While the world watched for smoke above the Sistine Chapel, I was home with a fever and a head full of stories.

In this episode, I share how illness kept me grounded—but not my imagination. Inspired by the live Vatican stream and a particularly clumsy seagull chick on the roof, I wrote a whimsical short story: "The Chick on the Chimney – A Short Story About Feathers in the Vatican."

You’ll hear about a brave little gull named Pico, his parents Bianca and Bruno, and how a poop on the Pope’s chimney may have brought joy to millions. It’s a tale of fluff, flight, and fame—told high above St. Peter’s Square.