my dearest natalie,
i cant believe it’s already been two years without you. i remember that day vividly: monday august 5, 2019. i was standing in the arrivals section of the larnaca airport, waiting for my bother to appear, when i got the message. a friend sent me a greek news outlet that had broken the story about a missing astrophysicist on the island of ikaria. i knew in that moment what that meant, but i held out hope anyway.
for 3 awful days i waited to hear any updates. on friday, my friends took me out for a beach day. whenever someone asks what my perfect day looks like, i remember this afternoon at the beach in larnaca. the wind and waves were particularly crazy that day, but we didn’t mind—it made swimming more fun. we bought our favourite snacks (paprika chips for me) and had a picnic on the beach. we drove home with the windows down as the sun was setting and turning that lovely deep red colour. how to fly by sticky fingers came on (our friend group’s song), and i was soaking up the tranquil energy when my phone rang. “they found a body” was all my mom had to say to snap me back to reality.
i feel silly making this about me, but i suppose life experiences are all relative. natalie’s life impacted mine in ways i’ll never be able to express to her. is regret a stage of grief? i wish i had done more with her. i wish i had partied a little less and worked a little more. i wish i had paid more attention when she would explain things. i wish i had reached out earlier that summer.
natalie christopher was an extraordinary human, and i feel so honoured to have been mentored by her. she had a passion for science, but also for peace activism and women representation in cyprus. she managed to do everything she loved, and i’m forever inspired by that. she showed me how to fall in love with life, as she was always living it to the fullest. i know you’re out there in the cosmos somewhere floating free forever—exploring the stars and galaxies🕊🤍💫
x gch x