Bending over backwards

Tags

challenges, Emotion, Happiness, Sports, yoga

As I listen to the soothing music my mind pauses for a moment. The only thing that catches my attention is the squeaking of the wooden floor, as the yoga teacher walks past me. I smell a hint of lavender. Then I hear the squeaking floorboards next to my yoga mat. As I have my eyes closed I feel someone hovering over me, while the lavender smell increases. The yoga teacher walks around the group to give a short forehead massage with lavender oil. As I am the fourth person, the only thing I can think of as she gentle touches my forehead, is that she has also touched the sweaty forehead of the three girls that are lying next to me. But as soon as she massages my temples and the lavender smell gets even more vigorous, the cares of hygiene leave my mind,

I recently started doing yoga, mostly hot yoga, where the room gets heated to a pleasant but sultry 34 degrees. If you’d ask my friends, they would tell you I was the most unexpected person to do yoga. I always have been sceptical of my yoga friends and their zen bullshit. But I’ve grown quite fond of the physical and mental challenges. Ok, I still can’t breathe through my hips (how?) and I feel very uncomfortable when I have to chant OMMMM (why?). But it’s a good exercise and it feels good to explore new ways. But I won’t get carried away and will make sure both feet will stay on the ground… Except when I will manage to do the Crouching Crow.

Close to paradise

Tags

adventure, Canada, challenges, cultures, desires, Emotion, Family, friends, Happiness, Holidays, Home, longings, memories, nostalgic, Paris, seasons, Summer, travel, Vancouver, Winter

Four years ago Paris was my paradise. I loved wandering the city’s enchanting streets, buying the exquisite foods and joining in on the Joie de Vivre. I loved the coffees on small sidewalk patios, the nocturnal walks home after a night out, hell, I didn’t even mind ascending to my 7th floor room. But after two years I got too vexed by the constant tardiness and general arrogance of the French*, the dragging bureaucracy and the erratic climate of my 7th floor heaven. Paradise started crumbling down.

Nearly two years ago I created a similar setting in Montreal. I noticed I fitted in better in this liberal and “small” city, rather than the always crowded and ambitious Paris. I had gathered a group of like-minded people around me, with whom I enjoyed the crafted beers and ciders, the yam fries and poutines, and the creative vibe of the city. But with the snowfall a dark cloud came down with it. I’m not made for wonderous white winters like they have over there. Time to move on.

In Vancouver the proximity of water was very appealing, just like being surrounded by mountains. But I didn’t connect with the Vancouverites. Till this day I don’t know why. It wasn’t untill I went to Victoria on Vancouver Island that I figured out what I’d been searching for in a place to live. The laid back mentality and kindness of the island people, the relatively old city (for Canadian measures) and the food culture, made me feel at ease right away. Unfortunately it only lasted for a short time, since my departure from Canada was approaching and I also wanted to see the Rockies.

Another pleasant surprise was waiting for me there. Nothing special happened there, but the daily life chores. Still being in vicinity of massive mountain ranges, rapid streams and hallmark towns, made it an opulent lifestyle.

My summer job in London felt like a pit stop on the way to the everyday day life that was waiting for me in the Netherlands. Except that I’ve made some close friends that will last a lifetime, otherwise the memories will.

Now I find myself wandering the streets of Amsterdam with my own personal travel guides; the friends i’ve made who help me explore this multifaceted city. Luckily they take me beyond the obvious tourist traps, though even I find myself in the Red Light district on occasion (because one of my close friends lives there).

Point is; I’m happy with the places I’ve passed on my way to where I am today. I probably won’t be staying in Amsterdam forever, occasionally I feel an urge to pack my backpack and leave all materialistic goods behind. Who knows someday I will act on it again, there are still a great deal of places to go on my bucketlist…

 

*Friends not included, of course.

