to visit for a week, and we knocked out so many tasks — even built a desk I designed! If you're reading this, Stef, you're the bomb dot com! Thank you! I'm still not fully done, though — crown moulding needs installing, closet doors need many coats of paint, and the basement compartment is a mess. But there's no rush; I'm learning to be patient with myself.

While Stef was here, we were supposed to go to the Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, but as you probably know, it got cancelled. We were bummed, I tell you. I've got a complicated relationship with Taylor these days, but I was still excited for a safe space where I could yell my little heart out, dance for hours and just have fun. We thought about joining the crowd at Corneliusgasse but couldn't muster the mood. In hindsight, after seeing all those TikToks of people singing, dancing, and swapping friendship bracelets, I wish we'd gone. Oh well.

This summer has been unbearably hot, but my new north-facing, breezy balcony made even the worst afternoons bearable. My flat stays cool, and there's always homemade iced tea in the fridge. Honestly, life could be a lot worse.

All in all, I absolutely adore my new flat — my new home! Rufus is a very happy camper too and has already claimed all the cosy seating options as his own.

Some other things

• Took a break from Daily Drawings in July and August due to the move and other commitments. I'm back at it now, and the first drawings for September will be up soon!
• Made new friends — both in my new neighbourhood and my new building. Having a cute pup definitely helps with meeting people.
• Gave away my TV! This is the second one I've offloaded in the past five years. I rarely watch on a big screen, and this last one was used maybe a dozen times over the past two years. It just wasn't worth the space it occupied in my flat.
• Finally have space for all my books, so I've lifted my book-buying ban. Someone may have acquired 20+ new titles over the past few weeks.
• Made friends with the handymen working in my building, and they helped with drilling holes in the bathroom tiles. I'm pretty handy, but drilling into tiles? Not something I wanna do.
• Considering buying an AirFryer, though I wish they weren't so bulky and ugly. Any recommendations?
• Got a new Filofax and spent many evenings designing, printing, and cutting custom inserts.

Memorable reads

• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches: This book has been on every favourites list, and I finally gave in. It's absolutely delightful — a cosy read that feels like wrapping up in a warm blanket with a cuppa tea.
• My Dark Vanessa: This one hit hard, especially since I was in a somewhat similar relationship when I was younger — me at 17, him at 38. Not my teacher, but someone else's. So many of Jacob Strane's lines to Vanessa I'd heard verbatim — the gaslighting, the constant guilt trips, his self-preservation above all else. It was unsettling, bringing back memories of a past I'd long since tucked away and forcing me to re-evaluate not just the relationship itself, but the lens through which I had viewed it.
• Midnight Sun: The infamous Twilight retelling from Edward's perspective. During one of the lockdowns, I got hooked on the Remember Twilight? podcast, loving how Maren and Emily revisited each chapter of the saga. Then in winter 2022, I reread all the books for the first time since their original release. Yes, they're flawed, but they're also nostalgic, charming, and oddly comforting. I don't believe in guilty pleasure, so, here it is: I adore these books for as many reasons as I find them problematic. Long story short, Midnight Sun is a wild ride and such a fun and weird read.

Memorable watches

• How To Get Away With Murder: I think I watched a few episodes years ago but lost interest pretty quickly. This time, I made it through four-ish seasons. The first season was great, but it slowly went downhill from there.
• The Nanny: Not sure what prompted me to start watching it but, oh boy, I'm glad I did. It's so wholesome and heartfelt; and I've been literally lol-ing every episode.
• The Good Place: I've lost count of how many times I've rewatched this show. Sometimes I just revisit my favourite episodes, other times it's on a constant loop in the background. All four seasons are forking fantastic.
• Deadpool & Wolverine: Yes, Marvel fatigue is real, but this was actually a blast!

july & august bookmarks

1. how to make 17th century clotted cream
2. how I built my minitruck bookmobile
3. agatha all along | teaser trailer
4. the criticism of taylor swift: a masterpost
5. the friendship dip

Two months back, I boxed up my entire life. Ten years, tucked away into some 40-odd boxes.

