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.
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 reads:
- 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!
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.