I’m moving to The Netherlands

Finally it’s the time for big news. At the end of July I’ll be moving to the Netherlands.

I had a year off from school had planned to spend three weeks with Sander. But he’s asked if I wanted to make my three week journey to his hometown a permanent one. This was an important decision to make. After his visit in December we felt like it would be the next big step in our relationship.

Sure, I’m nervous about moving. I’ll be leaving behind my home, friends, family and everything I’ve grown up with. I’ve done lots of traveling in the past 10 years but I’ve never traveled alone. Holland will also be a new location for me.

What keeps me optimistic is the idea that I’ll be following in my mom’s footsteps. She followed my dad to American when she was 23 years old. She had no friends, no family and she was starting her life over from scratch. I’ll have Sander to help me out with learning the language and the Dutch lifestyle. I hope my experience will be easier than what my mom had to deal with.

The first step in this process was to purge everything that did not bring my happiness. I read both of Marie Kondō‘s books and was able to clear my room the unnecessary things I had gathered over the years. Her clear cut advice is to keep what “sparks joy.” This is exactly what I did. I donated at least twenty bags of books, clothes, toys and other items that I thought I needed but didn’t. I also trashed so many beauty products.

Now I know what makes me content. I’ve streamlined my makeup and skincare collection and routine. What remains are the books closest to my heart. I still have my collection of Neil Gaiman and Bryan Lee O’Malley books. I’m packing my most beloved items to take to Holland. The rest will either stay here until I can bring them with me.