Hi. My name is Eva. You know, it's weird starting over in a foreign country. I'm a simple girl, I speak with an accent and sometimes get words mixed up. Every day here is like a little exam. I'm learning to be not just "comfortable" but soft, feminine. I used to hide in sweatshirts, but now I reveal my shoulders and smile to the world. It's scary and joyful at the same time

My dream isn't about millions. I dream of a small lake house and waking up one day and not feeling like a stranger. I want to learn to wear dresses as naturally as I breathe, and to speak the local language without stuttering. I dream that my inner confused girl will finally believe that she is worthy of tenderness

The meaning of life... Back home, I was sure he was in stability. And now, in this country where I have nothing but freedom and fear, I see it in little things. In the way snow melts in the palm of your hand. In thanking the cashier at the store. In the courage to try again if you fell. I guess the point is just to find a place where your heart beats steady and a person who is interested in beating in time with you. I believe I am learning to live in the here and now, becoming the very Eve I have been searching for all my life

My main salvation is cooking. The smell of cinnamon and apples fills the empty apartment with warmth. I bake pies using my grandmother's recipe translated into a new language. I also put together wildflower bouquets. I love how a whole universe lives in simple daisies. It teaches me patience and beauty in the little things

I used to think you had to dissolve into someone else to be loved. I understand now: true intimacy is being seen as real, even imperfectly. I'm learning to say "no" without guilt. People are like doors: some closing forever and others opening to let the light in. The hardest thing to do is to forgive those who don't ask for forgiveness and to let go without looking back