It's my birthday today and I started it with a cold shower. I was supposed to be over that stage in my life, now as a legitimate rent-paying occupier of living premises. Well the fact I don't need to show a Section 6 Warning on the door doesn't mean I get hot water. Gas to the flat was disconnected last week by the long arm of the law, chasing some long-gone tenant. Getting it back is not easy.

At the meantime it's DIY all over again, had to install my camping-stove on top of the IKEA kitchen. The oven is working, being electric, but I somehow never got along with ovens. What can one do with ovens? Roast veggies. Cook eggplants to prepare Baba Ganush (eggplant spread). Hmm that's it more or less.

So cold showers. Dreading them is part of the deal. But so is the liberation they bring. It is that little push you often need in the morning. It's a reminder that you are stronger than you think. Not just about endurance and resilience, but also learning to live with your body, and letting it enjoy the world at it is. As the gushes flow down your skin, you feel your back straigthen, your shoulders broaden. One last wash, one more second, and you are ready to face the day with a shivering smile.