I’m currently on a train to London after having spent the last couple of days in Scotland. This is my very first time in the United Kingdom, and I’m having a great time. So many “I know this from the internet!” moments.

Something about British humour (“humor” for those not in the UK right now) has always tickled my fancy, so a lot of the content I consume comes from here. I’ve heard “Nando’s” references for longer than I can remember, and I finally saw one in real life! I don’t eat meat, so that experience didn’t really go anywhere, but it’s the wonder and excitement that count.

Anyway, as I said, I’m having a blast. The Scots were incredibly friendly, and I finally visited my friend Hanna, who lives and works in Glasgow, and Raphael, who lives in Edinburgh part-time. I also learned how to pronounce (“prononce” for those not in the UK right now) Edinburgh. Edinbrah!

You’re receiving this while I settle into my first night in London, so please enjoy these journal comics from the previous week while I try to find something to eat. I already miss haggis. Turns out it exists in a vegetarian form and is delicious!

Monday

Once again, I’m trying to become a bicycle person. Anna’s new apartment is less far away from mine than her old one, but I still have to take a bus, and buses are a nightmarish way to travel. Everything is shaky, crowded, noisy, stinky, and overall just not a good time.

So back to the bike it is, and I’ve already had a couple of good moments with it. I’m not a huge fan of the logistics, though. I want to wear a helmet because I’m not suicidal, so I somehow have to carry a bag to store it after the ride. But having a backpack on my back all the time just isn’t my kind of fun.

I’m sure I’ll figure this out. For now, it’s good enough to enjoy the process of riding the bike and getting to places 1. quicker and 2. without having to interact with buses.

Small meta aside: I’m experimenting with a kind of narrator thing for the first time in this one, and I think I like it. It’s breaking the fourth wall (“forth wall,” for those not in the UK), and that’s a neat gimmick. I’m looking forward to figuring out how to utilize this further.

Tuesday

And with “proper” I mean “a €10 set from IKEA,” but I have to start somewhere. I don’t cook much, and every time I thought about buying proper salt and pepper hardware, my perfectionism kicked in and I ended up looking at some incredibly expensive (and beautiful) set that I eventually didn’t buy because why would I spend that kind of money on something I don’t really need?

Now that I have these, though, I genuinely enjoy having them. Especially because Anna’s kitchen not being installed yet gives me the opportunity to cook for her more often. It’s fun!

Disclaimer: I did, indeed, not salt the cat. My cats remain completely unsalted. This is a fictitious depiction of something that did not happen.

Wednesday

Flo and I showed up to this texture painting class and turned out to be the only participants. I expected the teacher to somehow show us tricks and tips, but we were mostly left alone, with her only showing up from time to time to judge my painting as “cool” and Flo’s as “beautiful.” Ouch!

But we had a great time, and in the end it wasn’t about the success. It was about the friends we made along the way.

Thursday

This is a good example of what I said about the narrator earlier. I like this. The day didn’t offer much, and drawing myself playing video games for the 12th time just wasn’t good enough. Referencing earlier comics gave this a spin I quite like.

Friday

There wasn’t much time when I drew this, so I skipped the sketch. It shows! In a good way, if you ask me. Something about it being less perfect is really to my liking.

The litter boxes were perfectly clean and the food… perfectly edible, though.

Saturday

Having to buy new running shoes is one of the most frustrating things I have to do. Everybody, including Strava itself, keeps telling me that you shouldn’t wear these things for more than 800 kilometers, which is less than a year of running for me. That basically turns into a subscription of about €200 per year just for new shoes, even though the “old” ones don’t feel any different to me than when I first bought them.

But I understand the theory, and there are probably good reasons for it. Buying new shoes is less expensive than injuring myself because the old ones stopped doing what they’re supposed to do.

I’m very happy with these New Balance 860 v15, by the way. They feel a bit more sturdy and “hard” than the Hoka Clifton 9 I wore previously (“previosly,” for those not in the UK right now), and I expected that to make running harder, but the opposite seems to be the case. I don’t understand why, but they don’t pay me to.

Sunday

This was one of those perfect days. In the morning, I went on a run with Pablo and Kim, who joined us for the first time and therefore completed his longest run ever. In the afternoon, we met up with Pablo and Kim again at a friend’s kid’s first birthday party. They’re growing up so fast!

I like Milo’s gesture in this drawing. In reality, he didn’t really care about the present (he’s 1, that’s to be expected), but I like how excited and anticipatory he looks.

This is it for the free part of this newsletter. Those not subscribed need to alight (a word I recently learned while taking trains in the UK) from the newsletter train here. Those who are subscribed can read on for my thoughts on accepting help and why letting others help you is basically an act of kindness in itself.

Accepting Help

Staying at Hanna’s place in Glasgow reminded me once again that I’m very bad at accepting favours (“favors” for those of you not currently in the UK). She and her partner let us stay at their place for six nights.