A Break from Zenith, Italian Chaos, and a White Screen

For the past 10 days, I took a little break from Zenith. Honestly, I just kind of let everything go.

It started with technical issues. We released a test version of our app on Google Play, I downloaded it on my main phone, launched it, and... a white screen. Nothing happens. Interestingly, Zenith runs smoothly on my second phone, and Patryk tested the app on two of his devices, and everything works perfectly for him too. It's just my main phone that decided to go on strike.

For those 10 days, I completely disconnected from the project. I didn't hold myself accountable for my resolutions in the app, and I didn't check off my habits. And you know what? That's completely human. Sometimes the system just crashes—the one in the app and the one in our heads.

The Destination: Italy, a Reset from Everyday Life

Adding to this reset was a long weekend here in Germany. Friends flew over, and we went on a very intensive road trip.

We started on Wednesday—after picking up the crew from the airport, we went to Munich for a bit, and then back to my place. In Munich, we walked past the American embassy. You can immediately tell it's their territory—tons of cameras, heavy security, and a police officer with a long gun that looked like it was pulled straight out of World War II. I regret not taking a picture, but I only post my own original photos on the blog, so you'll have to take my word for it.

On Thursday, we headed south. Somewhere in the middle of Switzerland, instead of spring, we were greeted by... snow! Fortunately, it was just for a moment. We stopped by Lugano, which is close to the Italian border, and although there was no snow there, it was really windy and cold. After that, we headed straight for Milan.

In Milan, right next to the famous Cathedral of the Nativity of Saint Mary (Duomo di Milano), we sat down in a restaurant. I didn't want to drink sugary sodas, so I just asked for water. Imagine my surprise when the waiter poured me tap water and brought over a completely wet, dripping bottle because it had obviously spilled while he was filling it. I felt a bit weird, almost as if I had committed some tourist sin, but at least it makes for a good anecdote.

Friday in Turin – Hail and Fog on Superga

On Friday, we went to Turin, which welcomed us with heavy rain and hail. We had to evacuate and take cover, which made us miss out on some sightseeing—I regret not making it to the Lavazza museum. But the main point of the trip was the Basilica of Superga, located high on a hill. Right at the back of it, there's a memorial for the 1949 Superga air disaster involving the Torino football team. There are photos of the team and scarves from various clubs waving in the wind.

Unfortunately, we hit total fog, so we couldn't see the famous panorama of Turin from the viewpoint. My friend was really bummed about it, but I looked at it differently.

Saturday in Bergamo – Orange Roofs and Polish Colony

On Saturday, we reached Bergamo, and it turned out to be the most "Italian" city from our imaginations. It’s full of that classic, retro style and charming orange roofs. We also took a ride on the very crowded funiculars. Interestingly, there were tons of Polish people everywhere—my friend even joked that it was some kind of Polish colony. You can really see a shift in our society; we finally want to and can travel the world.

I also have to mention Italian drivers. They squeeze in everywhere and can turn two lanes into four. In Poland or Germany, using a horn is a last resort and a stressful situation. In Italy? I got used to the honking on the very first day. Honestly, that dynamic, razor-edge driving didn't bother me at all and actually kind of resonates with me. Despite the bumped-up cars on the streets, we didn't see a single accident there.

On the way back, I planned a stop in the Swiss town of Chur. When we were driving towards Italy, I saw beautiful mountains surrounding the city from the car windows. Unfortunately, on the way back, we got there after dark. We took a walk, but the night hid that amazing, postcard-perfect view.

Costs, Fines, and Miscalculations

Our trip also included some painful logistics lessons. We bought a year-round vignette for Switzerland, which ultimately ended up being cheaper than the one-off tolls on the Italian highways (granted, we were probably driving on some of the most expensive stretches between Milan, Turin, and Bergamo).

Unfortunately, while crossing the German-Swiss border, we forgot about the vignette for... Austria. We drove through there without paying for a mere 30 kilometers. The vignette would have cost €13, and for the lack of payment both ways, we'll probably pay a fine of around €200. It hurt, but oh well—travel costs. In Zenith, a mistake like that in the Wallet module would have probably blown our budget over the limit!

Zenith: What's Next for the App and Marketing?

Now it's time to get back to reality. As I mentioned at the beginning, we have a bit of a delay with the app. We suspect that on my phone, Google Play is simply overwriting the installation with the old, buggy version. Today, Patryk is pushing another update. If it finally works, we'll get started on subscriptions and improving navigation.

We're behind schedule, but that's the comfort of not being a massive corporation. We're building this for ourselves, it costs us nothing (except time), so we can afford a longer production phase.

Meanwhile, I have more time to plan our marketing:

• TikTok / Instagram Reels: I won't be showing my face. I'm focusing on valuable content, mostly in the form of slides. I used to do a format with historical trivia (e.g., from the year 2013), and it generated great engagement for me. I'm going to go in that direction.
• YouTube: I have a fully edited Zenith tutorial. I'm wondering if posting it now isn't shooting ourselves in the foot given the current bugs, but since I've already recorded it, I'll upload it. I'm also planning 2-3 new voiceover-style videos (just a narrator, a good script, and images).

Before all of this kicks into high gear, I'm heading to Poland on May 30th for 9 days. I'll have another break from acting on Zenith matters because I have some work waiting for me at my own house construction—I'm planning to build partition walls on the upper floor.