Journal entries from my third quarter in my second year of basic emergency training.
The Secret Club
Sceptical of Maltese theatre and distant from the local queer scene, one extraordinary musical forced me to rethink art, identity and lives unlived.
Equilibrium
After a perfect birthday week, I returned to an ED caught between grief, illness and recovery, somehow finding my balance in the chaos.
The Third Decade
Turning thirty, I look back on grief, love, adventure and wisdom – and the chaotic decade that taught me just how much I love being alive.
Aestivation
Back from Spain, I swap mountain trails for exam notes, portfolio panic, freediving escapes and plans for a milestone birthday and big trip.
Pico de Aneto – Day 4: One Last Cruel Joke
An energetic final morning turns into icy swims, a cancelled bus and one last exhausting march through the Vallibierna Valley into Benasque.
Pico de Aneto – Day 3: The Wrong Choice
We skip the spa after Aneto and face scree, panic, swollen knees and a brutal ten-hour trek through the Pyrenees to Cap de Llauset.
Pico de Aneto – Day 2: Reaching the Peak
I cross Aneto’s glacier, stop at the exposed final ridge, get lost on the descent and return to La Renclusa moments before dark with friends.
Pico de Aneto – Day 1: The Calm Before the Climb
I travel from Barcelona to La Renclusa with a chaotic new trekking crew, marmots, mountain views and one daunting summit ahead.
Pico de Aneto
I agree to climb Pico Aneto with an ex, his eccentric friends and a long-time crush, despite my bad knee and complete lack of preparation.