January 1, 2026
It’s 12:56 AM. My family and I have just greeted the New Year together. We heard explosions nearby and a siren wailing over the city: Russian drones. Explosions were also reported in Odessa, Donetsk, and the Sumy region, and drones were detected flying in the direction of Kyiv and its surroundings. And yet I am calm and happy: For New Year’s we had our family’s special roasted duck. Just like my mom used to make.
January 2, 2026
Yesterday was my friend Dania’s birthday. Friends toasted to him tonight. We told stories and celebrated his life. But just as I was walking home suddenly the wound of losing him opened up again, and so here I am sobbing in the middle of downtown Kyiv close to midnight, a military curfew.
War keeps taking the best of us.
January 5, 2026
1:48 AM