Did I ever mention (I must have) that I landed at the shores of this country (at the airport, obviously) exactly nine years ago? As with any other Christmas Day, it was a gloomy day, the roads deserted of people and traffic, my mind bereft of all positive emotion. We drove home in silence. The home was cold, small and bare. No furniture or very little of it. Why? Because he was waiting for me to get there so we could go buy it together. Can't fault the guy for not being sensitive. I felt like my heart weighed a ton. Such heaviness, ugh. It makes me shiver, those months of cold grey loneliness.

Then the sun broke through the clouds a month later… and I was home, free!