2016 - október november december

Again, it hasn't been the easiest year but damn have I tried. Some of my biggest work-related dreams came true, I've seen lovely places, had amazing people around me, felt loved and supported and sometimes lonely but who does not? I took all chances, have been a crazy lot outside of my comfort zone, found a new home and mostly: I have not given up. There's been panic attacks and anxiety, but I'm still standing and still smiling. I am proud - and so so ready for a new year.

So, here's to the good things, the last 3 months of twenty sixteen:


^
In October, I saw Moddi play / had the best housemate holding my hand while hunting mice with me / had a little fun (late) birthday party! / saw the documentary i interpret and subtitled on national tv! / went for the best mushroom lunch / did some interviewing / had lots of job interviews and basically crossed the country because of that / met up with foreign friends in the Netherlands! / had another fun party / built my own little plant-furniture / enjoyed more food & coffee dates with friends / took a plane to Iceland! and Akureyri! / saw snow! / ate lots of liquorice chocolate / went dumpster diving (and found lots of chips).


^
In November, I was back in Reykjavík and went on a roadtrip along the south coast! / enjoyed Seljavallalaug (lots)! / enjoyed Airwaves too, especially Árstidir and Of Monsters and Men / was happy to go back to daily life again, too / read books my friends wrote! / got (even more) crazy into Skam / finished uutflükt / spent a weekend in Groningen! / visited the nijntje museum / took photos of one of my writer-heroes / had a little plant exchange with a friend (which made me super happy).


^
In December, I started off with a day full of job interviews (and no luck) / enjoyed NRKs Christmas calendar Snøfall lots! / got to hold uutflükt! and launch it! and sell it! / was even interviewed because of uutflükt / enjoyed the cold weather a lot / enjoyed Skam a lot, too / went to Oslo to spend time with my friends, walk around and drink lots of coffee! / sold uutflükt at a Christmas market / had more job interviews... / sang in the middle of the city with my choir / had a first little writing assignment! / spent a lovely long week in the south! / spent a day at the Veluwe and slept in a pod! (because of a writing assignment!) / GOT A JOB!

Let's stay honest: some mice started to live in our house which made me nervous 24/7 and i spent so much time writing job application letters and going to interviews and not getting a new job (until the last day of the year!)... And almost no money left. There's been panic attacks (at parties), the big cold i got in Iceland went into sinusitis which got me for some more weeks (...) and i felt lonely, bored and sad. But luckily things changed a bit and i got (way) more positive towards the end of the year.

Ps:
2015 - oktober november december.
2014 - oktober november desember.

+

Happy 2017, lovely readers! Let's hope at least a couple of your dreams will come true in the upcoming 365 days.

My only wish is to not lose a job again, get a proper daily life again and earn enough to be able and live the life i'd like to (or maybe first just to be able and pay rent and food) again. I have a winter festival planned in the most pretty surroundings, have big plans to explore my own country a lot, be offline a lot, smile a lot, hopefully spent a week or two in Oslo in May and attend my friend's (summer) wedding in Sweden. Aaaand there's this dream of visiting New York in autumn - we'll see how things go. :)

❤

2016 - juli augustus september

Again, it hasn't been the easiest year but damn have I tried. Some of my biggest work-related dreams came true, I've seen lovely places, had amazing people around me, felt loved and supported and sometimes lonely but who does not? I took all chances, have been a crazy lot outside of my comfort zone, found a new home and mostly: I have not given up. There's been panic attacks and anxiety, but I'm still standing and still smiling. I am proud - and so so ready for a new year.

So, here's to the good things, those 3 months when the weather was best and things changed most:


^
In July, I enjoyed some more dinner (and coffee) dates with friends / volunteered as a reporter when the neighborhood park turned into a camping / had friends visiting / spent a complete evening writing postcards / went for lots of walks, with (and without) my parents / got my long-expected summer holiday! / went to Oslo! / (randomly) met one of my political heroes, Jens Stoltenberg / discovered new Oslo-favorites, like Vettakollen and Oslovelo / visited my old-hometown Trondheim for the first time in 3 years and mostly enjoyed Superheroburger (and the cute houses).


^
In August, I finished my second big(ger) reportage for a magazine / celebrated my contract not being extended with cake and a friend / got visitors from both Oslo and Belgium! / visited Radio Kootwijk! / loved the heather / started this project called uutflükt and for the first time in months i was excited about something work-related again! / immediately had some fun job interviews! / enjoyed some last after-work events at work / had some awesome colleagues to get me through the shitty last weeks / had my last day at work! / played games, drank wine and ate chocolate with two lovely friends on the evening i became jobless.


