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I love wearing my Apple Watch. Not only does it tell me that I apparently lost the ability to stay in Zone 2 while running, it also tracks everything else, lets me quickly set timers, pause my podcast without fishing my iPhone out of my pocket, and gives me glanceable information about my life.

Unfortunately, it looks like shit. That’s why I invested quite some money (€40) and bought this very pretty Casio watch. I love it! It’s shiny and has much more of a visual opinion than the Apple Watch, which has looked basically the same for the last decade.

No shade, but neither Munch’s nor Lassnig’s work did much for me. I did, however, enjoy the piece of chocolate cake and strolling through the exhibition with Anna. I love that going to museums is a regular part of our relationship, and I love living somewhere with enough museums and exhibitions that there’s pretty much always something new for us to see. Even if, occasionally, the cake ends up being the highlight.

Remember how I bought a PlayStation 5 Pro at the end of March because I knew the memory-related price hikes were just around the corner, and because I also knew I’d end up buying one later this year anyway because there was no way I was going to miss GTA VI when it finally comes out?

I remember, and I couldn’t be happier with that decision. Have you seen the extended gameplay trailer? That is a video game I’ll actually be able to play in just a couple of months! It looks incredible. I genuinely can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Sorry, Pablo, I didn't really think you were weak. ONLY THAT YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT. HOW DARE YOU NOT RUN WITH ME?

Anyway! Anna felt better that night, and instead of celebrating her birthday with all her friends at the party that had been planned for that day but was rescheduled because of her illness, we went to a nice restaurant and had a cozy little evening.

Anna was sick that week, and I was so happy to find this stupid collector's plate to take over to her apartment after visiting the flea market with a couple of friends. She very much enjoyed receiving it. Then she looked up how much it was worth and discovered that some people were offering it on eBay for €250! I paid €6! Haggled down from €7. I know what I'm doing.

Deciding to stop reading a book is an art form in itself. I think many people never get into reading because they haven't found the right book for them and aren't willing to give up quickly enough when one doesn't click. Even I find it difficult, and I've stopped reading dozens of books. There are simply too many good books out there to spend time on ones you don't enjoy. The book in question was A Philosophy of Walking, by the way. It was just... so uninteresting.

I'm not sure if it's just a phase or if something happened, but she's very hard to read at the moment. One second, she's happily being brushed in her basket; the next, she swats at my hand because it's become too much for her. I don't know what's going on, especially because she still likes to be petted as much as ever. But she hasn't been properly brushed in about two weeks now, and I just hope she decides to let me do it again soon.

I’m not sure what’s going on in this house, but sometimes it feels like some kind of social experiment where normal people have been thrown in with people who don’t care about anyone else, just to see what happens.

A very special day with the most special person.

When Anna and I first met, she told me that her friends Simone and Pastu love cats and would very much like to see as many pictures and videos of mine as possible. Back then, I already invited them to come visit and say hi to Gigabyte and Millimeter.

That finally happened on this day, and at least Gigabyte showed herself from her best side. Milli is a bit shy, but she came around after a while.

Those cinnamon buns were the worst! But at least they were very expensive, so it hurt twice.

Do you know those people who buy a very dry and far too expensive cinnamon bun and then let it ruin their whole day? They don’t stop complaining about it, it wrecks their mood, and they can’t get over the atrocity they had to endure? I never wanted to be a person like that, and I’m happy to report that I didn’t become one.

I don’t want the quality of my life to be determined by how well I can circumvent every tiny inconvenience. It’s far more fun to just go with it and consider the worst cinnamon bun of your life not a personal affront, but a good story to tell.

A big part of building a life you enjoy is challenging yourself from time to time. Most things worth doing aren’t easy. They might be for other people, but everyone has their own hang-ups. Mine is going out in public and doing stuff on my own. I’ve gotten a lot better at that in recent years, but I’m still not where I want to be.

And you know what? I embrace it as a project I get the opportunity to work on. Isn’t it great to have a life full of projects you’re allowed to keep working on? Yes. Yes, it is.

Especially because I’m kind of double-dipping in the upside sauce: once because I get to feel great right after challenging myself, like I did after that afternoon in a café, and then again when I’ve challenged myself for long enough to suddenly become someone for whom it feels easy to spend time alone in a café.

What a privilege!

Speaking of life being great: This is how my Saturdays look like. What’s not to love?!

