Lost: When circumstances influence you

Sometimes you get lost in circumstances…
…It’s not necessarily a bad thing. However, when you awake, you’re somewhat baffled by yourself.

Relocating abroad this time has proved to be a somewhat difference experience from the beginning compared to previous relocations I’ve made. This is solely due to circumstances… Circumstances such as not being a student anymore but a ’grown-up’ with a full time job and certain responsibilities. This is not to forget all the formalities and paper work that need to be done when relocating. And then there’s the love interest too…

Being away from home for 12 hours a day doesn’t leave time for much during the week. That means the weekend has to make up for the ’lost time’ – the lost time that would have been spent on exploring. However, with a newly love interest that you, of course, want to see and socialize with, it has proved to be rather challenging for me to explore Amsterdam and meet new friends here. Of course, I have my colleagues and dear roomies and friend for almost a decade but that’s just not enough for me. I’m so used to having a big social circle that I’ve been building up for years – I want to I need to build a network here too. I need (as in personal need) to explore the culture…

…

Today, for the first time since I moved here, I’ve had a moment to catch my breath and actually reflect upon my current situation. It’s not as if I regret what and whom I’ve spent my time – quite the contrary! However, I so badly want to explore my new home city. So as of today, I will plan to do exactly this at least once a week. For my own sake, I need to root here and know my own city.
Luckily, I will also frequently receive visits from friends abroad the following months, which means that I’ll be able to explore Amsterdam (and other cities in the Netherlands) with them as a tourist and traveler. I can’t wait for this! Let the adventure vol. 2 begin!

xo P!