I went away for a week

Hello friends,

Today feels like a bit of a strange day, and I’m writing this post with mixed emotions. But let’s start with the good stuff: I just spent a week in Tenerife with two artist friends, and it was absolutely lovely. It never ceases to amaze me how much a little sunshine and warmth can lift your spirits—especially in the middle of winter. I left behind snow and freezing temperatures, only to be greeted by 20°C weather and not a single drop of rain.

We stayed in a small town called Alcalá, in South Tenerife, not far from the towering cliffs of Los Gigantes. Our accommodation had a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean, and our balcony received hours of sunshine every day from noon until evening. As a result, I’m coming home with plenty of new freckles! We didn’t do much beyond enjoying the sunshine, reading, painting, cooking, indulging in some local dishes, and taking a quick dip in the ocean. Unfortunately, on the second or third day, I slipped on wet pavement and scraped my knee—something I haven’t done since childhood—so swimming was mostly off the table after that.

While we were there, I also attempted to pick up a bit of Spanish, though I didn’t get much further than “sin leche” ("without milk") to accommodate my dietary restrictions. Still, Spanish is such a beautiful language, and I’d love to learn it properly one day. Given that I already know German, English, and Latin, I feel like I’d have a solid foundation. And yet, here I am, still buried in studying 2,200 Japanese kanji. I really know how to pick my battles. Ah, well.

Here are some glimpses of beautiful, sunny Tenerife:

The view from our accommodation. Unreal!

We met some funny birds, and they could really fast and they loved potato chips.

The ocean was so close, and there was a beautiful walking path along the coast.

Soothing afternoon sunlight and palm trees.

The water was incredibly blue, and some days, the waves got massive.

Some beautiful rocks and textures.

Los Gigantes and big waves.

I'm so grateful for this trip—it gave me the chance to recharge, find inner peace, and gather the strength I needed to keep from spiraling into despair.

You may know that we just had an election on Sunday (the day after I returned), and the results are… deeply concerning. Germany, Europe, and the world as I’ve always known it seem to be shifting rapidly—away from peace and unity, toward something far more uncertain. It’s frightening, but amidst all this chaos, I hold onto the fact that so many of us share the same core values of tolerance and empathy. I hope we can focus on what unites us rather than what divides us.

It’s easy to feel helpless when your job is simply to paint beautiful pictures while so much in the world feels broken. But I will keep seeking hope and beauty—because despite everything, there is still so much of it.

Wherever you are, I hope you’re doing okay. <3