I hadn’t written in years

I hadn’t written in years.

Written for myself, I mean.

Or listening to myself, and not to Labienhecha.

Because for Labienhecha I write every single day.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell which one is which.

But there are things that, from a distance, you can clearly see were born from one or the other.

And I stay quiet. Very quiet.

And I don’t listen to myself.

Or I listen less than I’d like to.

And I missed it so much...

Maybe because of that whole being a disillusioned, frustrated journalist thing. Or rather: a retired journalist. The one who never quite understood the ins and outs of that world and realised that maybe she just wanted to write —and that a timely retreat was the sweetest victory of all.

That’s why I’m launching this section: to listen to myself —and for you to read me, if you feel like it— when I write unfiltered and in my own voice.

Writing soothes me. It comforts me. It always has.

Ever since I was little, writing was my escape valve.

I’ve even made a living writing all sorts of things —stories for children, and for grown-ups too.

Because it helped me feed my imagination.

And now...

Writing helps me step out of Labienhecha, to simply be Irene.

It’s something I felt like doing. Or, why not say it: something I needed to do, by myself and for myself.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Labienhecha.

But even the purest love sometimes needs a little breathing room.

Like in any relationship... you need to find yourself so you don’t lose yourself along the way.

Besides, writing pulls me away from screens. From the scroll. It takes me to places that give me peace.

And now that I think about it... writing and reading are two things we’re losing, at least to a large extent, in exchange for an endless scroll that costs us dearly on the inside.

So here it is: En voz alta.

A place to talk about what stirs me, what I question, what I see and don’t always dare to say.

Not from the brand.

Not from Labienhecha.

From me.

They won’t be absolute truths. They’ll be mine, out loud, in case they resonate with someone.

And I’m kicking things off with something that’s been going round and round in my head for weeks.

I’m telling it today, unfiltered.

Welcome to En voz alta.

See you in the reading.

Or at least, I’d love that.