^
In September, I took a little "holiday" to destress from all the work-stress / started writing on uutflükt / went on the best hike of the year: Connecterra! / celebrated my 27th birthday in Amersfoort and with amazing food / was sent to Liverpool by srprs.me! / went on my first ever high tea! / bought all my favorite British things for normal British prices! / joined a choir! / had fun work meetings and job interviews / spontaneously went to Den Bosch and had a Bossche bol for dinner / was surprised by getting Tony's limited edition chocolate in the mail / explored The Hague / had fun "work meetings" with friends in cafés, too.

Let's stay honest: although my work didn't make me happy, it wasn't easy to lose it without a proper reason and be at home without finding something new. I also was ill when in Oslo and basically super tired all the time because looking for a new job apparently is (more than) a full time job - and it's not exactly easy when you get rejected time after time after time...

Ps:
2015 - juli augustus september.
2014 - juli august september.

2016 - april mei juni

Again, it hasn't been the easiest year but damn have I tried. Some of my biggest work-related dreams came true, I've seen lovely places, had amazing people around me, felt loved and supported and sometimes lonely but who does not? I took all chances, have been a crazy lot outside of my comfort zone, found a new home and mostly: I have not given up. There's been panic attacks and anxiety, but I'm still standing and still smiling. I am proud - and so so ready for a new year.

So, here's to the good things, the second part of the first half of the year:


^
In April, I saw my own words in print in a real magazine for the first time! / enjoyed spring coming closer / went to a pretty Postcards from Mars-concert / moved! / explored my new neighborhood and loved it so much (already) / made my new little home be more like my new home / enjoyed nice little (after work) parties at work / tried this new hotdog place that soon turned into one of my new Utrecht favorites / liked my new home so much / celebrated reaching our work target with gin & tonics.


^
In May, spring arrived for real / I ate the first ice cream of the year / felt even more at home in my new home, especially when I bought my first dining table ever! / loved all the wistaria blooming / played a little kubb competition and won! / started teaching Norwegian again / had more fun events at work / bought lots of pretty flowers / saw the year's best concert: Highasakite!


^
In June, I got the loveliest visit from Oslo and spent some days biking in the national park / finally visited the botanical gardens in Amsterdam / had lovely dinner dates / drank more gin & tonics / had lots of lovely coffee and lunch dates, too / discovered Gü-desserts! / finally felt good enough to do some traveling again! / spent a long weekend in Belgium, cheering for the Belgian soccer team and seeing lots of friends / was a guest in a podcast! / saw the documentary i subtitled in the cinema!

Let's stay honest: I enjoyed spring a lot and had many fun things to do outside work (and sometimes after work), but damn how exhausting are colleagues who don't do (or give) a shit?! I very often felt sad, slow and simply scared, was afraid to get a burn-out sometime soon and had more panic attacks in those 3 months than an average person in their complete life - i guess.

Ps:
2015 - april mai juni.
2014 - 4월 mei juni.

2016 - januar februari maart

Again, it hasn't been the easiest year but damn have I tried. Some of my biggest work-related dreams came true, I've seen lovely places, had amazing people around me, felt loved and supported and sometimes lonely but who does not? I took all chances, have been a crazy lot outside of my comfort zone, found a new home and mostly: I have not given up. There's been panic attacks and anxiety, but I'm still standing and still smiling. I am proud - and so so ready for a new year.

So, here's to the good things, the first three months of the year:


^
In January, I got to see the Munch + Van Gogh exhibition in the end / officially quit my mail sorting job! / spent a weekend in Copenhagen with both snow and Yayoi Kusama's awesome exhibition! / made new friends / played offline Pac-Man / make my first big reportage for Utrecht-magazine De Dakhaas, on the city's best views / saw even Utrecht in snow! / was flown into Northern Norway to interpret and subtitle a documentary movie! / saw northern lights ánd nacreous clouds! / celebrated the return of the sun with hot chocolate / discovered (and got addicted to) Skam / unexpectedly spent some days in Oslo.


^
In February, I had the best "extra" days in Oslo / was happy to go back home as well! / started a new job, my first "real" one! / enjoyed my morning walks to the office / saw some first little signs of spring / enjoyed my 1 day off a week mostly with homemade soup and magazines / enjoyed the weekends a lot too, often with cake and friends.


^
In March, I got a little more used to working 32 hours a week / found the swing along the Utrecht canals / found out about the perks of working in Amsterdam: foreign friends are here sometimes, and I can catch up with them during my lunch break! / enjoyed early spring in the botanical garden / went for a graffiti walk in the neighborhood / found a pizza place I actually like! / spent a lovely day in Maastricht / had the best little house party with my housemates when our electricity broke down / saw Kakkmaddafakka / discovered Amsterdams game hall: TonTonClub / found a new place to live!

Let's stay honest: besides lots of fun stuff, lots of crappy stuff happened as well. It was super hard getting used to having a proper job (and the daily traveling), my health wasn't as its best (dentist horror, first aura migraine, first panic attack(s)) and scary things happened (a friend in a car accident on the other side of the world, the attack in Brussels and my former street looking like a war zone, water hit the electricity and my home became "unsafe"). So well, jep, not the easiest months.

