a soft return from your missing author
on life lately, what I consumed and loved during the break, and a slow return to myself
Hi hi hi! It feels like forever since I last checked in here. These past few months have been really full, and pretty heavy too, I'll admit, and there were moments when I came so close to just dropping everything and running off to some quiet, tucked-away life in the most remote corner of the world. But here I am, after all this time, back with you. I'm so sorry for completely vanishing for a whole three months, but it was something I needed, and I really felt it. Because often the best thing you can do is listen to your body and to what you truly need in that moment.
One of my biggest fears during these months away was definitely wondering whether everything would be the same when I came back, or whether I'd find myself talking into the void. But I think the best thing is always to just be yourself, the right people will find their way to you and truly listen. Has my creativity stayed the same? I honestly have no idea, and I know the only way to find out is to roll up my sleeves and try to bring you the best content I can write.
Over these months I took my time, cleared my head, and sorted out my thoughts about this little online space I've built for myself and have been running for two years now. And I came to the conclusion that all of this is so special to me, you, reading this, are special, and I'm back more fired up than ever.
But now, let’s do a little recap of what I’ve been up to these past few months:
I started and finished my internship, which taught me so much and really opened my eyes to what the working world looks like today. I’m walking away with a ton of knowledge and skills, but like almost everything, it’s come to an end, and now it’s time to put myself back out there and look for an actual job (how scary!!)
I finished all my university exams, and I couldn’t be happier about it, though I have to admit it’ll feel strange not to be studying anymore. I’ve been studying since I was a kid, and now that this last chapter is over too, I think I’ll miss having my nose in the books a little, and it’ll definitely feel weird not to have exam anxiety or those last-minute deadlines hanging over me.
I got bitten by a tick. Kind of wild to think about, especially because where I live they’re around, sure, but not nearly as common as you’d expect, and noticing the bite, hypochondriac that I am, was terrifying. But I’m still here to tell the tale (stay safe and protect yourselves!!!).
I booked my trip to Greece with my boyfriend and my getaway to Malta with my best friends, and I absolutely can’t wait: sea, sun, good food, and relaxation.
I caught up on lots of great films at the cinema, which reminded me all over again how wonderful the big screen can be.
I finally broke out of my reading slump, and the lightness I feel now is indescribable: being able to just pick my next read without the fear of not being able to finish it.
They've been pretty intense months, and I'm happy to be back in this little corner of the world. Despite having so little free time, I didn't miss out on anything and managed to treat myself a bit with lots of lovely content (films, TV series, books, and articles) all of which I'll tell you about down below.
WATCHED
Movies
I finally caught Disclosure Day, and it swept me straight back to peak-80s Spielberg, the sort of filmmaking where the score is doing half the emotional heavy lifting and doing it gorgeously, completely in his wheelhouse. Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor are both extraordinary in it; they disappear so far into their roles that you forget you're watching two of the most recognizable actors around right now. The idea at the center has fascinated me forever, and there was really no one I'd have trusted to hand me a little gem like this other than Spielberg.
In may I saw Backrooms and It caught me completely off guard, mostly because of the world they built around it. I went in with zero knowledge of the lore or the whole online phenomenon it sprang from, and now I'm a bit obsessed (and a bit unsettled). A few of the character beats went over my head, and the ending left me puzzled. I'm really hoping the second film clears some of it up.
I don't usually go anywhere near horror, but Obsession got me. It's a tiny-budget thing that somehow lands for everyone, and as a psychological piece it's kind of astonishing. Proof that you don't need money to crawl under someone's skin.
Finally romcoms are BACK! Voicemails for Isabelle is exactly the kind of film I've been missing, and I did not expect Netflix to pull off something this charming, least of all with a cast like Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson. It's been years since I've seen Nick on screen (a massive crush of mine back in the day), and this reignited the whole thing. He's such a good actor and deserves so many more roles.
