The beginning of spring

It’s May, and it finally feels like the beginning of spring—terraces are now open, more people are out and about, the tulips are out on full display, the curfew has been lifted, and drunk teenagers are now back on the late night streets again.

The past year has been a long haul for the world, and it’s not over yet. Some countries are faring better while some countries (India & Brazil) are faring worse—a constant reminder that life can be a lot worse than being cooped up inside watching Friends on Netflix on repeat (not me). Be grateful.

It’s been over 1.5 years since I’ve seen family and friends—the longest I’ve ever been away from home—I miss them a lot. Being so far away from home has also made me ask myself, did I make the right choice in coming here?

Well, there’s never really a right or wrong choice—there’s just choice. You make a choice or you don’t. Then you go with the flow.—the flow of life. And you continue moving forward with the choices you make.

King's Day 2021 in Amsterdam...

Crowds of orange flood the canals—clown hats with orange feathers, hoards of past-drunk men trying to sing in unison, Heineken bottles littered on the sidewalks—it’s King’s Day!

Well—in my dreams. I can’t believe it’s Year 2—another year of King’s Day indoors due to COVID. What a great reminder it is to have moved to Amsterdam right before COVID.

Wait…what the hell am I saying? I’m an introvert and would hate to be in the middle of hoards of drunk men dressed up in orange feathers shouting, singing, and pissing on the streets—an introvert’s worst nightmare.

It’s a perfect, sunny, and peaceful start to King’s Day 2021 along the Singel canal. Peering out my window, I see glimmers (not floods) of orange starting to line the streets—two young girls dressed in orange skirts holding hands with papa about to set off on the day’s adventure, a rowing team of 4 slowly gliding across the canals in unison, and the occasional orange sweater or pant. Calm. Peaceful. No hoards of past-drunk men shouting songs and pissing on the streets.

FOMO…some times we fear of missing out on things that would be our worst nightmares. Why?

Well, that’s a bigger question for another day. It would be nice to finally experience a King’s Day in Amsterdam—well once—but until then, I’ll enjoy the tranquility that COVID has brought us. A good reminder to get the hell outta my house now because it’s a bright, sunny, peaceful King’s Day 2021.