I’m back!

I’m just getting back into things and I’ll get to messages as soon as I can!

I returned from Dublin a couple of days ago, but took the rest of the week off to relax a bit more. Turns out this was a good decision since I came back with a big fat cold. This happens every time I go over there. The climate just doesn’t agree with me. But this time, my friend was also sick and within a couple of days, so were all the other people in the house (5!). The flight home was pretty bad. Going on an airplane with a cold feels absolutely horrible, 1/10 stars, would not recommend!

Other than that I‘ve had a great time. It was so good to see my friends again. And since we all weren’t feeling so great, we kept it pretty low-key. Went out for dinner and watched movies. But we also put up the weirdest Christmas tree I had ever seen. Apparently, the upside-down tree is a fairly recent tradition and this is its third year. I‘m not a big fan of Christmas or holidays in general, so I watched while the others eagerly decorated (I was called grinch a couple of times during my stay). But I must admit that I’m very impressed with the result!

I also found some time to read a book I had bought for the trip: Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino. I burned through it pretty quickly and I kept thinking about it for days after I put it down. If you’re into murder mysteries, I highly recommend it. And now I’m reading In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl‘s Journey to Freedom by Yeon-Mi Park. It’s exactly what the title says: the true (!) story of a girl who escaped North Korea. I’m only halfway through and it’s been heart-breaking as well as absolutely fascinating. All the events seem so unreal that I constantly have to remind myself that it’s non-fiction.

So that’s what I‘ve been up to. I’m slowly getting back to things, but I’m still not feeling 100%. I have three days of antibiotics left, but I’m much better and I can’t take another day on the couch.

I hope you’re staying healthy. *knock on wood*

-Djamila