Once again it has been a long time since my last blog post.
I've gathered that my last post gave the impression that we're never moving
back to SA. Clearly that was written before winter had properly started! It's
the end of March now and I think G and I deserve a medal for surviving the
miserableness that is Europe in winter. At least this year we had snow - our
first winter here was just cold and wet. I really struggled with the cold: I
was prepared in terms of clothing but unprepared mentally. How can you go so
long without the feeling of a hot sun beating down on your skin? Us poor
African children were brought up to play outside 365 days a year. Boy I
struggled.
View from my train platform on a snowy day
But now Spring has arrived and the flowers have starting to appear
on the islands in the middle of the roads. It’s not hot but at least some days
the temperature is double digits. As I write this I'm sitting on a blanket in the
sun in Vondel Park watching a lady throw sticks into a pond for her dog to fetch. I'm not sure who is happier - me or him. The sun is glorious and I think
the whole of AMS is out to enjoy it. G is cycling by himself towards the dunes on
the west coast and I had brunch earlier with some friends from that girls group
I mentioned in the last post. Today life feels pretty good.
Dog jumping into a pond in Vondel Park
But it's not all
sunshine and daffodils. On Monday we got back from a very quick trip home for a
friend's wedding. We had 10 days of
family and friends and all it did was remind us where our hearts truly lie. We
came to Europe with the intention of travelling and we have done that. We also
have some nice trips lined up for the next few months (Berlin, Mallorca and
Norway are already booked). But home is starting to call. Our friends at home
are having babies, buying "grown-up" houses and saying goodbye to ill
parents. We're missing out on being there for them. It's a very strange feeling
whenever we go back. Everything feels the same but so much has changed and will
continue to change. This whole experience is one big reminder that the only
constant in life is change.
View of Llandudno (taken while cycling in Cape Town)
All of that said, I have no regrets. Yesterday I started
compiling a 30 Before 30 list (30 things to do that I've never done before I turn 30 in August 2016) and I started where all other personal goals and
projects start: Pinterest. It was quite
an ego booster to read other people's lists and see that I've done a lot
already. I'll do a separate blog post for my list once I know what they all are
(I'm stuck on 21 items). I think my mother will be horrified to read that the
first one is roasting a chicken. Yes, I am a respectable married woman who has
a postgraduate degree and has lived abroad, but I have never roasted a chicken.
We can’t all be perfect…
Anyway, back to no regrets. In my last blog post I mentioned
buying racing bikes. We did this in January and almost immediately starting
riding them. In January. In Europe. Let’s just say my feet are still recovering
from the first 3 rides – a beautiful range of purples, blues, yellows and reds
that would look lovely in an art gallery but painful on my feet. We stocked up
on suitable riding kit but that only protects you so much…I can also confirm
that this country is flat. Training adequately for the Cape Town Cycle Tour was
challenging and we were both slightly relieved when the course was drastically
reduced from 109km to 47km following a week of fires around the Cape peninsula. The
weather and flatness of NL had not prepared us sufficiently for the full distance’s
route profile. We would have completed the race but we would have suffered a
bit more than we’re used to suffering on long rides like that. Now that it’s
over, I’m training for my second half marathon in April and G is concentrating
on cycling for Iron Man.
G on a ride along the Amstel river with his shiny new racing bike
I finally arranged to attend a beginner’s Dutch course for 8
weeks earlier this year. I’m glad I did it but it was 2 nights a week which
becomes quite taxing, especially when you’re trying to build new friendships
and then have to turn down invites. I’d like to continue with the next course
but not yet. I’m also not 100% sure it will benefit me in the long run. I know
one of the reasons I wanted to go to a non-English speaking country was to
learn a new language (I even wrote a whole blog post about it in June 2014) but
it becomes a lot more difficult when the locals prefer speaking English to me
because it’s 1000 times easier than trying to put up with my broken Dutch. All
the discussion about moving back to SA doesn’t help matters much either.
A wine, food and craft market at Westergasfabriek (western AMS)
But summer is just around the corner. We've already noticed the terrace bars and cafes have more tables and chairs out. The general mood of the city is a little happier - I don't think we're the only people tired of the cold. Vondel Park is packed most evenings when I go for a run and tickets for the summer music festivals have gone on sale (I managed to get tickets for PinkPop - whoop whoop). Last year we missed a whole month of summer due to our wedding and I'm really looking forward to experiencing a full season here. If last year was anything to go by, it should be good.
Overall, the mood in our little home in AMS is positive but we’re
missing SA and counting the minutes to summer.
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