Ps:
2015 - januar februar mars.
2014 - januari februari maart.

ísland, ii

Reykjavík. I flew back for a short week in the capital, incl. Iceland Airwaves festival and a little roadtrip along the south coast. And again: it was magical. Also listening to all the pretty music (here's a little playlist with my discoveries), seeing Of Monsters and Men in their home country again after 5 years and the coffees, the pastries, the people. The liquorice chocolate!

My best Reykjavík tips:

- rent a car and explore. Seljavallalaug, the swimming pool in "the middle of nowhere", definitely was my highlight;
- coffee at Reykjavík Roasters;
- cinnamon buns at Braud & Co;
- food and cakes at Babalú;
- buy wool! I'm no big knitter (yet), but the quality is amazing and the price so low;
- go swimming! If not in Seljavallalaug, try Laugardalslaug (in the city) or some other place;
- this app, the best I could've downloaded.

ísland, i

Akureyri. My second time in Iceland was just as magical as before - it's still a crazy country. Crazy pretty, crazy impressive, crazy amazing. From Reykjavík i took a plane further up to Akureyri, where my friend Ingeborg lives now. I arrived together with the first snow (!) and enjoyed the cute little streets and houses, the colorful walls, the walks and this great cake at Kaffi Ilmur.

instanovember

1 - November started in Reykjavík, with Of Monsters and Men (and more) at Iceland Airwaves.
2 - Back home, 16 pages in the new Dakhaas were filled with my words, a long long piece about sleeping rooms.
3 - I finally finally went back to Groningen, which was my hometown between 2008-2012.
4 - And autumn was still here, pretty as always <3

& more!

instóktober

1 - Autumn arrived in the Netherland and looked super good, as usual.
2 - I joined a choir a little while ago and I enjoy practicing the songs so much - sheet music makes me so happy.
3 - It has been a busy month, with lots of writing deadlines. The minutes I spent in this corner with a book were extra lovely.
4 - In the end of the month I took a plane to Iceland! I arrived to Akureyri together with the first snow.

& more!

Without sun

Honningsvåg. Let's turn back time to January, when i was in the far far north of Norway helping a film crew (!) to interpret (!) seriously everything. The people we talked to were either refugees who didn't speak English or old, so i needed to translate all the Norwegian into Dutch and the other way around. It was extremely exhausting, but also so - much - fun.

And tonight, that documentary movie will be aired on Dutch national tv, with my subtitles.
It's crazy and i'm crazy proud - crazy nervous too, although i know it's all good as i've luckily seen it myself already. But still.

23:45, NPO3.
And from tomorrow viewable all over the world, here. Mostly Norwegian sound, Dutch text.

instaseptember

1 - I didn't have work to go to anymore, but i started a super fun project (on hotspots in Utrecht). Follow here if you'd like!
2 - One day, my parents and I went to one of my favorite places: Connecterra offers the closest proper view to home-home.
3 - Like last year, i volunteered at Snor festival.
4 - And my brand new business cards arrived! I'm so happy with the way they turned out.

& i went to Liverpool,
and did even more! Despite the unemployment, September was a good one. Happy October!

Tea, scones & a meeting between old meets new

Liverpool. What a surprise! If you ever end up in this city (Englands 3rd biggest?!!) please make sure to:

- use lots of money at Utility;
- use lots of money on things that are cheaper in England, like tea and Curlywurly-chocolate and British magazines;
- join the Free Walking Tour and learn about the city, the club and the band (obviously called The Beatles);
- spend time in Bold Street and the area around LIPA University, so cozy and nice (and perfect for lunch, dinner, drinks);
- enjoy the combination of traditional and modern architecture around Albert Dock;
- enjoy the (mostly) free museums, like Tate Liverpool (and its amazingly pretty and interesting museum shop);
- drink tea infused gin & tonics (!) at Goodness Gracious' rooftop garden;
- whenever you get a bit tired of all the awesome/cheap tea: drink coffee at 92 Degrees Coffee;
- go for Afternoon Tea at Oh Me Oh My.

Liverpool streets

Liverpool. After tough months with a job i didn't really like, panic attacks, being afraid for lots of things there's no reason to be afraid of (and more i don't really feel like writing about), things are ok again. I'm 27 now, unemployed and (mostly) happy, motivated, inspired, full of ideas and plans and for the first time in months - excited to see new places and meet new faces.

Last weekend i went to the airport without knowing where my friend and i would be going - we ended up in Liverpool. A lovely pocket-sized city, perfect to explore in one weekend and filled with lovely people, pretty houses and super cheap tea.

