I grew up in the far north, where winter seemed endless, and the cold was such a familiar part of life that I never really thought about it. At the age of 18, I decided to take a big step — I left the familiar streets, friends and a familiar life and moved to a city that I hardly knew. I only had my grandmother here, and at first she was the person who made the new place seem less alien. Now I'm gradually getting used to my new life. I'm learning to find my favorite places, memorize streets, meet people, and feel confident in places where everything was unfamiliar before. I guess moving taught me a lot: sometimes you just need to get out of the familiar world to figure out what kind of life you really want to live.

My dream is quite simple — one day to feel that I really am where I should be. After moving in, it sometimes feels like my life has started all over again. Everything is new: streets, people, places, habits. That's why I dream of gradually building my own little world here. I want to have a cozy apartment with a large window from which you can look out at the city in the evening. I want to do what I love, travel, one day see places I've only read about before, and be able to spontaneously buy a ticket to another city, just because I wanted a change. I also dream of waking up one day and realizing that I don't want to go anywhere else. That this place became my home not because I had to be here, but because I chose to stay here.

Sometimes it seems to me that we begin to look for the meaning of life precisely when the usual life ceases to be familiar. After moving, I found myself in a city where I hardly knew anyone, and for the first time I felt how huge the world around me could be. At such moments, you begin to notice simple things: a cup of hot coffee in the morning, sunlight on the wall, a casual conversation, a walk without a purpose, or a person who suddenly made you smile. Probably, life consists of such small moments that we often do not notice until we begin to perceive everything anew. I do not know if there is any one big meaning that needs to be found. Perhaps the point is to gradually create it yourself: to love, try new things, make mistakes, change cities, meet people, let go of the past and one day look back with the feeling that you really lived your life, and not just went through it.

After moving, I began to look at people a little differently. Previously, it seemed to me that close relationships must necessarily be permanent: you need to communicate often, spend a lot of time together and always know what is happening in the other person's life. But over time, I realized that true intimacy is not always measured by to of conversations. Sometimes a person can appear in your life for a short time, but leave something important behind. And someone you were very close to is gradually becoming almost a stranger — and there's nothing wrong with that either. People probably come to us at different stages of life. Some stay for a long time, others help us understand something and move on. Now I appreciate people more, next to whom I can be myself and not be afraid of silence. For me, a relationship is not about constant presence, but about the feeling that you are understood even when you don't explain anything.

I like things that allow me to stop a little and forget about the rush. I love long walks, especially in the evening, when the city gets quieter and the streets look a bit like the ones I used to know. Sometimes I can just walk without a specific route and look into small coffee shops, shops or courtyards that I happen to meet along the way. I also like to spend time at home: turn on music, make something delicious and just enjoy the tranquility. I like to photograph beautiful moments, even the most ordinary ones — the light from the window, the rain on the glass, the beautiful sky or the occasional smile. Probably my main hobby right now is exploring a new life. After moving, there were so many strangers around that every day you can find something small that you want to remember.