About

I’m Tania (short for Tatiana). I’ve been thinking about creating this space for years. For a long time, I told myself that settling into a new country was reason enough to postpone it. But you can only put things off for so long, so here I am.

In April 2022, I moved from Moscow to Spain with my boyfriend at the time, who is now my registered partner. We spent our first year in Barcelona. But against the tide of universal admiration for the city, we ran away to Madrid. And we’ve never regretted it. Our move has been a hell of an adventure, one that completely changed my life, and that journey is about to take another unexpected turn.

Before moving to Spain, I spent twelve years working as a TV journalist. I made documentary films, investigative reports, and interviewed people whose stories often stayed with me long after filming ended. Somewhere along the way, I realised that the kind of stories I wanted to tell had become quieter and much more personal.

After years of telling other people’s stories, I realised I wasn’t interested in headlines as much as in the moments that stay with us: the ones that move us, inspire us, or quietly change the way we think. That’s what you’ll find here.

This blog is part journal, part collection of essays exploring everything that has happened since leaving my homeland, as well as everything that came after.

I write about the ordinary moments that slowly make an unfamiliar place feel like home: finding a swimming team, discovering a favourite café, getting lost in a film, learning a city one neighbourhood at a time.

This is my notebook.

Coffee shops become my temporary living rooms.

Films become conversations.

Books become companions.

Water becomes a way of belonging.

Cities become home, for a while.

If something here resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you. Whether it’s a film recommendation, a café worth visiting, or simply a thought you’d like to share, feel free to get in touch. Some of the best conversations begin with a message from a stranger.

Lots of love,

Tania U.