Sympathy, empathy and wine

Tags

Canada, challenges, cultures, desires, Emotion, Family, friends, Happiness, Holidays, Home, new job

I shouldn’t be surprised anymore, but I am. Every time it happens. During my travels, specifically in Canada, I’ve been amazed by people’s generosity towards people they’ve just (or haven’t yet) met. After my plans for my Vancouver Island trip fell through, I was welcomed to the loving home from a woman I’d met only once a few months before. She invited me in to her home and was my personal guide in Victoria. Her friends were burdened with my company after she had to leave on business. But, so I was told, it wasn’t a burden at all! It gave them a reason to become a tourist on their own island and to explore beyond their usual places.

Now, back home in Holland, this generosity has pleasantly surprised me once again. I was lucky to find a job in Amsterdam, rather quick after I came back from London. So the first issue (unemployment) was solved. The next, and apparently more difficult issue, was finding a residence in beautiful, but expensive Amsterdam. Since my job would start within a week, there was hardly enough time to even get used to the idea. Then a friend came to save the day and invited me to stay at her place for as long as I needed, not in Amsterdam, but still closer than where I live in the South. I accepted gratefully.

After a short Facebook post, where I announced my need for a room or apartment, I got help from most unexpected corners. Friends that I hadn’t seen or spoken to in years offered to keep an eye out, shared my post on Facebook or even contacted others. Then I got a message from a friend who said she could help out. At least for a few weeks.

So for the coming few weeks I’ll be a tourist in own country. I’ll be riding my bike along the canals, pass by the Anna Frank house, go to the Jordaan to walk around and hopefully make new friends. I only hope to do something in return one day to those friends that have been there when I was in dire need. As soon as I have a permanent residence, you’re more than welcome!

Springtime in February

Tags

adventure, Canada, challenges, cultures, Emotion, entertainment, Family, friends, Happiness, Holidays, Home, new job, seasons, travel, Vancouver, Weather

The last few years I’ve taken some steps out of my comfort zone, but I don’t think I have ever felt so challenged before.

Being pulled back by funds, my Vancouver trip started off with a nerve-wracking, week-long job search on Craigslist and along stores, worsened by a major jet lag, instead of exploring the new vibrant city.

In the core of my body emotions were at war: worry, stupidity, curiosity, but also awe. Awe for the beautiful mountains that surround Vancouver. In awe for the warm, yet wet, weather. and in awe for the hospitality and unexpected help from strangers.

Now I am settled (but still a bit jet-lagged?!!) I get to enjoy this city. Vancouver is a big city, but the quality of life is high (and expensive) and it’s surrounded by mountains and green. The weather is great. It’s known for many rainy days, but so far so good. And the people… Totally different then what I was used to in Toronto and Montreal. Which makes sense; Canada is a huge country, so it’s only normal that it’s people differ.

Here, they take the effort to learn my real name, even when I try to brush it off and tell them to call me by my adoptive nickname. Which makes me happy, because the last couple of months I’ve been feeling a bit schizophrenic, and the two names didn’t make that any easier. It kind of feels like I’m going back to basic, to the time when I was just a Dutch girl with unpursued wanderlust.

Yes, I like Vancouver. It’s like a fresh summer breeze (or rather spring) after the cold Montreal days.

 

Sucked up in suburbia

Tags

adventure, Canada, challenges, Family, friends, Happiness, Holidays, Home, memories, nostalgic, Paris, travel

While waiting on my flight to Paris I’m reflecting on the past few weeks. I got sucked up in suburban life.

My three-week holiday started of with lots of positive news. While I was enjoying my last Montreal minutes, my best friend was giving birth to a healthy and adorable baby boy, while my other best friend had just bought a house with her boyfriend. So instead of bingewatching series or spending quality time with my dog, I spent my time helping out moving and painting , and staring at the baby (I did hold him a couple of times, but I was afraid I might break him).

I had fun nights out, cosy nights in, I went to a show at the Amsterdam Fashion Week, visited a friend in leiden and went on a short trip to belgium with my aunts, sister and cousins. And now I’m on my way to make a pit stop in paris, to rekindle with my Parisian friends.

In a couple of days I’ll leave for Vancouver, my suitcase closed way to easily, so hopefully that’ll be a metaphorical sign that it’ll be filled with memories and experiences when I return (ok, some clothes too).

