I Came to Tbilisi for a Little While | Prologue of Nobody Told Me About Tbilisi
Some cities announce themselves at once. Tbilisi takes its time. This is where the story begins - with a temporary arrival that quietly became a life.
Any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental. Any resemblance to Tbilisi is inevitable.
I came to Tbilisi for a little while. At least, that’s what I kept telling everyone. It’s funny how useful the phrase “just for a little while” can be. It lets you avoid making plans, buying too much, getting attached, finding a favourite café, learning street names, or thinking too far ahead.
I’ll stay a bit, then move on. That’s what I believed.
Then I found my favourite bakery. Then there was the shopkeeper who greeted me before I had the chance to greet her. Then the dog that seemed to be waiting for me on the same street almost every morning. Then the taxi driver who insisted he knew the way better than Google Maps. Sometimes he actually did.
And somehow, without noticing, those little things became my everyday life. This isn’t a guidebook. You won’t find a list of places you simply have to visit. Not because those places don’t exist, but because everyone has their own.
For some, it’s an old carved wooden balcony. For others, it’s the smell of fresh shoti bread early in the morning. Or a quiet courtyard where children play until dusk. Or a conversation with a complete stranger that somehow ends as if you’ve known each other for years.
I’m not trying to explain Tbilisi. Honestly, I’m not even sure that’s possible. I simply want to tell a few stories – about a city, about its people, and about the quiet moment when a place that wasn’t yours somehow becomes home.
Because that’s how it always begins. “I’m only here for a little while.”
On People Who Say, "I'll Be Right Back"
Some cities announce themselves at once. Tbilisi takes its time. This is where the story begins – with a temporary arrival that quietly became a life.