Tuesday 25 July 2017

July.


 
 

















I finished my exams at the beginning of July, and so I have been on holiday for the past twenty days. A month-long break is all I can afford before getting back to studying for my exams in September, so I have been trying to make the most out of these precious free days. It's the first year we decided not to go on holiday as a family, due to various commitments; but we have barely spent a day at home between going on lots of day trips, long drives around the area and spending time at the beach. I finally have time to dedicate myself to the things that make me feel alive and genuinely happy - I can devour books, stitch for hours and spend time outside. I love being able to say yes to any plan and opportunity that pops up.

While driving to the sea one day I surprised myself thinking, 'I am so happy I could die'. There was nothing special about that day - I hadn't won the lottery or found the love of my life. It was just a sunny Summer morning. I recognize I have changed so much in the past two years - the things that make me happy now are so different than those that made me happy before. And I have to admit, I am so much happier now.

Saturday 8 July 2017

Things I have missed.






The overpowering scent of jasmine. The voices of the neighbours downstairs -two pensioners- bickering about nothing. The light on the balcony just after the sun has gone down behind the other building and everything is calm. Unloading the dishwasher. The house phone ringing. Eating off a properly set table. The dappled morning light outside my window. My mother's geraniums. Cherries, my grandma's jam tart, thickly sliced prosciutto. The moody atmosphere in my room. Watching the news during meals. My brother's continuous chatter. Having lunch on the living room sofa. When you move and you feel the warm air moving, too. Studying on the balcony. The mountains. The scent of summer tomatoes. My grandma's dogs - one of them has aged so much, and lost so much weight while I have been away. The sound of the sprinkler. The sound of the cicadas. Home.