Till we meet again Holland!

My undying love

Tags

Canada, desires, Emotion, entertainment, Family, friends, Happiness, Home, Hot chocolate, memories, nostalgic, pastries, travel, Winter

As if a unicorn pisses rainbows on your tongue, that’s the sensation I had when I ate the homemade cheesecake my friend had prepared. Simple delicious. Old school, homemade, no added artificial crap and just sugar and cheese. If she would’ve let me (which she probably would’ve), I would’ve eaten the whole pie. I finally found fellow pastry lovers.

As a child I made a cake or pie almost every sunday with my mom. I was (and unfortunately still am) a sweet tooth. My favorites where pastries, and then in particular tompouces. Whenever I was making cakes with my mom, I dipped my finger in the batter when she wasn’t looking. I even uttered that one day I would eat an entire bowl of cake batter, just because it was maybe even more delicious than when baked.

Now I’ve come to the age of making my own decisions and prepping my own food. Though I’ve never eaten an entire bowl of cake batter, I still dip my finger when nobody’s looking. It still tastes delicious, but it has lost some of its flavour. Maybe because the sneakiness made it more exciting or just because the nostalgia makes me a bit sad.

But I can still enjoy pastries, pies, cakes and tompouces. Maybe even more so, now that I also have come to the age that I can’t eat everything I want… Anyway, I think I’ll have another slice.

Ps. I once got caught red-handed, figuratively and literally speaking. My fingers got stuck in the electric beater…

Say Cheese?!

Tags

adventure, challenges, Emotion, friends, Happiness, memories, Resting Bitch Face

Most of the time when you Google your symptoms, you turn out to have cancer. At least, that’s what the World Wide Web makes you believe. So when my throat hurts or my wrist aches, I don’t google it. It will probably be nothing and I will hope for a quick painless recovery. So my surprise was big today when I came across a condition I’ve been diagnosed with for several years. Though there is no cure, it is nice to give it a name. My condition is also called RBF; Resting Bitch Face.

It has caused a lot of irritation over the years. As well as from my part as of friends and strangers. Some of the symptoms that may affect others are:

• “Is she joking or serious?” No, most of the time I am begin sarcastic, you just don’t get it. Do you really think I have such a sick mind?

• Several people have told me that I’m a genuine nice person, which makes me raise my eyebrows. “I thought you were a bitch that was looking down on me when we first met.” Wait, What?!

• “Were you angry when this picture was taken?” Nope, I just didn’t know they were taking pictures, that’s my normal face.

Most friends know of my condition, but I have encountered quite some people who told me to smile more, “wasn’t I having fun?” Actually, yes is was. To be more precise, I was having a lot of fun, though not smiling, but relaxed. Which shows an angry face when having Resting Bitch Face. So whenever you meet new people that are not smiling all the time, don’t judge them, they may be diagnosed with Resting Bitch Face. And in my case, I will let you know when I’m angry, you will notice…

Back to reality

Tags

adventure, Beer, Birthday, Brewery, cultures, Emotion, entertainment, friends, Happiness, Holidays, memories, New York, regret, travel

Her face is smudged with foundation that gives her an orange glow and only emphasizes her age. The creamy substance lumps in the fine wrinkles next to her heavy smokey eyes. Her top is cut just a little bit too low and shows a cleavage pushed up to her collarbone. The tight top not only accentuates her boobs, but also her muffintop. She is really nice though. She gives me and my friend, slightly tipsy, advice on where to go while we are in New York.

I met the nice lady in the Brooklyn Brewery, where I put my skilled taste buds to the test with some delicious beers. The brewery is based in an industrial hall, with long wooden picnic tables, which encourages the merrymakers to talk to strangers, a beer in hand and a slice of Brooklyn pizza in the other. We found ourselves, Brooklyn Oktoberfest beer in hand, talking with neighbouring women. The four women , were born and raised New Yorkers and proud to be. They reminded me of the four famous gals from Sex and the City, if it wasn’t reality kicking in.

