After a nearly two-year hiatus, I am back. Well, for now. Just to answer the important question: Where were you on March 13th, 2013, at 19:07 (GMT+1)?
I was at work, with ears plugged in to a live camera feed pointing at the chimney of the Sistine chapel. Just earlier that afternoon, there was a seagull (with his own Twitter account too @SistineSeagull) perched happily.
At about 19:07, the background noise from the live camera feed suddenly became a swelling raucous crowd cheering. I had to bring up the window. Out came smoke pouring from the Sistine Chapel's chimney. It was dark; I had doubts if it were white, or any other shade.
"Parece blanca" - I texted to my group in Whatsapp.
"Blanca como la nieve!" was the reply.
"Habemus Papam!"
So it ends, the long wait - the brief period where we Catholics were orphans. I ran all the way home and stayed glued to the telly to see who it is and what name he will assume as Pope.
"No matter who he is, we love him already!" - I tweeted.
At 20:15, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, left his former life forever, and stepped out to the world as Pope Francis.
*Clink*
A toast to the new pope, new shepherd in the Barque of Peter.