It was such a relaxing day, and I was happy about it. The previous day had been taxing, so just hanging around, reading, painting, and snacking was exactly what I needed. Even though I underestimated the size of that sundae, I certainly didn’t complain, it was delicious.

We should react with “Ew,” then completely ignore whatever tried to rage-bait us more often.

It’s sometimes hard to cope with the fact that all my friends improve so much at running in such a short time, even though I train three times a week.

I love tax season. The wave of anxiety that hits when it rolls around is exhilarating, and spending a couple of days feeling like something terrible is about to happen really makes me feel alive.

At one point in the escape room, Mareen had to spank us with a leather paddle... it was definitely an experience...

We drove to Bremerhaven, very close to where I grew up, to visit the Klimahaus and my father. It was a surreal experience to be in those places with Anna. I usually try to avoid going there, but this time it was nice, even if Linus, my father’s ageing dog, tore a ligament later that day while trying to chase a cat.

Being back at the sea did something to me. The sounds, the sights, I love it all. Every summer of my childhood, I spent all six weeks of the holidays by the sea. No internet, barely any infrastructure, just me, my boredom, crabs, seagulls, and the ever-changing tides. Come to think of it, it might be my favourite childhood memory.

I lied to Anna for her own good, because I’d prepared a little gift for her, and her investigative skills were dangerously close to ruining the surprise. Thankfully, I’m apparently a pathological liar, because she didn’t suspect a thing and was very happy to receive this little robin.

I love drawing in this journal, but I’d love even more for AI to handle the scanning and editing for me.

We successfully built everything. Let’s just not mention how, a couple of days later, a real handyman had to come and bolt it all to the wall properly.

I’ve never understood people who pride themselves on how much heat they can stomach. Good job, dude, you’re hurting yourself on purpose. Very impressive.

We will persevere through these challenging times.

Anna’s new kitchen was installed on Monday, and I saw it for the first time on that evening. It’s beautiful!

Germany seems to have a reputation for apartments being rented without kitchens. A couple of people have told me that, though I can’t confirm it myself. I’ve never moved into an apartment that didn’t have a kitchen. Maybe I’ve just been lucky.

I love talking about books with my friends.

My journal entry from two years ago (just a classic text-based journal) ended with me promising myself I wouldn’t spend my birthday alone the following year. And I didn’t.

Last year, I invited my friends over on the evening of my birthday, and it was wonderful. Now many of them have babies, so this year I invited them over on Sunday afternoon for coffee and cake instead. It was great.

I went to bed blissful and full of gratitude.

I didn't get engaged that day.

I turned 37 on that day! That number doesn’t remotely reflect the age I feel I should be, but who am I to argue with Chronos?

Visiting Tower Bridge while melting wasn’t exactly a highlight of this trip, but I’m glad I saw it.

We had quite a social day. Notting Hill is unbelievably beautiful.

Big Ben is far prettier than I expected. I thought it would be just a boring old tower, but it’s so detailed!

We arrived in London, and I couldn’t have had a better initial impression. I loved it from the very first second.

We didn’t have a single day with fewer than 20,000 steps, and after a while, it definitely started to show.

I expected to like Edinburgh more than I did. The people were great, but the city just didn’t have the right vibe for me.

What's up with GBP? It feels like fake plastic money!

I later discovered that Waterstones is just the starting point. There are so many incredible bookshops in the UK. What a paradise!

Packing is the worst. I’m not even bad at it, it just isn’t fun. It’s like a puzzle where the result will never be perfect, and you just have to live with the compromises. Especially when you’re flying with only carry-on luggage.

We were the only ones in the class, and it was more of a “here are the materials, do what you want” kind of deal than anything else.

I love city life, great weather, and days where you don’t have a plan and just let things unfold.

It was a cute little day.

Millimeter sometimes misjudges her strength. She just wanted to tell me to stop petting her, and I didn’t recognize the signs. My bad.

It was a slow and cozy day.

I haven't seen much of Prague, unfortunately.

Model trains and a lack of privacy.

The Döner wasn't even good. Fantastic company, though.

I saved money by buying something I don't need. I guess I could play through those Spider-Man games?

Sophisticated Saturday

I miss my little Boldu buddy.

Not even the very expensive tickets could lessen my amazement about Sagrada Família.

Who needs meteorology when my head forecasts the weather?