Tag: Travel

The Next Step

On By MirjamIn life, TravelLeave a comment

Today, we put our deposit down for our new apartment. We are finally doing the move to the Netherlands. For my partner, J, this is all new, but for me, I have been waiting my whole life to move back to the Netherlands.

It has taken many twists and turns, countries and jobs, to end up heading back to the country my life began. Each step was meant to be, and has made me into the person I am today. Each experience I have had, both the good and the bad, have shaped me and prepared me for this life ahead.

Really though, I am blessed to have a partner who is so supportive of me and is as adventurous as I am. I honestly believe he is the one who really pushed me into finally taking the leap to move to the one place I have always dreamed to be. It is an adventure we are now able to take together and I cannot wait.

Being born in Rotterdam and growing up in a Dutch family living in America, I have always maintained a strong love for the motherland. With majority of my family still living in the Netherlands, there is a real sense of ‘coming home’ with this move.

It will, of course, as any move be an adjustment and maybe a culture shock, but I believe it is the start of a glorious new chapter. The Dutch chapter, the one where I’m in love with life, my partner, our ‘future’ cat, and my country.

I hope to keep you all updated on the move and the adjustment regarding living in the Netherlands, as well as, bring you many new stories and experiences. It’s sure to be a rollercoaster, so fasten your seatbelts!

Apple Picking

On By MirjamIn lifeLeave a comment

Oh man, I LOVE fall. The weather is perfect, the leaves falling and changing colours are gorgeous, and the fall activities, however basic, are always the most fun.

It’s a yearly tradition that my father and I go apple picking together. It may seem like the simplest activity, but it’s the one we spend all year looking most forward to. It is so special to us, that for the past few years I have flown home from Europe to make our yearly trip to the apple orchard.

Today, we went to Stuart’s Fruit Farm in Granite Springs, NY. It is a lovely family owned farm with a delicious bakery and fruit stand. They offer hay rides for the little one, although it looks like such fun, I’m always tempted to join.

The orchard itself is a nice walk through various types of apples, such as, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Winesap. My favourite one being the Honeycrisp, due to the sweetness that remains unmatched. There is a even a few peach trees boasting luscious, juicy peaches, if you look hard enough.

The best part of apple picking is of course, the bakery. I don’t know why, but the apple cider donuts and dutch apple pie at apple orchards cannot be beat. When it boils down to it, we all know the main goal behind the trip is for those donuts. Be careful for the wasps though! They love them just as much as I do.

All in all, it was a wonderful few hours, and as I sit here writing and licking my fingers from the apple cider donut I just inhaled, I’m already looking forward to next year.

Tale of a Restless Spirit

On By MirjamIn life, Travel, workLeave a comment

I think my biggest fear in life is living a mediocre one. For me, that would be settling for a job I don’t like, or settling for a person not meant for me, or just doing anything that doesn’t make me 100% happy.

I see it all around me, people settling because what they have is just “fine”, it pays the bills, it gives them a family, or stability. Whatever the case may be, they find something that just passes and they stick to it.

I don’t want “fine,” I want to absolutely knock it out of the park. I want that life with travel, I want to be with my the love of my life and not call it “settling” and I want to know that I did everything I possibly could have to make it a life that was worth living.

The restlessness of my spirit sometimes eats at me, it leads to so much overthinking and wondering. Sometimes it really feels like a curse, being unable to take what I have and make that feel enough. I think it’s because I know I am capable of more.

My biggest area of restlessness is my work. Going through my twenties I have had trouble finding that job that I love and want to go to everyday, one that the passion never fades in. I seem to keep getting stuck in jobs where they turn into only a way to make ends meet.

While many people are alright with that, I am not. I will continue searching till I find what fits me, the type of job I wake up excited to go to work for. I know I have worked hard to get to where I am now and I have the time to keep searching, so I will keep truckin’ on.

Another part of my restless spirit is that I have trouble staying in on place. I always have the itch to go somewhere new, which probably explains me having moved so many times. I get that from my parents. They got married and moved about seven times until settling in the States.

I have the need to see the world, to see how people work, to experience, but mostly to observe. I want to know the differences in people among me and I want to know the similarities. Sometimes I think I want to know too much.

The restlessness of my spirit gives me drive. It won’t ever allow me to stop or to take less than I deserve or am capable of. It will allow me to make the most out of my life, allow me to see the world, and allow me to be the happiest me I can become.

So yes, a restless spirit is not an easy one, but it’s worth it because with that restless spirit I can make all my dreams come true.

Cheers!

Mirjam

Life in Cork, Week One

On By MirjamIn TravelLeave a comment

Let me start off by saying…I LOVE IT HERE. Literally, it is as if Cork and I are a match made in heaven. There is not one thing I don’t like about it, and for someone who always has something to critique, THAT is saying a lot. Now, it has only been one week, so who know what will happen? For now, I will give you my first five observations of Cork.

  1. The people here may be the friendliest in the world.

This is not New York, people here want to talk to everyone. They are ridiculously welcoming and would do anything for anybody it seems. Go anywhere alone and I guarantee you will end up having made a new friend.

  1. The weather is a popular topic.

I have not had one conversation which the weather did not become an important topic. It isn’t a one sentence type of topic either, the Irish really put their hearts into it and this topic can last a few minutes. It is quite impressive.

  1. Cork is a small, but extremely charming city.

Honestly when it comes to city size, small is always better. I love being able to walk literally anywhere in at most 20 minutes. It helps that its beautiful too, no matter where you look there is something which will catch your eye and you will have to stop for a second and stare.

  1. People love to drink.

I LOVE to drink, or so I thought… no, the irish LOVE to drink. Compared to the Irish I am at a “like” level and need to step my game up. It is fascinating how early in the morning (every morning) you see the empty kegs lined up alongside the street and a special truck just for kegs picks them up. If that doesn’t tell you what a love for drinking is, I don’t know what will.

  1. It rains a TON.

They weren’t lying when they said Ireland gets a ton of rain. They also didn’t mention that it isn’t a bad sort of rain, it’s more like a half drizzle. Most of the day it’s not raining at all, but I always pack an umbrella cause those downpours catch you when you least expect it. Living here for only a week, it turns out that I rather enjoy the rain.

 

So, these are my first five observations, clearly all very positive. I think as this journey in Cork continues, my love will only become stronger for this wonderful, tiny city.

 

Cheers,

 

Mirjam