Tranquility. With a twist

Things are finally looking normal around here. Everything appears to be in order, no mismatches, no dramas, no bad karma. Even time management doesn't seem to be an issue anymore and that is truly amazing. I actually had time to wander the streets of Praga with one of my friends, looking for the perfect fabric for my first authentic rumba dress. It was easier than we expected, and the fact that K. can do wonders with nothing more but scissors and a sewing machine translates into a fabulous dress that's already on its way, ready to meet my new dance shoes.

I recently figured it took me almost 8 months to recover from this spring's emotional equivalent of the crash of 1929. It dawned on me one sunny, windy morning, while I was walking to work and the air smelled just like it did back in spring, when I spent a few weeks learning to control my tears and trying to bring myself back on track. It did take me a lot of time to be back to my old self and see things clearly, and I also learned there are emotional dramas that I can overcome and others I have to learn to live with. I miss my Gran every single day, with no exception, and this has probably been the toughest experience I ever went through. The wound is still there, still open and something tells me it's going to stay that way. In a way, I don't think I'd want it to close.

Finding my old self and realizing we can still relate could only mean one thing: it's time to get back in the game, which in this case means it's time to go back to school. This was the missing piece in my puzzle: the Uni. And a program so complex and smart, yet relaxed and dynamic, it almost appears to have been tailored especially for me, just like the black satin rumba dress.

I'm looking at a week off and surprisingly I'm planning to spend it in the coziness of my vanilla scented, smoke free apartment (I think I quit smoking, although this seems like a very serious decision and I'm not sure it's irreversible), sleeping late, editing the translation I'm finally done with, spending long hours with Kindle and all the wonderful books I already filled his head with, only leaving the house to go to the library and to dance practice. And Kato, later this week. It's about time I went back.

Of course it's peaceful and serene times like these that give birth to the most outrageous and implausible thoughts which, in my case, instantly turn into plans. I think change might be around the corner, although for the time being it does not involve any new cities, or at least not new homes in new cities, but rather a lot of research. It does, however, involve other serious changes and I just love the way life writes its own scenarios, coming up with twists of events I wouldn't have thought possible.

Autumn recipe

Just when I was about to say October can't possibly get any better, I was surprised to discover it actually can. And all it takes is some really good friends, a film festival, breakfast made by somebody else, red nail polish, salsa nights and extra dance lessons, lattes in the afternoon sun, plane tickets to Lisbon, cute bartenders, summer dresses on sale, exhibition openings and lots of fiction. I think this might be the perfect antidote for Polish autumn depression.

Arts and crafts

Shoes of Prey was born out of desire.

We all know that the spark of shoe-desire takes just a moment to take hold, and then the need to find that perfect shoe is intoxicating.

At last, the search is over. Is there anything more fabulous than designing your own shoes and wearing your creation? I spent way too much time studying leather samples and testing shapes, sizes, decorations and colors. I wouldn't have stopped if it weren't for my to do lists, and for the list prioritizing the to do lists. Still, the perfect shoe is just a few clicks away.

Autumn can't get any better, can it?

Beginnings and middles

One year ago, after a hardcore September which left me traumatized for many months, October seemed to open endless new possibilities, as all beginnings do. That was happening only a year after another radical change and I was starting to fear I was developing a pattern. All I wanted was for this October to find me in the middle of something - anything, as long as I was in the middle. And it did. It found me working on a translation I'm rather late with, but that's not unusual, putting together a work-related project I actually like, learning Portuguese and dancing the cha cha. Since moving to Warsaw, I don't think I've been more relaxed, more in control and more energized than I am now. That's the fun part about being in the middle of something and I'm planning to enjoy it as much as I can. I know myself too well and I can bet this will not last forever and there will come a time when everything will seem dull and predictable. Then I'll give everything up for a new beginning and a new city.

Last week, something wonderful happened: everybody seems to have started migrating to Warsaw. Some of my friends moved here (three in one week), some others stopped in for short visits while others are currently getting ready for their trips to Warsaw. This, of course, means very little sleep, a full house, phones ringing 24/7, running around from the airport to the train station and back but most of all a lot of fun. And that's probably the best compensation for last year's somewhat lonely and confusing October.