Without a Hitch
You only get married for the first time once. –Zlata’s Diary. Zlata Filipovic
Places I’ve Gone on Account of a Book
I read a book one day and my whole life was changed…Where were the kindred spirits with whom I could talk? Where was the country in which I’d find the … Continue reading
Just Enough
Post-fender-bender, the two men pull into the bus station parking lot to inspect the damage. Those of us waiting for buses watch with delight any activity that may pass the … Continue reading
Tell Me.
There was a storytelling code of solidarity—you did not sabotage someone else’s narration if it was satisfying to the audience, or you could expect one of your stories to be … Continue reading
Split Scenes
The teenage girl wears a tshirt that reads: “Love My Smile,” but she isn’t smiling. She stands next to an ad for shoes where none of the models are smiling. … Continue reading
Groove, Death, Italians
“Groove is in the Heart” is on the radio and the Italian tourists are certain that we’re all going to die. For me, the pace and aggressive passing of Croatian … Continue reading
Follow The Turtle
I’d lost track of how many bridges I’d crossed, which was not my first mistake, but one among many. I thought I had been retracing my steps, but must have … Continue reading
Consolation
I love that if you’re writing in a notebook in public, everyone thinks you might be a spy. A spy of sorts, I suppose, but not a very glamorous one, … Continue reading
There There
He is the man with dark, well-slicked hair and a perfectly pressed dress shirt–imposing even in the shuttle to the airplane. He helps a little old lady move her suitcase … Continue reading
In and Out of Love
All this time you are doing important things like falling in and out of love–things which broaden and deepen and strengthen the character more surely than anything else. I can … Continue reading
Tourists and Toy Cars
The metro screeches. People wearing headphones are only posing, as almost nothing can be heard, especially when the train arches around corners. A mother and her four-year-old son sit side-by-side … Continue reading
Carried on the Wind
They wait at the crosswalk outside of the Echt Günstig, a pair of twenty-something women in t-shirts and skinny jeans. The woman with the very dark, very curly hair watches … Continue reading
Sisters.
As they come down the isle of the airplane, it can be assessed that they are likely sisters, both about five feet tall, one with black hair the other lighter. … Continue reading
Hoşçakal to Life as You Know It.
You’ve thrown away your chance for a normal life…This is what makes you such an exceptional person. -Orhan Pamuk. Snow.
The Company You Keep
It’s a good time for the lonely. Wear a Bluetooth headset at the market, and you may speak to yourself with impunity while hunting for just the right melon. Your … Continue reading
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
The narrow street has two neighboring restaurants. In the first, a woman setting silverware yells at the man behind the register. Her coworker is presumably family. She squeals as he … Continue reading
Making Arrangements for Another Adventure
Now I’m inclined to think it was the inevitable outcome of my years in Europe. Almost all the people who’ve had most effect on me I seem to have met … Continue reading
Be Cool
It takes a while before he realizes he’s on the wrong side of the waiting area fence. He’s in front of it. Dozens of other people wait obediently behind the … Continue reading
The Lone Star and her Husband
A man with a pink-striped polo shirt with a nonetheless tough disposition walks by the café window. He sees the sixty-something red-haired woman at a table inside. He breaks out … Continue reading
Mother, May I…
The tiny toddler girl takes a long draw on her carton of milk. She concludes with a loud “Ahhhh” of alleged refreshment. She grins at her mother. She tugs at … Continue reading
The Nice Thing About Strangers 