Bring a list. Embarrassment makes everyone forget things, including you.

Is it normal to feel worse before better? Nobody told me that. Three weeks in on a laptop battery and it lines up.

Small wins count. Walking to the mailbox is a data point.

Photograph everything before you open it. Ten seconds, settles most disputes. Same for me with Serbia, unfortunately.

An inconclusive account is useful if it stops the next person mistaking a story for a controlled comparison.

No wrong answers, and yours is a good one.