Thought I’d share a few of the long-lost treasures I stumbled upon.

• a very expensive DaVinci Maestro brush. That specific one usually retails for around 1000 quid. Benoît, if you'd like it back, tough luck. I'm keeping it!
• The wedding ring of the late father of a guy I briefly dated ages ago. I remember him losing it, us tearing apart my flat, his flat. It wasn't to be found, and now here it is. I'd love to return it, but I can't for the life of me recall his name. So, if we dated sometime around 2014-2016, and you're still looking for that ring, please send me an email.
• My favourite scarf. I lost it sometime last winter. I was very upset. I even accused people of stealing it, that's how upset I was. Turns out, it was in the basket with all the dog toys.
• A lot of cash! I hardly ever carry cash. But I regularly order things of off the internet for neighbours who usually reimbursed me with cash. I found a total of 230 euros plus some coins. Whoop!
• So much loose candy. Have I ever bought peanut M&Ms? No. Did I find almost a handful behind the couch? Yup.
• The credit cards I thought lost last summer, shortly before going on a trip. You can imagine how much fun I had getting replacements in time.
• My favourite pair of underpants, tucked away in the lining of my laundry basket.
• A trillion dog treats. They were everywhere. In all my bags, coat pockets. Behind the couch, the bed, the dresser, the washing machine.
• The Cartier Love bracelet I treated myself to a couple of years ago. At the time, it felt like a splurge, but I rarely wore it. And now? Sold it for even more than I’d paid. Cheers to that.
• A flea hairbrush. Ah, the perks of being an aunt.

I am a creature of habit. My mornings are etched in routine: I wake at 6am, head to the bathroom, and brush my teeth while I shower. I feed the dog as I wait for the kettle to boil. With my tea in hand, I scroll through Reddit or read my current book. Afterward, I take Rufus for a walk, grab a cuppa coffee, return home, do a 20-minute yoga session, and then begin work.

I stick to the same coffee shops and restaurants. I enjoy rewatching shows and movies and rereading books. Each year, I take three city trips, usually to Venice, New York, and London. Fridays are for ordering groceries online, Sundays for prepping them.

I am devoted to my routines, altering them only occasionally to fine-tune the minutiae of my day. Yet, within these confines, I find space for change. Over the last decade, I have redecorated and refurnished my flat countless times, painted the walls a new colour at least once a year. I've built a walk-in closet on a whim. I frequently immerse myself in crafts — pottery, bookbinding, furniture building, miniature making, embroidery.

I am never bored. There are always things to do, books to read, movies to watch. At heart, I am a homebody, surrounded by a tight-knit circle of friends and a delightful gaggle of surrogate nieces and nephews.

And now, here I am, on the precipice of significant change. This flat has been more than just my home; it has been my sanctuary for the past decade. And in less than a fortnight, I will bid it farewell.

I was just 27 when I first turned the key in that door. So young then, full of uncertainties about who I was and what lay ahead. Now, a decade on, I may not have all the answers, but I've come to a place where the questions no longer weigh heavily upon me. Perhaps this is it — no longer in pursuit of an elusive identity, but embracing what is and where I'm at in life.

My life has revolved around this flat. It has been my home base, my office, my atelier, my library — the place where I have always felt safe. I returned here heartbroken and cried myself to sleep. I celebrated milestones with friends, cooked dinners for too many people in a kitchen far too small. I got to know my neighbours, both within the flat complex and the wider neighbourhood. I spent nights awake, working on projects. I quit jobs and decided to go freelance full-time. Highs, lows, and the quiet in-betweens. I dyed my hair and painted my walls to reflect my shifting mood. I gave up and let go. This is where I welcomed a rescue pup into my life, where I spent hot summer days perched on the windowsill, and cold winter nights wrapped in thick blankets. Where I ceased loving long-lost lovers and discovered how to love myself.

Leaving feels like not only ending a chapter but closing an entire book. I may not be heading toward greener pastures, but rather, toward something else entirely — something fresh and unexplored. Not necessarily better, but different. And I can't wait!