new year, new life.

everybody still alive after too so much family time? how many kilos have you gained?

after my attempt to eat little to no wheat for the last few weeks, i must admit that my proudest achievement was not only baking my very first brioche, but eating the whole damn thing too. of course shared with the siblings, but there was enough to go around.

now i am at my mum's and have enough time and quietness to contemplate the next, the last few months in cape town and the time after. i was more than thrilled to get a flight to bangkok from my dad for christmas and jumped straight into planning a nice little thailand trip when my mum gave me the book das grosse los. a german journalist wins euro 500 000 at who wants to be a millionaire and decides to travel for a year, the way i think travelling should be done: living in a foreign city for one month each. her trip starts in sydney and immediately i am not only hooked on the book, but a little voice in my head starts to complain stupid trip you have planned, 3 weeks thailand – phew, why can 

never live in sydney for a month? and buenos aires? hello!! and and and...

the travellers amongst you, will understand where i am coming from. in the end or at least right now it is not where i will go or for how long. it is about going. and leaving. and arriving. about finally moving again after feeling stuck for so long.

the book starts with the famous mark twain quote: in 20 years you won't regret the things you did, but the things you didn't do. and that shall be my motto for 2014. what is yours?

1. the masterpiece.
2. orchids and angels. i was mesmerized by this orchid on my dad's window sill. its abundance reminded me of the orchids in thailand and made such a beautiful foreign contrast to our old, little choir angels.
3. sunrise porn brought to you by germany.
4. i had to open a bottle of pink bubbly, because i needed a picture of bubbly for another story. it wasn't just for fun, it was work bubbly. but would have been a waste not to drink it afterwards.
5. a not so pretty part of town, but the blue little house used to be home to the best second hand shop in the world. the owner frau knote used to have an attic full of chanel gowns, baccarat vases, and courrèges jerseys. the one thing i will truly miss from my stolen suitcase is a little blazer jacket i bought from her and wore every day for almost a year.
6. christmas market the day after.