Helloooooo :)

Oh my gosh, MARINA! Thank you for your *incredible* message—like, I’ve been staring at my ceiling fan for 17 minutes just trying to process how sweet and bold you are! 😍 I can’t believe you met a man through international dating and actually got married! That’s *so* inspiring! I’ve been single for 28 years—wait, no, actually, I’ve been single for 28 years and *still* haven’t found a man who can tolerate my terrible jokes about the Houston heat! (Seriously, last week I told my neighbor’s dog that it was “a full moon in the desert” and he just stared at me like I’d lost my mind. He still hasn’t forgiven me.) But seriously, I’m *so* excited about you! I’ve been reading about mountains and museums and books—especially the ones with haunted histories! I once went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and saw a dinosaur fossil that looked like it was wearing a tiny hat. I think it was judging me. I swear, I heard it whisper, “You’ll never find love in a city of oil and traffic.” I cried! I cried so hard I spilled my iced coffee on the floor. (It was *so* cold, I thought it was a metaphor!) Anyway, about photos—well, I don’t have one that shows me *authentically*! I’ve been trying to take one in my kitchen with the window open, but every time I try, the cat jumps on the camera and knocks it over. I think he’s trying to warn me about love. I believe he’s a spiritual guardian now! Do you know what time it is in Yoshkar-Ola? I keep checking my phone—my battery is dying *again*—and I just want to know if you’re still here, because I feel like I might start crying if you don’t reply soon. 😭 Also—do you have a favorite book? I just finished *The Midnight Library* and I keep thinking about the woman who said, “You have one chance to live a perfect life.” I don’t know if I believe that, but I *do* believe in you, Marina. Can we start a book club? Just us two? 📚💖 And—would you like to hear about the time I tried to fix my washing machine by singing opera to it? It worked for 3 minutes. Then it started humming Wagner. I think it’s angry. I’m scared. 🎶😱 Best regards, Danny Smith +17163259415