Heroes Or Ghosts? North Sea Short Story

"And you know, you know,
It's harder than it looks,
It's harder than it looks
But I know,
It's gonna take a lot of time and a little bit of luck"

@ The Coronas. Heroes Or Ghosts

   It's amazing and scary at the same time - how fast the time flies! And the scenes change at  a speed of light and suddenly, what was important just yesterday - has no meaning today. Of course, there are eternal things - like our inner world - but everything, literally e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g is just a lightning, an impulse of moment. But these moments actually make our life a LIFE, not a living.

   I say it's scary, because when I grew up a little bit (still in the process though) I noticed, that there is no point to be TOO HAPPY or TOO SAD, because same as happiness, same sorrow - can't last forever. It will change. This thought doesn't let me relax to much with my head in clouds, but it also doesn't let me fall down and hurt myself as hard as I used to when I was younger.

   Sometimes I wish I were more careless! Sometimes I wish I trusted people more! Sometimes I wish I believed in fairy-tales! But I don't :)

   But on the contrary - I believe in a strength of moments, that form our life. All these small chances, adventures, travels that life gives us on our way - we must take them and make best out of them, best what we can - because after time passes and things come and go - memories are left, we can put them in small boxes with nice tags and come back to them once in a while - when we are bored or simply if we feel like we need to :)

   My favorite boxes are those with names of places and cities, I know I said that hundreds of times, but travelling is seriously my biggest drug and it is one of the biggest forces that keeps me alive. When I go somewhere for some period of time - I feel like superhuman, I have such a boost of energy, that I can sleep like 3h, wake up at 6a.m. super excited and just do everything-everything I can. And then, at times like now (sitting under the blanket with a tea and head full of thoughts) - opening a small memory box with tag "Ireland" is always a good idea :) And a perfect ending of a day, or rather beginning of new day at 2:00 a.m.

   So, in 2017 I first time in my life saw Winter Sea! I first time in my life saw North Sea. And I really really can't believe that it was just few weeks ago, it was even same month! In my head years and years have passed since the start of the year and it's just 25 days, how crazy is that!

   And so you know, winter sea is beautiful. It's completely different from the sea we are used to go in summer. It's a little bit magic and overwhelming - you can stand on the shore and think of millions of things and at the same time - think about nothing. It gives the feeling of emptiness and fullness. Not sure what wins :) Winter Sea has no emotions - you don't even feel the strong cold. You just feel like there are so many things around, but you don't belong there. It is beautiful, especially at the place where I was, taking into account beautiful landscapes and nature of Ireland (Ireland is so cool, I'm telling you).
    By the way, the place I went to is called Kinsale - small port town in 40 min drive from Cork. It's like that city that you see on the post cards. It's the place, where you smell fish everywhere. It's a place, where you can forget about rush of big city and just relax and see birds flying. I actually regret that I had no chance to go there in summer, I heard that it's super beautiful and loads of people come from all over the world. But on the contrary - thanks to winter, it was empty (perfect place - no tourists place) - so it was some extra charm in it :)
   Now Ireland is behind, but I'm sure very soon I'll be boarding flight Krakow - Dublin. I don't think I'll ever come back to Kinsale though, and this makes this city even more special, knowing that it's not gonna become something usual. Ireland, you were amazing :)
   2017 is going to be a year of open-minding trips (at least I hope soooo very much). February is waiting out there with new places to see and this is beauty of life :)
    Now I can go to sleep and hopefully my dreams will take me far away :)

Where Did I Loose My Sleep? Cork Memories & Time To Go Home

   First of all, I am so so so ashamed, because I promised myself to be much more active on my blog this year. And here I am... Two weeks completely with not even a word! I mean - I really have a big dream to inspire people with my posts one day, but it's a long long way before that happens and I'm even not putting enough effort!

   But, of course, I have a great excuse - last two weeks have been absolutely mind-blowing and busy. Seriously - these 14 days passed like one big "wait, what was this" thing :)

   There were long hours of work during week and the weekend was so full of different unexpected things, that only today, on Friday 13th I can appreciate a relaxing night. In front of me I have my luggage packed (tomorrow 9 a.m. there we go), I have my cup of tea (why no wine) and I have Royskopp on my playlist - what can be better? As for today - nothing. I need a rest, I'd say. I really need!

  So, now there is a time for great story. Well, nooo, a great photo-story of Sunday trip to Kinsale I'll keep for next week. I already imagine how I'm back to Krakow, wrapped in a blanket , with a huge huge coffee mug - writing a post about that absolutely amazing small sea town. It was such a beautiful and adventurous day - don't miss my next post, you won't regret it, I promise ;)

  Going back home after two weeks being away always gives this nice comfy feeling, I'm really happy. But at the same time I had such a good time in Ireland, that I could stay here a little longer. You know, maybe until spring starts in Poland :) In spring I can come back with no regrets! 

