Whereabouts

She walks down the narrow, winding streets of the city, lost in thought. She looks up at the balconies, where people sit sipping coffee and chatting with friends. She feels envious of their seemingly carefree lives, but also a bit resentful. She wonders what it would be like to have such an ordinary existence.

She continues walking until she reaches the park. She sits on a bench and watches the children playing on the swings and slides. She marvels at their joy and energy, feeling a sense of longing for a time when she too was innocent and carefree.

As the sun begins to set, she gets up and walks towards the river. She follows its path until she reaches a small café where she orders a cappuccino. She sits down at a table by the window and sips her coffee, watching the people pass by.

Her mind drifts to memories of her childhood, of her family and friends. She thinks of the people she has lost along the way, and wonders if they are watching over her. She imagines what they might say if they were here with her now, and how they might comfort her.

As she finishes her coffee, she begins to write in her journal. She writes about her feelings of loneliness, of how she feels disconnected from the world around her. She writes about her fears and insecurities, about the things that keep her up at night.

She writes until the café closes, and she is forced to leave. She walks back to her apartment, feeling a sense of calm and clarity. She knows that writing is her way of processing her emotions, of making sense of the world around her.

She spends the rest of the evening in her apartment, writing until the early hours of the morning. She writes about her hopes and dreams, about the things she wants to achieve in life. She writes about her struggles and failures, and the lessons she has learned along the way.

She knows that writing is not a solution to all her problems, but it is a way of coping with them. It is a way of processing her emotions and finding meaning in her experiences.

Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months. She continues to walk the streets of the city, observing the people and places around her. She continues to write in her journal, documenting her thoughts and feelings.

One day, she receives an invitation to attend a writing workshop. She hesitates at first, feeling unsure if she is ready to share her writing with others. But something inside her tells her to go, to take the leap of faith.

At the workshop, she meets other writers, each with their own unique story to tell. They share their writing with each other, and she is amazed at the power of their words. She feels a sense of belonging, of being part of a community of people who share her passion for writing.

As the workshop comes to a close, she feels a sense of hope and optimism. She knows that writing will always be a part of her life, a way of navigating loss and healing.

She walks back to her apartment, feeling lighter and more alive than she has in a long time. She knows that the journey ahead will be full of ups and downs, but she is ready to face it head-on, armed with nothing but her journal and her pen.

"Whereabouts" is a novel about an unnamed protagonist who wanders through the streets and neighborhoods of an unnamed Italian city, reflecting on her life as a single woman, her relationships with her friends and family, and her sense of displacement and loneliness. The novel is told in short, fragmented chapters and explores themes of identity, memory, and the search for connection in a world that can feel both overwhelming and indifferent.