The title of this post is quite fitting, I feel. I sure have travelled a lot during last week and it is so good to be back home after a week of going through some serious emotional and physical turmoil. I am still worried and anxious about my dad’s health, and being so far away from him and my family is heart wrenching, but the knowledge of his slow but steady progress of recovery after a heart attack is making it less difficult for me to bear my own heartache for him.

My unexpected trip was not all overshadowed by my dad’s illness and our daily trips to the hospital: it was great to spend the evenings with my mum, my sister and my lovely 9 year old niece. I was being a real aunty for a change, not the flat picture she is so used to see on the computer screen via Skype. We did some homework together, I went to her piano class (she plays beautifully!), played some board games, made paper crocodiles…

Making paper crocodiles – what a fun way to spend the evening!

My sister’s cat Persik – a beautiful purry fluffy creature

It was so beautiful and snowy in Ukraine, despite the constant rush I have managed to snap a shot of the beautiful winter scenery along the road. Not so pretty when you are trying to walk on the road though – a good but tiring exercise, having to watch your every step and trying to avoid slipping on icy bumps or melted snow puddles, and my poor suede boots did suffer a little bit as well.

Winter fairytale

It is so beautiful and bright!

Treacherous road

I brought back some tasty treats for Simon. He is a big lover of all things cherry, so my mum and my sister insisted on staying up late the night before my departure baking these gorgeous sweet and flavoursome pierozhki filled with sour cherries.

Cherry pierogi lovingly made by my mum and my sister for Simon

I also brought some sweets, sourdough rye bread and dried pears – a tasty, healthy and sweet snack we can snack on instead of biscuits.

After a long and tiring trip back to London it was so nice to discover a small box that I have been expecting to receive. It came through the post while I was away: the artisan perfume samples I have ordered from Timothy Han’s website. The names of these suit my circumstances perfectly: I have been on the road for the last week and then I came back home to stay… I hope so anyway.

Beautiful small boxes that contain 2ml vials

I have tried the “She came to stay” perfume sample today and I love it so far! Apparently Timothy Han was inspired by Simone de Beauvoir’s novel of the same name and this perfume is his first creation.

It smells so different to any other perfumes I own: it’s quite strong, earthy, woody and a bit spicy. Such an interesting mix: geranium, basil and lemon, with clove and labdanum – I think I can smell some cedarwood too. I love that is a unisex fragrance, it is most certainly not a “girly” scent, more suitable for a mature woman to wear. I am loving the longevity of the fragrance so far, I have applied some to my pulse points in the morning and I can still smell it in the evening. Mmmm, it makes me so warm and cosy… Now I cannot wait to see what the other perfume is like. I may end up buying a bottle once I use up the samples!

I must admit, I have missed blogging every evening, I do find it quite therapeutic writing down my musings and thoughts on all kinds of things (well, the word “typing” is more suitable as that’s the 21st century’s way of writing), and it’s humbling to learn that quite a few people find it interesting to read my posts! Thank you so much for taking the time of your day to visit my blog! And thank you for your warm wishes and kind words!