   And nooow, I'm pushing away as much as I can thoughts about cold Krakow and I start being positive! You know, I noticed that trying to be positive is already half of work done! As they say - when you start feeling sad, you stop feeling sad and being awesome instead :) And now I'm going to share some photos from last weekend. I actually rented amazing (!!!) apartment in Victorian style right in the city center (thanks a million, Airbnb). The other fact is that I didn't spend too much time there, but still - it was worth even just to come inside, jump on a large bed, watch the interior and listen to few songs. This was really really cool :) After I left I started thinking of my own apartment goals (I hope I'll have one someday) - and I will make all my interior design dreams come true one hundred times then. But first I need to figure out at least a country, where I want to settle down :D After I do that, I'll think of apartment goals.

   Oh well, oh well, this post seems to be about everything and nothing, which I don't really like. So I want to finish it with some wise words. I indeed have some. You know what I think about this year? I think the time has come to be more sure, that we are worth what we want. I think the time has come, when we can take things, that we really really want to happen (but for some reasons we have no courage to believe in them) - and... make them happen. Or at least give it a try. Because you never know! In 75% good things that happened to me where things, that I didn't expect to happen, but those also were things, to which I was trying to go, trying to reach them. Not just denying, saying "nooo, i don't want to disappoint myself". Well maybe we should disappoint ourselves from time to time? What if things won't work out? But what if they do?

   I have as a minimum one thing on my mind and I definitely will try to make this work. Even if I fail, than what? I failed sooo many times (I'd say epic failed haha) that this doesn't even bother me. All of us fail sometimes. But not this time :)

   I hope all of You had amazing start of new year. And if you didn't - start now, start having amazing year exactly from this moment :) 

p.s. If you read this and if you enjoy it - please press SUBSCRIBE on right side of my page :) I know from feedbacks that people are visiting this page, but I never used this option and it can be very useful for me to know if you are really interested, and for you it will take only a second :)

p.p.s. I just now realized that the title of this article is "Where Did I Loose My Sleep" and I didn't say a word about it :) I'm a blogger of the year! Really, where did I loose my sleep? I ask myself. It's been already a week since I slept more than three hours at night. Is it just because I'm to excited about things going on in my life, I have no idea, but it's so so sooooo annoying! But tonight, tonight I gonna sleep like a baby, I promise myself :)

   Now back to apartment. Isn't it beautiful?

   

  And Cork. Cork is just ... 

...So here we go,

Heroes or ghosts one man's mood

Can break another man's soul

Or am I just

Too cynical for my own good,

Too scared to say,

We'll get there if we should

And you know, you know,

It's harder than it looks,

It's harder than it looks

But I know,

It's gonna take a lot of time and a little bit of luck...

+TheCoronasVEVO 

Do What You Love... Or Where Is The City of Lion?

  Even though I don't have any New Year Resolutions - I promised myself to do more of what I love and so, and so - first post of 2017 ready :) It's not gonna be about our new Year celebration party, that one better to be kept private. Just one thing to say - it's great to have people with whom you can be as natural as possible. No matter make ups, manners and all that stuff. They just know you for ages and accept as you are. Anyways, my post is about smth completely different. Inspired by Michael Jackson Black Or White, by the way :)

  So, during last couple of years I'm meeting a lot of people of different countries and cultures. I'm extremely happy about it. I also think, that people shouldn't be divided by nationalities. I mean, for me - all of us are residents of the World and that's it. Obviously, we have different cultures, different religions, traditions and even the skin tone. But this doesn't matter, really. I don't understand people, who emphasize these differences. Because we don't choose the place and country where we are born, We don't choose our parents. We don't choose the culture where we grow up.

   But what we DO CHOOSE - is the kind of person we are. At the end of the day - there are great people in each part of Earth, There are bad people as well.

   I'm 100% Cosmopolitan. So, I don't even call myself Ukrainian... I'm just Ukrainian passport holder (for the moment). I truly believe that if people didn't pay so much attention to this "nationality" stuff - there would be less wars in this World. 

   But, this doesn't change the fact, that no matter where I go - I will always remember where I come from! And I com from Ukraine. My hometown is called Lviv, which literally means "City of Lion". It's an ancient town, which was founded in 1256 by a king, called Danylo. The history is quite romantic in some way, because this town was a kind of wedding present - from this king to his son. Son's name was Lion (in Ukrainian it sounds "Lev") and that's where the name of the city comes from. There is other version - Leopolis, I personally like this one much more :)  

   And so, I was born in Leopolis 25 years ago. You know, my country doesn't have the easiest history. This is because Ukraine has an interesting geographic location - it's exactly between East and West of Europe. So during thousands of years it was an object of desires of our both Western and Eastern neighbors. It's because Ukraine as a land is an extremely attractive piece of World. We do have rich solids. We do have beautiful Nature - Carpathian mountains. We do have amazing see shores - like Crimea. If only you knew how beautiful Crimea is! Recently because of awful war in my country we lost it. Crimea could be a separate country (for me it is, as Crimean Tatars live there and it's a separate nation) - but oh God, by any means it shouldn't be called Russia (my opinion, not gonna discuss further). 

