Found in my drafts, September 2026
Originally written January 8th, 2025
I found this entry sitting in my drafts recently, dated January 8th, 2025. It had been there for more than a year, unfinished and unpublished, buried among other things I apparently once intended to come back to.
Continue reading “Finding My Way Back”29 September 2026
Tonight, Ilham and I suddenly decided to rearrange our bedroom.
For some reason, this turned into a whole project. We moved the bed, discovered a rather embarrassing amount of dust underneath it, and recovered several things that had apparently been living there rent-free. One of Cino’s spring toys. My long-lost Girl with a Pearl Earring brooch, which I had given up on months ago.
Continue reading “Making Room”20 September 2025
It’s been a while since I last wrote. Maybe it’s because during spring and summer, I just wanted to be outside. Walking more, doing more, feeling the sunshine on my skin. I kept thinking about writing a blog post, but then I’d tell myself: writing is a winter activity. Something about grey skies and cold air makes you want to retreat and reflect.
Continue reading “Notes from a return”The hashtag #KaburAjaDulu has been circulating a lot: an idea that leaving Indonesia is the best way to escape instability, corruption, and economic uncertainty. Many in the diaspora paint a romanticized picture of life abroad: stronger currency, better infrastructure, cleaner air, efficient public transport.
I used to think that too. Until I left.
Continue reading “#KaburAjaDulu: Is Leaving Always the Answer?”Lately, I’ve been experiencing something completely new to me: feeling overwhelmed when people speak simultaneously. It’s a sensation I never really noticed before. At first, it just annoyed me. Now, it feels suffocating, as if I can’t breathe in those moments.
Continue reading “Learning to Listen in a World That Talks Too Much”January 10th, 2025
It finally snowed properly today, and I was so happy. I know you’re probably tired of hearing me talk about snow, but I can’t help it. The thought of squeezing freshly fallen snow still excites me every single time.
Continue reading “Chasing Cino and Snowflakes”January 7th, 2025
Today, I woke up a bit late. I hurt myself last night in a very stupid way. While shopping at Edeka, I overloaded my shopping basket, and it became too heavy. It stretched my arm awkwardly, twisted it somehow, and now I can’t fully raise my hand. To make matters worse, I didn’t sleep comfortably, which explains my late start.
Continue reading “A Day of Art, Culture, and Connection”January 6th, 2025
This morning, I woke up excited. The snow had fallen the night before, and I couldn’t wait to step outside and feel the crunch of fresh snow under my boots. But according to the weather app, today would warm up to ten degrees. I hoped the snow would still be there, waiting for me.
Continue reading “Warmth That Lingers”January 5th, 2025
Today was one of those slow, comforting winter days where time feels like it’s wrapped in a soft blanket. My head was still pounding from last night’s headache, so I took Panadol and stayed cocooned in bed, letting the world outside carry on without me for a while.
Continue reading “One Snowy Day”January 4th, 2025
It was a cold winter morning, and I was on my way to a ceramic painting store. The journey was fifty minutes by tram from my home. The plan wasn’t originally mine; Maya had invited me. She’d been wanting to try ceramic painting for a while and had suggested we go together. I immediately said yes. It sounded like the perfect way to spend a winter day.
Continue reading “What Makes You, You?”
