1 May 2026
Timidly, I was breathing in my unknown future - smokeless air, silent darkness, a fearful uncertainty that, in the end, felt less dodgy than the certainty I had lived with before. 14 hours at the border - my first time crossing into another country by car. Ironically, there was more than enough time to think. I had learned to avoid deep thoughts; they only deepen the pain. As much as I could, I refused to internalise what my life had become after February 24, 2022. I felt frozen, both outside and within. I also had a strange feeling that I was just watching a strange film about my own life.
1 June 2026
It is so typical to start any conversation with a discussion about the weather that I feel this collection of observations about Ireland should definitely begin with my relationship with Irish weather.
And, actually, I was truly surprised by how often the weather can change here.