22/07/2025
🪵 Diary · 16 July 2025 · Hamburg, Germany
Today marks my third day in Hamburg, and honestly—I can hardly believe I’m here.
Just a few months ago, the thought of getting on a plane felt impossible. I barely had the energy to get out of bed most mornings, let alone travel across Europe. For years, I struggled with my weight. My body constantly felt heavy and drained—I was breathless even walking to the corner shop.
But here I am.
I made it from Manchester all the way to see Helen—finally keeping the promise I made:
“Once I lose the weight, I’ll come visit.”
Helen’s back porch looks like something out of a postcard. Sunlight spills across the wooden decking, the air rich with the scent of pine and blooming flowers. She set up a woven swing chair just for me, and the moment I sat down, I realised:
I haven’t felt this light in years.
One of the cushions read: “It’s better by the lake.” And you know what? It really is.
It feels like a new chapter.
Not long ago, I was turning down invites—parties, weekends away, even simple walks in the park—because nothing fit, and even short strolls left my knees aching.
But today, standing here on Helen’s sunny porch, watching the lake glisten between the tall trees, I finally feel… free.
She made us a cuppa—her signature herbal blend—and we sat in the sunshine, reminiscing about those carefree university summers. We laughed, we teared up, and for a moment, it felt like no time had passed at all.
I even found myself saying aloud:
“It’s like I’ve come back to life.”
I’m so proud of the woman who didn’t give up.
But I’m even prouder of the woman I am now—
Someone who can sit on a porch with an old friend, soak in the stillness, and truly, wholeheartedly say:
I’m here. I’m living. I’m me again.
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