Member-only story
Ants, Cake, Church, and Arms Suppliers
(Not necessarily in that order)
05:45. (October 8, 2025) The alarm went off and I trudged out of bed, got dressed, fed Philly, took him out, put him back to bed, patted him on the head, and kissed Natasha good-bye as she lay snuggled beneath the blankets. Today, I had an appointment to renew my Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) in the city. Getting there early is essential if you want a parking spot. By 06:02, I was rolling through the puddles of the previous days rain on my way to Kyiv.
06:25. I was cursing myself already for not taking the route through Bucha. Today, I decided I wanted a change of scenery and instead headed down to the Zhytomyr Highway for my trip into the city. This route requires a U-turn at a place where there is no light. Traffic was already getting heavy. Sometimes I have to remember the best route and stick with it. That’s as important in life as it is when driving. Coming home, I would make the same mistake and take the same route.
07:16. There was a parking spot directly in front of Kulture Klub, so I took it. There are no blue lines painted there so I decided I didn’t have to pay for parking. A light mist was falling in the cool Autumn air. Coffee had been skipped in order to get on the road immediately. GRKY (Kyiv Coffee chain) was calling my name, the closest one was just up the street, and I set…