   

   And so, about Leopolis. I just want to share with the readers of this blog - how beautiful this city is. I know it's popular spot for tourists from central Europe. But I still think that lots of people do not really realize, that it's worth a visit! Especially when it comes to lovers of architecture and stuff like that.

   The fact is that if we live in some place - we stop noticing it's beauty and how unique it is. It happened to me to. Only after I moved to Poland and have spent here 4 years till today (can't believe it) - I'm coming home for a weekend, and just now I see all the beauty! Only now I finally realized, that this deserves a little bit of attention. I want to share it with you. And I wan to encourage everyone, who reads this now - DO take a weekend trip to Lviv. You won't regret it, I promise! 

 

I Love Irish People. Dublin. And 25 Reasons To Be Thankful For 2016

   And soooo, in this post (last one in 2016) I just have to put together two things, not really connected to each other... You know there is this Ukrainian saying "cats go separately, meatballs go separately"... Well, ok, I shouldn't have translated that one, hahah :D If my best friend reads this by chance, she's gonna laugh like crazy. Other than her - nobody would get this,so I'm just skipping to the point.

   Few weeks ago I was in Dublin, but now it feels like ages ago! And in less than 2 days New Year is coming! How come it all happened so fast?!

   Anyways, I want to use chance to show a little bit of Dublin (shame on me - I already posted best pictures that I had on my instagram). But well, I'll try to find something interesting.

   Secondly, I must admit that I'm extremely bad at one thing. Well, probably not just in one, but this one is clearly the w-o-r-s-t. I'm completely not able to appreciate what i have. Every single thing is not enough for me! No matter what I have, what I  get, what comes to me as a result of either chance or hard work - is simply... not... enough! This is so annoying. I am soooo gonna get rid of this in next year, at least I promise I will try as hard as I can.

   To have something to start, I made up this list - it took me 20 minutes while I was taking bath today :) List of 25 things I must say "thank you" for. Thank you my life - for being so interesting, crazy, different etc. etc. etc....

   Here's my list. If You get a chance to read it - please please please make same list before the clock strikes 00:00 and all of us gonna run into the waves of 2017. By the way, my January will be soooo busy and I'm so excited! And now - the list :) And Dublin memories, fresh enough so I'm still under impression of Irish people. Irish people, I love you!!!

   1.  I'm healthy! This may sound very trivial, but it really matters to me now more than ever before, after my family has gone through hard times

   2. I live in a world where in 9 out of 10 cases, you get what you deserve 

   3. I can speak to my Mom & Dad every day, even though we annoy each other sometimes

   4. I'm independent (oh I ammmmm)

   5. I can do what I want (even quit work and go volunteering to Africa)

   6. I have a lot of friends around

   7. I became vegetarian, which is one of the best revolutions that ever happened to me

   8. I have attractive future in front of me and thousand of possibilities

   9. I can travel

   10. I have interesting work that sometimes sends me to very interesting places on earth (this year I spent 2 months in London and in 3 days I'm flying to Ireland, isn't it a reason to smile for a girl with Ukrainian passport haha).

   11. I know what is real love, and more than that - I know how to let this go when it has to

   12. I love my apartment and I enjoy spending time there

   13. I learned to love spending time on my own (it's amazing actually)

   14. I've never seen war

   15. My conscious is clear

   16. I'm fair with people and I can sleep in peace (almost always haha)

   17. I can buy what I want

   18. I met lots of new people during last year

   19. My parents support my decisions

   20. I learned to let go people, that don't want to be part of my life, easily and with no regrets

   21. I don't have hate to anybody

   22. I do not envy anybody

   23. I never know what to expect from life, which is so exciting and cool

   24. I still believe in can't-live-without-you love and little fairy tales

   25. I don't have to go to work tomorrow :)

   And now about Dublin. It's a pity I don't have time for a separate post, because Dublin definitely deserves it, but because this was a part of this year, I want to leave in 2016. So, what I think of it... It's pretty cool city! And Oscar Wilde studied there, which makes it even more attractive (because, for those who don't know - I'm a big fan of him)

   Dublin is not too big (as London or Paris), so life doesn't rush like crazy, if you know what I mean. But still a lot of things going on, I love these crowded streets, lights everywhere, and the Christmas spirit, which I had a chance to capture - was awesome. And talking about people - people are amazing everywhere in Ireland :) I wrote about this a lot in my Ukrainian article, but I must repeat myself again - the way people interact and their attitudes make all the atmosphere of the country. Like, even when your day sucks - you still can't be angry or anything, just because strangers make your day. Or was it me so lucky to meet exceptionally nice people everywhere? If so, than it's one more reason to be thankful to 2016 :)

   P.S. It actually doesn't matter what's the date on the calendar. But it's good to have in mind this idea of "new year, new beginnings etc.", just makes us feel in a different way. I mean if we want to start new life  - why not on 12th of August or any other day? :)

   P.P.S I hope you'll like the pictures, I was trying so hard, but apparently a lot to learn...

   P.P.P.S. Happy New Year!  Happy New Beginnings! It is going to be awesome adventure, because we will make it that way ;)