It’s super easy to fall out of reading books. All it takes is a little procrastination and BAM! “I forgot I had been reading that book and I won’t remember about it for a few months. By then I’ve forgotten what it was about and I should start over. That’s going to be a pain to do so I won’t read it right now.” Anyone else in that same boat? I’ve been there loads of times. I love reading. My…
Music is a cultural experience that needs no translation. I’m only about 3 months into my Dutch courses so I’m far from fluent. However, when people come together, despite their differences in language or origin of birth, that is a truly magical experience. There’s no need to understand anything but the beat of the music and how it rocks the soul. I feel like every live musical experience is the same and different simultaneously. It’s a group of people getting…
I’m always excited to get out and about, especially when we head out to Amsterdam. A big city, as always, is filled with the hustle and bustle of both native and tourists alike. Since the crowd can be overwhelming for us, we tend to space our visits out when choosing something busy. These are the events we’re planning on attending in The Netherlands this year. Several Music events at AFAS I’ve always wanted to attend live shows of my favorite artists…
I had never thought about death until it hit me in the face. My father passed away in 2014 when I was 26. It was sudden and unexpected. One Friday had I said my goodbyes to him after work (I had been working with him for several years) and he was gone on Sunday. His memorial was 6 days later, a day before his birthday. I was filled with regret and some days, I still am. I should have said…
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 We’re in the middle of winter as I write this but with spring coming soon, I feel this is the perfect time. Stores will be having seasonal sales to get rid of all their winter clothing so it’s the best time to stock up on winter essentials. Keep Cozy Now it’s never so cold that you would freeze to death but the average temperature here has been around the high 30’s (2°C) to mid 40’s (7°C). If you’re coming to…
I’ve already started on my Goodreads Challenge for this year by picking up two books, From Here to Eternity and Zom-B Clans. One is an audio book (and a super short one at that) for when I’m at my desk. The other is an Ebook for when I can’t sleep. I’ve only listed 20 books as my goal. But if I’m able to fit more in, you bet I will. That leaves the rest of the month to do other…
I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful New Years day! 2018 is here and with that I turn the big 3-0! Yes, my birthday is on New Year’s day and yes, I’ve finally left my 20s. 2017 flew by faster than I could have ever imagined. I found myself wondering where my time had gone. What came to mind were memories both amazing and difficult. Two life changing events happened to me in 2017. The first was finding my…
First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and of course we still have New Year’s to look forward to (here it’s called Oud en Nieuw, or Old and New) but I want to share how we spent our Christmas. We had, what the Dutch call, a gezellig Christmas. Wait, hold on a moment, what does gezellig mean? Sander defines gezellig as “being in a small and enjoyable setting with friends and family.” The term can be used…
This time last year, I said we wouldn’t do it. It was challenging to get up so early in the morning to deal with a smelly, poopy and sick puppy. The stress of a baby Booker and the sadness of being in a new home for the holidays had piled up. I regretted having a puppy in the house. This time… Completely different story. Allow me to introduce you to little Haru. She’s the most wrigglest puppy I’ve ever met.…