TV Shows
On the TV side, Rivals never once lets me down. The styling, the sets, the characters, all of it fussed over in the best possible way, and this second season blows the first out of the water. I still don't understand why they split it into two parts, but I'm on the edge of my seat for part two regardless.
I was skeptical about Off Campus, the show that suddenly everyone was watching, and now I get it. It's plainly made for teenagers, and yet it reaches well past them because of how much you end up caring about everyone in it. I tore through it in a few days, and it was my first-ever hockey series, so apparently I'm a convert now.
From was a total discovery for me, and this new season outdoes itself. The narrative depth is unreal, packed with mysteries and tangled secrets that keep you glued to the screen, and the setting and characters alone are enough to hold you hostage. The fifth season is going to be the last, and I'm already crying about it.
READ
I finally sank into Rachel Gillig's Shepherd King duology, and it's exactly the kind of fantasy I'd been craving. One Dark Window pulled me straight into Blunder, a mist-locked kingdom that reads like a gothic fairytale (Grimm, not Disney), all eerie forests and a fever that leaves you marked for life. Elspeth shares her head with an ancient, mercurial spirit she calls the Nightmare, and the magic system, a deck of Providence Cards, each one granting a different power at a price, is so clever and original that I devoured every scrap of lore about it. Gillig’s writing is lush and atmospheric but never heavy; it flows so easily that I flew through the whole thing. I fell so hard for Ravyn, and Elm, you remain my little protégé forever. I'm partway through Two Twisted Crowns now, and it keeps surprising me the deeper I get, which is the best possible sign for a sequel. More on how it ends once I've turned the last page.
I also read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and I loved it. The premise alone is enough to pull you in: a library that sits in the space between life and death, where every book lets Nora live out a different version of the life she could have had. It taps into something so universal and turns it into an entire world. What I appreciated most is that Haig doesn't over-explain the mechanics of the place. He just lets you wander through all those alternate lives alongside Nora, which keeps the mysticism intact and the pages turning. The writing is warm and accessible without ever feeling thin, and underneath the whole premise there's this genuinely tender exploration of regret, depression, and what actually makes a life worth living.
PLAYED
You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, by Olivia Rodrigo: the title alone had me before I even pressed play, and the album delivers exactly that ache: the messy, contradictory feeling of being head over heels and quietly falling apart at the same time. Peak Olivia, and I mean that as the highest compliment.
Dancing on my own, by Robyn: the most perfect needle-drop, that bittersweet euphoria of dancing alone in a corner while the person you want is across the room. I've loved it for years, but hearing it in the film wrecked me all over again.
Hey Jonas!: I've followed the Jonas Brothers since I was a teenager, so watching them grow into adults whose projects I still genuinely love, musical and otherwise, is its own kind of joy. The podcast is pure serotonin: brothers bickering, oversharing, and reminiscing, exactly the low-stakes, comforting listen I didn't know I was missing.
RECOMMEND
Beauty of Joseon SPF 50+: the sunscreen that finally made me stick to daily SPF. No white cast, no greasy film, just a light glow that sits beautifully under makeup. It’s become the one step I refuse to skip.
L’Oréal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil: a couple of drops on damp ends and my hair looks like I actually made an effort. It tames the frizz, adds shine, and smells lovely, all for the price of a coffee or two.
Rhode pocket blush (shade toasted teddy): the most effortless flush I own. It melts straight into the skin for that lit-from-within look, and it’s small enough to live in my bag for a quick swipe on the go.
I’m so happy to finally be back. It feels like a lifetime has passed, literally, and it wasn’t easy to gather my thoughts and get back to writing here, but you don’t get what you want unless you actually start doing something, right?
I hope you enjoyed this post and that it kept you company. The next few months are going to be intense for me, between writing my thesis and job hunting.
Talk soon! Stay cool! xx
Missed the last one?
Ah welcome back Michela! You were missed ❤️ Never apologise for needing some IRL time, it sounds like you've had a wonderful few months.
🙌🙌 welcome back!!