A few days ago, I was sitting in a café near my workplace, planning a trip a few days ahead, when a Persian song playing caught my attention. Hearing such a song in Iranian cafés is normal, but here it was impossible to imagine that someone randomly added it to the playlist at that hour. Following the clues and asking about café details, I discovered Homayoun, the café owner, who is not only Iranian but also from my hometown. We exchanged greetings, felt pleased, and finally solved the mystery of the Iranian sugar cubes I always requested with tea.

The intensity of fatigue these days and the slowly warming weather evoke memories of my military service, and part of my remaining energy each day is spent fighting negative thoughts and memories from those days. During work hours, I listen to audiobooks and psychological counseling files, scaring myself a bit with the consequences of not managing negative thoughts.

Working nine hours a day, at least two hours commuting, plus one extra workday and a day covering taken leave, has kept me working continuously for the past 20 days, leaving virtually no time even to sit idle for an hour. That’s why the frequency of blog posts has decreased, which I hope to make up for after my trip.

The relative calm and security I feel these days, though much needed, simultaneously remind me that “if everything is in place, you’re going wrong.” It’s time to bring a new challenge upon myself.