Asya & Jan

Six Months
of Us

18 March 2026 — 18 September 2026

Although, if we're being accurate about it, this started on an ice rink in January.

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We've been us for

months

days

hours

minutes

And that is only counting from March.

Asya and Jan cheek to cheek in the hotel gardens in Turkey

Somewhere along the way, this became us.

Our story

How we got here

January 2026

The office went skating

An hour and a half in, everybody left. We didn't. You grabbed my arm and we did the rest of the rink like that, and I have thought about it a suspicious number of times since.

The weeks after

Bike shops, McDonald's, your parents

We went back to that bike shop more times than anybody needed to. On the second trip we stopped at McDonald's, which makes it, officially, the first thing we ever ate together. Second time out practising I was suddenly at yours, meeting your parents.

18 March 2026

The day we became us

An office event at a bar, and afterwards you came back to mine. You stayed. Same night we decided we were a thing, which was efficient of us.

A close, tilted selfie of Asya and Jan indoors

Asya resting her head on Jan's shoulder under an open sky

April 2026

Nice, Monaco, and an Italian motorway

Out Friday morning, Monaco on the Saturday, home on the Sunday. Italian motorways at speeds I am not putting in writing, and talking the entire way there and back.

Summer

Turkey, and the blue top

The Concorde, five stars, the gardens, and a pier at exactly the right hour. Almost every photograph on this page is from that week, which is a little unfair on the other five months.

Asya and Jan standing under flowering oleanders

18 September 2026

Six months

Which is today, if you are reading this on the right day.

Six months.
Six memories.

One — the second bike shop trip

Our first meal was a McDonald's

Not a restaurant, not a plan. We were out looking at bikes, we got hungry, and that was that. It is the least romantic first meal available and I would not swap it.

Two — second time out practising

Then I met your parents

We went out to practise and the afternoon ended at your place, being introduced. Fairly quick work for two people who were not officially anything yet.

Three — 18 March 2026

The bar, then mine

An office thing at a bar, and then you came home with me and stayed. We worked out we were together that same night. No build-up, no big speech.

Four — April 2026

Nice, Monaco, and the drive

Our first trip. Out Friday morning, Monaco on the Saturday, home on the Sunday. Italian motorways at speeds that stay off this page.

three days of talking and we never ran out

Five — summer

Turkey, and that pier

Five stars at the Concorde, sea, oleanders, and a pier at exactly the right hour. Nearly every photograph on this page is from that one week.

Asya on the pier in a light blue top at sunset in Turkey

Six — most weeks, still

Your place, something on, me leaving too late

Sometimes we went out to eat, mostly we did not bother. This is the version of us I would actually pick.

Little pieces of us

tap any of them

this one, mostly

And then there is the rest of it

Nice and Turkey were maybe ten days of it. This is the rest, and it is the part I would actually pick.

A silly late night selfie — ragebait, live

Asya and Jan with wet hair, unimpressed — peak glamour

Jan close to the camera, Asya lying down behind him — not deleting it

Things I love about you

You ragebait me

For sport. Daily. And you are extremely good at it, which is somehow worse.

You grabbed my arm

On the ice, in January, before I had worked out how to ask. You just did it.

You know exactly what you're doing

Every time. The innocent face is not fooling anybody, least of all me.

You took me home

Second time out on the bike and I was meeting your parents. You did not make it a big deal, so neither did I.

You get on the thing

Skates, a bike. Two very good reasons to say no, and you said yes to both.

You made 1am normal

Films that ran far too long, me driving home at an indefensible hour, doing it again the next week.

Reason no. 1

You grabbed my arm on the ice before I worked out how to ask.

days since March

countries so far

favourite person

∞

bike shops left to visit

A letter

For Asya

Six months down. Winter next.

You keep saying your feet hurt on the ice. I have been listening.