November 1st

Dear Diary: November 1st & Almost 18 ♡

“On November 1st, 1959, I had been with Consolidated Life for three years and ten months...” — C.C. Baxter, The Apartment

November is FINALLY here, and somehow, so is the month I'm turning 18.

My birthday is on the 12th, which means I have exactly 11 days left of being seventeen (I'm terrified). I still can't quite wrap my head around that. Eighteen has always felt like one of those ages that belongs to other people but not to me. And yet, here I am.

There's also something special about November 1st that has nothing to do with my birthday. It's the day C.C. Baxter begins telling his story in The Apartment. Every year, I find myself coming back to this film around this time. Maybe it's the old New York streets or the black-and-white cinematography. Whatever it is, it makes me want to stay inside and spend an afternoon watching old movies.

I love how films from that era can make even the most ordinary things feel romantic. A rainy evening or even just walking home alone. Suddenly, the world feels like it belongs in a Billy Wilder film.

And then there's the whole turning-eighteen thing.

I don't know if anyone ever really feels ready to grow up. Sometimes I feel like I should have my entire life figured out by now and other times I can barely decide what to have for breakfast. I guess that's part of being seventeen or maybe part of being human.

For now, I'm trying not to think too much about what comes next. I want to enjoy these last few days of being seventeen, romanticize the little things, and let November be November.

xoxo,
NotLee ♡

Death of Corruption 

Today is the day.

Things will finally change

We are fighting for our future.

Today- the 25th of October- is election day in Serbia, and my heart is completely heavy, but still filled with hope. For over two years, students across Serbia have been fighting for a better future. They have refused to stay silent against the government which is wrapped in greed and negligence. Their motto has always been so clear: no oppression, truth over lies.

"Studenti pobeđuju". Students win. 

They have continued to stand up against Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling SNS party, even when faced with political tactics, intimidation, and attempts to silence them. There have been "allegations" (legal reason I write that) of paid groups and violent individuals being used to threaten, harass, and physically attack student protesters. Yet, despite all of this, the students have refused to back down.

You might be wondering, “Lee, why are they protesting in the first place?”

There is one tragedy we can't ever forget: the collapse of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad, the city I come from. In November 2024, 15 people died in the disaster. One more victim later died from their injuries. Sixteen lives were lost. Due to cut corners and greed. Mind you the railway was just built. No one was held accountable for this event. 

Today, people are being asked to make a choice. Today is about more than just political parties. It is about accountability. It is about justice for those who lost their lives. It is about a generation that refuses to watch its homeland being taken away from it, piece by piece.

The students have reminded an entire country what it means to stand up for something bigger than yourself. They have shown that even when people in power seem untouchable, people can still find the courage to challenge them. 

I don't know what today will bring. But I know that I will be voting for Number 3. The students. I know that Vučić will do anything to stay in that position but Students win. 

And perhaps that is where hope begins.

Praying for my home country today. May justice finally roll down like waters ₊˚⊹♡

xoxo, NotLee 💌