Fancy Seeing You Here

(Country Count 4/10)

Usually, leaving home is always a little bittersweet.
It’s a long, drawn out, introspective “we out” to great friends, a fun city and temperaturemental weather (see what I did there?). #Montreal.

But what’s also secretly fun is the potential to see old faces and personalities from bygone years - a blast from the past, if you will. So far I've had the opportunity to meet up with some amazing people who prove that some relationships can stand the test of time (and that awesomeness is forever and ever, Amen)

Courtesy of Yuri Kuzmin 

Amr & I, Groningen

How we were
So whenever I say “I live in the Netherlands”, people automatically assume I’m in Amsterdam and not Groningen (throwing my brother under the bus and running him over). That’s why to my thrill and delight an old friend decided to pay me a visit! Amr and I are buddies from secondary school in Kuwait and the last time we saw each other was easily sometime in 2006 (ah!). Amr juuust so happens to live in the Netherlands too and took the initiative to come up and visit when he discovered I was tucked away in Groningen. I’m proud to say that it was motivation enough to encourage him to visit the Northern Netherlands for the first time. #winning

Comparing notes on childhood friends, debating the success of a class reunion and accounting for the last nine years was our visit in a nutshell. In our excitement to catch up, I recounted my globe hopping to-date and was struck by Amr's exclamation, "That's so you". 
Amr, himself, has always been super smart (ahem Pharmacology PhD), motivated and full energy and while listening to his story, I too felt like he was at his natural fit. This was a precious moment to notice that as much as we grow there are some aspects of our personalities which persevere - which to me is a comforting thought in the midst of so much chaos and change.

Morgan & I in Brussels

What we've become
What about uni? Those were days back in chill and cozy Eastern Canada. And I was definitely more scared, confused and questioning life choices than I am right now. Remembering those moments takes me back to the first friend I made. Morgan and I were roomies for a bit and friends long after – and we've also done a bit of travelling in and around Europe, where, YES she just happens to be from and currently be working :D . I spent a beautiful day in Brussels (and Belgium brings my country count to 4) with Morgan, catching up, demolishing Belgian waffles, regressing to our undergrad selves and planning holiday adventures. I also had the bonus pleasure of seeing my old Montreal roommate who happens to be in Brussels now too! #smallworld

#noshame

I always had this sense of the super mature, put together person I would be by the time I finished uni and started working. Morgan and I have both worked professionally in our fields and are both doing Master's degrees to move forward in our careers (although she's working AND studying at the same time, #champ). It's interesting to see how like-minded friends from that era can become and even though distance separates, you meet again at similar phases in life.

Brussels city centre

Little Man Pee statue, Brussels

Where we hope to be
It’s so rewarding to trade stories with old friends and kind of realize how far you’ve come through someone else’s eyes. It’s really humbling to have a patchwork of friends all over!

With some people it doesn't matter how often you see them, they'll always be missed. With my family I constantly replay my childhood but more than ever I lack the daily, routine moments. These are gaps like the silence of shared understanding, the comfort of a hug or the satisfaction of an unintended rant. The intangibles we take for granted.

Dad & I rocking selfie mode, Groningen

That’s why I was pumped for my dad’s little transit detour to Groningen this fall. For a full 24 hours Groningen, university and this life of short conversations and texts, weren't just some narrative I'd managed to keep consistent for the last six months. We went to the market (I could sleep there), uni, and around town.  

Thanks to my dad, the question and mindset of "What next?" has always been rooted in my mind. Looking up, ahead and forward to prepare for the next step. I remember moments after graduating from my Bachelor's degree he was poking my in the ribs saying, "So when are you starting your Masters?" Between taking time off to get #backtobasics in Ghana and establishing my career in Montreal, it's been quite the journey. From positively believing I'd never be at that point to now where I can hear hear his echoes of, "Just go for it and do you PhD!", he's always had my back and a belief in my ability succeed.

I look forward to much of the same experiences with the NOHA classmates as friends I'll keep along the way. I'm sure our time together will come back to haunt , inspire and prepare me for whatever comes next.

A debt of thanks to these people and to this time.
"Until we meet again" - (my brother literally says this every time we speak)

Echte Nederlands (or, Typically Dutch)

If you’re living in Europe and you’re not travelling, something's not right.

I'm literally talking planes, trains and automobiles to get anywhere you wanna go.

Map of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has been #blessed with an insane train network which connects the entire country from small village to big city. I only ever took the train in Canada from Montreal to Ottawa (2 and ½ hours) and only if it was on someone else’s dime #employed. 

But here, the first thing I actually did when I arrived in Amsterdam was hop straight on the train to get to Groningen.

The beauty of the Netherlands is also its size – in that you can generally go from North (let’s say Groningen) to South (let’s say the Eindhoven) in 3 hours. Not too shabby considering a plane from Montreal towards Western Canada lands you somewhere in Winnipeg/Saskatoon i.e. places few people recognize.

It’s been really wonderful taking the time to visit around this beautiful country on some short day-trips to see more of what makes the Netherlands what it is - I’m about to go all #travelguide below, so brace yourself:

Rotterdam harbour

Rotterdam – By Design

Rotterdam is a port city and the biggest cargo port in Europe. #knowledgedrop 

The beautiful city was basically decimated during World War II and thus, had to be rebuilt from scratch in some instances. Best believe the Dutch went all out on this endeavour, and now the city displays some of the most interesting architecture in the country.

The city boasts the MarketHall, a locale with apartments, office space and an indoor market underneath. The landmark cube houses are an additional sight to marvel the structural design creativity.

Rotterdam is further a booming metropolis with as much culture diversity as Amsterdam

(#reliablesource, my friends from Rotterdam J)

Rotterdam - MarketHall

Rotterdam - Cube Houses

Utrecht - Street performer

Utrecht – Beauty at the Centre

My reflections on Utrecht is biased, purely because it was actually sunny the day of our visit. As with most modern cities, the architecture is stunning, but Utrecht is all about the well kept-secrets at its heart.

A prime landmark is the old inner-city and its unique canal structure. The Oudegracht canal runs deep through the centre and has a lower level for terraces and sun streaming.

Great weather and the echo of soul warming voices ringing out made for the perfect #lazysunday.

Lorena and I enjoying the Utrecht sunshine!

Utrecht Canals

Utrecht City centre

The Hague (or Den Haag) – Humanity's House

Den Haag is home to many main and official Dutch government offices, international embassies and UN offices. The city has made a name for itself in international law and human rights and hosts the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

Humanity House plaque

From a humanitarian perspective, Den Haag has great significance as a locale that upholds the values and rights which ensure that human suffering is acknowledged by the global community.

As most historic cities do, Den Hague features many museums and I had the pleasure of visiting one such – the Humanity House. It’s a coffee shop, a meeting place and venue which exhibits and uncovers the realities of humanity’s struggles.

At the moment, the museum is hosting an interactive exhibit on life as a refugee. In this touching experience, you move through the migration sequence of leaving home and venturing into the unknown and a new life, whether you were ready for it or not.

Loved this exhibit, and at this exact moment so timely to the heightened attention facing refugees not only the Netherlands, but across the world.

Script from Humanity House exhibit

Have I not convinced you to come visit already?!
Know of any other interesting places in the Netherlands/Europe?