1228 day of war

Hello, friends!

Last week was quite calm, but from Sunday until today, we’ve returned to the usual nightly shelling. It really feels like there are significantly more attacks this year, and they last much longer. Air defense in the city is actively developing, but drones are mostly shot down with machine guns. So when drones fly over at night, it feels like you're in the middle of a battlefield—drones buzzing in the sky, explosions, and endless bursts of automatic fire. After nights like that, I get terrible headaches, and they don’t go away until I finally get a proper sleep.

The news once again talks about halting military aid, but it feels like the statements change every day, and I no longer even understand what’s actually going on. One thing is clear—there’s no hope for a quick end to the war or for negotiations that could actually change anything.
Thinking about the war, I can’t even imagine what’s next. We’ve been living under constant attacks and all the accompanying problems for three years now—but what’s coming? Will this go on until the entire territory of the country is destroyed and there are no homes left? The Russians hoped that people here would start protesting and calling for a change in government, but I don’t think that will ever happen. I haven’t seen anyone here with that kind of mindset. And even if someone wanted to, I don’t see how it would even be possible. Which makes it even more unclear what they are trying to achieve by terrorizing millions of people.

I’m trying not to think on it too much and instead focus on work. This year everything is going quite well, and I feel like I really need to put in the effort and bring all my plans to life. Recently I received a few T-shirt dyeing orders, which will help fund my upcoming trip. It’s also gotten warmer, and I’ve been cycling more, trying to prepare for a long hike. Even though I’ve been exercising every day for the past few years, I still feel like I need to focus more on this, because the last hikes were tough. Now Nastya has joined me, and we’re training together. Less than two weeks remain until the trip, and I hope I’ll manage to get everything done in time.
Right now, it helps me disconnect from everything that’s going on — I’m completely busy with work and don’t have time to feel down. And that’s a good thing, because even though I’m tired, I actually feel good.

Thank you all for your support, it’s incredibly inspiring. And thank you as well for your help on BuyMeACoffee.