Fifth Journey Day 94: The Lace Didn’t Tremble

Date: August 10, 2025
Location: Almaty, Kazakhstan

I arrived in Almaty just after sunrise. The streets were starting to come alive — slowly, almost reluctantly — with vendors setting up their stalls and delivery bikes navigating busy intersections. The first thing I noticed was the light. It felt taller here, somehow — slanting between buildings with a clarity that made even tiny particles of dust seem like part of a building.

I walked the entire length of Panfilov Street. The path was long, but it was never boring. Children played near the fountains, their shadows broken by water. I sat for a while beside a woman selling peeled sunflower seeds in paper cones. She didn't look at me, just gave me one, as if it was obvious. I passed cafes with chalkboard menus written in a language I couldn't read, but I didn't need to. I smelled dill, charred bread, and something sweet — maybe quince — the whole way.

My legs hurt by the time I finished, but not in a way that made me want to rest. It was as if I had arrived at a quiet place within myself. I didn't sketch today. I needed to let the textures settle first. I thought about the blue of a child's shirt against the peach-pink pavement, the flutter of a lace curtain in an upstairs window, and the exact sound of a trolley's wheels over uneven stone.

I don't know what it will look like when I'm done. But I trust it will return — maybe as a shadow or the shape of a bent paper cone. For now, I've let the city in without asking it to explain itself. That's enough.