Two Worlds, a Gate and Small Steps Forward

Summer still hasn’t arrived in Ireland. The days are long, but the wind feels more like April, and I catch myself searching for sunlight like a cat - moving my chair to every warm patch I can find.

On a bright day, I visit my small allotment and pick raspberries straight from the bush. They taste best when still warm from the sun, soft and fragrant. Everything else is struggling this year - the weather isn’t kind to anything except weeds. Yet even here, between rain showers, there’s something quietly comforting about watching things grow.

It’s already well into the season in Poland, though.

And yes - it’s real now. I bought the land. And I was there, for the first time as the owner.

I still can’t quite believe it when I say it out loud. I have it. The decision I made only months ago - to slowly move toward a different life, to build something of my own - has already taken shape, faster than I imagined.

It all happened so naturally, as if something had been waiting for me to finally say yes. The moment I decided, everything aligned - the right plot appeared, the papers moved, people helped. Less than half a year after that first idea, I’m holding the documents, the fence stands, there’s water, and a small gate that’s somehow the most moving thing of all. My gate. My wicket.

Standing there, looking at the new fence, I felt this mix of disbelief and deep calm. Like a door had opened - not only to the land but to a new version of myself.

Of course, it will take years to build the homestead I imagine. But that’s fine. I’m not in a hurry anymore. I’ll come back in September and begin the next chapter - planning, shaping, building. For now, I’m just happy.

When I close my eyes, I still see the fields, the forest, the quiet roads, and the sunlight on the grass. I feel the air, and that sense of being exactly where I’m meant to be.

I know it will take time, patience, and a lot of work — but I want it all, and I’m ready. Even sitting here now, in my Irish apartment, with rain against the window, I feel that same joy and energy.

This is only the beginning — but what a beginning.