Not then, not when, now

Nikola had never lived in the past. But she didn't really live in the moment either. She was at her most happy when she was looking forward to something - a birthday or Christmas or a holiday. When she was actually opening a parcel or walking along a beach, she was already visualising the time when the moment would be over. The only point at which she properly appreciated the long-looked-forward-to experience was as it was on the point of ending - the last gift-wrapped package or the final walk along the beach.

She was aware of the stupidity of this attitude and on the last day of her long awaited and insufficiently enjoyed holiday she made a Not New Year's Resolution. She promised herself, crossing her heart and hoping to die, to properly enjoy the present. And the presents.