Meet Layla, 40

Photo essay

A life, in plates

Some places are on maps. The rest are people.

Pl. IV — walking, early evening

Memories · logged

Notes from the road

Entry I

The overnight train where she taught a whole carriage a card game.

Entry II

The coastal walk that was meant to take an hour and took the whole golden afternoon.

Entry III

The birthday dinner on the roof when the lanterns came on one by one.

Pl. V — the essentials, as found

• ☐Booka well-thumbed paperback of short stories
• ☐Foodher grandmother's lemon cake
• ☐Objecta notebook with every ticket she has ever kept
• ☐Ritualcoffee before anyone else is awake
• ☐Soundthe sea at night

Pl. VI — the long way round, which is the only way

Milestones

So far

1. Age 0

   Arrived. Everything began.

2. Chapter II

   Has kept every train ticket since 2003.

3. Chapter III

   Packs for a weekend in one tote; packs snacks in three.

4. Chapter IV

   Can get lost in any city and call it 'research'.

5. Age 40

   This edition. Still going.

Postcards home

Dear Layla,