Tomorrow, another chapter begins.

I will board a plane to Addis Ababa, ready to begin a new humanitarian assignment and discover another fascinating corner of the world. As always before a new deployment, there is a mixture of emotions. Excitement. Curiosity. A little uncertainty. And, above all, gratitude for the journey that has brought me here.

The past few weeks have been exactly what I needed.

After saying goodbye to Venezuela, I allowed myself something that had become increasingly rare over the past years: time. Time to travel without an agenda. Time to be with family and friends. Time to slow down, recharge my batteries and simply enjoy discovering the world.

Most of all, it became a journey to share.

Together with Giovanni, I set off on a road trip across northern Europe that I know I will remember for a very long time.

We drove through Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia before crossing the Baltic Sea on a night ferry to Sweden. Afterwards, another overnight ferry brought us back to Poland, where the journey continued through Gdańsk and eventually home to Nowy Sącz.

Although I had already visited each of those countries before, the journey was full of discoveries. For the first time, I explored Vilnius, Tallinn and Stockholm—three capitals that had somehow remained missing from my personal map despite years of travelling.

Each city had its own character.

Vilnius surprised me with its elegance and peaceful atmosphere. Riga once again reminded me why it remains one of my favourite Baltic cities. Tallinn enchanted us with its beautifully preserved medieval heart. Stockholm impressed me with its unique relationship with the sea, its islands and its relaxed rhythm of life.

One of the highlights of the journey was also reconnecting with a dear friend in Tallinn—someone with whom I had worked many years ago in South Sudan. It is one of those privileges that comes with a life spent moving between countries: friendships become scattered across the world, only to reunite unexpectedly years later.

Then there was Finland.

A spontaneous day trip across the Gulf of Finland allowed us to spend a day wandering around Helsinki before returning to Tallinn in the evening. There was something wonderfully simple about having breakfast in one country, lunch in another and dinner back where the day had begun.

Travelling by road also meant discovering everything in between.

The Hill of Crosses in Lithuania.

The Swedish countryside stretching endlessly beyond the windscreen.

Small cafés along forgotten roads.

Sunrises and sunsets viewed from the decks of ferries crossing the Baltic Sea.

Long conversations in the car that somehow only happen when there is nowhere else to be.

Those moments are often the ones that stay with us longest.

Back in Poland, the journey continued at a gentler pace.

There were family dinners in Gdańsk before returning to Nowy Sącz. There were peaceful days at home, excursions around the beautiful Rożnów Lake, and visits to places I have always loved sharing with visitors.

Together with Mum and Giovanni, we also crossed into Slovakia and the Czech Republic. We admired the High Tatras, spent relaxing days in Velké Karlovice, discovered the beautiful city of Olomouc and enjoyed the luxury of travelling slowly, without rushing from one place to the next.

Looking back now, I realise that what made these holidays so memorable was not simply the number of countries we visited.

It was the people.

Showing Giovanni parts of Europe that were entirely new to him.

Travelling once again with Mum.

Meeting an old friend in Tallinn.

Spending precious time with my family in Poland.

Collecting conversations, laughter and memories that no photograph can fully capture.

If you would like to travel along with us, I warmly invite you to browse the photo galleries from this journey:

Across the Baltic: Roads, Ferries and Old Friends

Three Slavic Countries (Poland, Slovakia and Czechia)

Tomorrow, however, the maps change once again.

The suitcases are packed.

The alarm is set.

A new home awaits.

Ethiopia.

I know that Addis Ababa will bring new challenges, new friendships and many new experiences. Like every move before it, this one begins with a little uncertainty—but also with enormous curiosity.

One of the greatest lessons that travelling has taught me is that every road eventually leads somewhere unexpected.

Tomorrow, another road begins.

I cannot wait to discover where it will take me.