The woman I was talking to most, let’s call her Samantha, looked pretty and sparkling, but from up close, you could see she was trying too hard. Her conversational skills were superficial and made her look immature, or maybe even overmature-midlifecrises-kinda-style. She tried to fit in with her slightly younger friends, but when she started talking about the upcoming Woodstock festival her friends faces drew blank.

I felt sorry for her. I am sure she herself and her close friends consider themselves glamorous, interesting, succesful and maybe even happy persons. But then I caught her. She was letting her guard down when she thought nobody was watching. I think, when she looks at herself in the mirror at night, after washing the layers of make up and the city of her face, there is a middle-aged, lonely woman left.

I don’t know if it is New York City that does this to her or if it’s her life choices. And I don’t know if its New York City that makes people unhappy or if it’s their life choices, but not that many people smile, at least, no sincere smiles. For me, this meeting, was a wake up call. Whining about turning 25, seems like such an insignificant action, while I have lots to be happy about. New York, you ain’t dragging me down!

Milestones, kidneystones, the Stones

Tags

adventure, Birthday, Canada, challenges, desires, Emotion, Family, Fears, friends, Happiness, Holidays, Home, longings, memories, nostalgic, regret, travel

How do you know if your life is going in the right direction? With my 25th birthday coming up, that is a question that has been occupying my mind for a few months now. The main problem is that I still don’t know what I wanna do when I grow up. I figured my mental maturity age is 28, so just 3 short years to figure out what I want to do.

There are a few lucky ones who know from a young age what they want to become, beside being a princess, an astronaut, Spiderman or intern(my cousins dream job). They’re driven by passion and motivated by the possible end result. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. My career dreaming started of with being a pastry chef, untill I found out you have to get up at dawn (and how possibly fat I would become from eating my own creations). Then I decided that I wanted to own a hotel because of my love for holidays. I was ignorant about the hours and dedication that kind of work requires, like most childhood dreams which are unrealistic and romanticized. After that my dream job has always been blurry and a sore, not exceeding in one thing and liking a lot of things, but none of them enough to devote my future to it.

But like The Stones have pointed out: “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime you just might find, you get what you need.” So that has been my ambition these last few years. I might not get to even acknowledge my dream job, but by trying I might find something else or something that I need.

Turning 25 is a milestone for me. It is actually the first year that I dread aging. It’s two and a half decades, a quarter century. If I put it that way, though, it sounds young, but it’s terrifying to know that my roaming chances are getting more complicated with time passing by. After the age of 30 it is difficult to get a working holiday visa for many countries. Then again, if they perceive age 30 as too old for wandering the earth, I still have a couple of years extra before my own perishable date. And by that time I will hopefully have other things to worry about. Today I will try not to worry and just enjoy my last day as a 24-year-old (young!?).

Ode to Brunch

Tags

adventure, Brunch, Canada, Family, friends, Happiness, Home, longings, memories, nostalgic, seasons, Summer, Weather, Winter

Today it hit me. Brunch: Br(eakfast) and (l)unch. Why would you reduce two meals in to one? Because it is marvellous! I rediscovered my love for brunch today. In Montreal everybody goes for brunch in the weekend, especially now the weather is still good. And what better way to start your saturday or sunday morning having a delicious meal with friends or family.

Friends are warning me that Winter is Coming. The way they say it has the same tone of voice and tension as in Game of Thrones. With the weather twisting and turning for the past week, I try to take as much advantage of it as possible. It feels like I am finally discovering Montreal and surroundings a bit. It took me quit some time to adjust here, even though I’m still not used to working early mornings. But having some more friends now, lured me out of my comfy house and into this amazing city.

Montreal has a big artsy feel to it. And now summer is over and students have come back to school, the city is a hot-pot of young people. Together with the typical iron staircases, beautiful street art and laid back lifestyle( hence brunch), I don’t mind sticking around here for some time.

So let’s make brunch a weekly thing! Even in winter I will fight the extremes to get some eggs Benedict or pancakes.