*

I can collect some addresses and write a tiny city guide, if you'd like?

instaugustus

1 - I got the news of my first real job contract not being extended, so i celebrated (?) with a good friend and cake.
2 - Karolien and her boyfriend visited me in Utrecht. Our walk in the city turned into a hunt for nijntje(s)/miffy.
3 - Finally made it to Radio Kootwijk! Extra luck the heather was blooming.
4 - And i finally put up this magazine page that i've been liking for the last months. Home becomes more home every week.

& more!

instajuly

1 - The best thing about this rainy summer we're having is how pretty pretty green the whole world is.
2 - And the best thing about this time of the year: all the animals enjoying the outside(s), too.
3 - July's last days were spent in Norway! I finally visited Trondheim again, the city where i did my exchange in 2010.
4 - I enjoyed Oslo again, too. Mostly old favorites and good friends, but Oslovelo is a new favorite place.

& more!

instajune

oops, i forgot to post here last month
- so first out: june!



1 - A friend from Oslo visited, so i showed her the botanical gardens in Amsterdam - amongst lots of others!
2 - It's been tough months, but somewhere halfway june i felt like i might be able to face the world a little better again. Finally.
3 - I spent a weekend in Belgium and came home with plant & paper presents.
4 - And this was the Amsterdam-view i woke up to, the day after the documentary i subtitled (!!) had its premiere.

& more!

instamay

1 - With May, ice cream season started!
2 - I got my first own proper big dining table and it makes me feel even more at home in my little home.
3 - #wisteriahysteria, the streets are so green and the flowers and the streets so pretty these days.
4 - My 2015-photo book is finally printed! It's crazy how happy it makes me to see my pixels printed, for the first time in years.

& more.

Ps.
Dutchies: in mei ben ik ook eindelijk begonnen met mijn briefje, dat om de week op maandagochtend in jouw mailbox kan vallen. Klik hier als je nieuwsgierig bent geworden, meer wil weten en/of je in wil schrijven!

Ps2.
One of my June-goals is to write more proper blog posts... so hopefully see you soon!

instapril

1 - Work gave us all some cute flowers, and for the first time in years some of my words were printed! In De Dakhaas.
2 - I moved and for the first time in years, all my favorite things are in one place.
3 - I feel at home already.
4 - And Utrecht feels like home now, too. Also: walks around the city make me happy, no matter how sad I actually am. :)

& more.

instamarch

1 - I still walk from Amsterdam Central Station to work almost daily, and I still enjoy it a lot.
2 - On my day off, I sat in a train for 4 hours only to drink tea and have the best afternoon with two friends in Maastricht.
3 - Saturday is for flower shopping! Giving away most of it actually was the best about it - my friends were so so happy.
4 - I celebrated Easter with a small brunch by myself (and had the best Sunday).

& more.

Oslove.

Oslo. My weeks in the north (i, ii) ended unexpectedly with some days in Oslo and I couldn't have been more happy about it. First I was afraid 4 days would be exactly long enough to make me feel so extremely at home again that I didn't want to fly back to the Netherlands, but it couldn't have turned out better! I got to see everyone and do everything I wanted and started to realize it mostly is amazing to have a second place that feels so so so much like home.

I still hope it really will be home again one day, though.

instafebruary

1 - I started the month in Oslo and obviously made sure to go on my favorite walk, along Akerselva. ❤
2 - But back home, things felt like they should feel, too. I really feel like living in the Netherlands is what fits me best (for now ;)).
3 - I started my new job! I'm an editor for the Norwegian TravelBird-site now and walk to/from the office almost every day.
4 - And every day off I tried to be with friends (and mostly cake) although I mostly was tired and being social was hard...

& more.

The North, ii

Sørøya. We drove 5 hours to take a ferry to an island, where we spent another couple of days. The reason why I was in The North was to interpret for a documentary movie (!) and here we spent most time talking to a 94 year old blind lady. She has the cutest house, makes the best waffles and every single moment I wasn't interpreting, I went for walks.

Once again:
I'm so glad I didn't grow up here, and at the same time I'm so jealous of the people who did. ❤

The North

Honningsvåg. The first thing I learned is that I hadn't really been far north before. It took 3 hours by plane from Oslo (!) and then 3 more hours by car, until I reached the closest little city to the most northern part on the European mainland.

I spent a week in Honningsvåg. Not much really happens here, but OH MY THE NATURE. If you ever end up in Honningsvåg, promise me to go for lots of walks. Look at the houses. Look at the graveyard being completely snowed in in winter. Look at the sun, when it (finally) comes back. Look at Hurtigruten sailing in. Listen to the sea, the birds, the silence.

What a place.
❤



I'm so glad I didn't grow up here, and at the same time I'm so jealous of the people who did.

instajanuari

1 - I spent a weekend in Copenhagen, where our AirBnB-host served homemade bread every morning.
2 - Only a few days this month were spent in my hometown Utrecht, but they included lots of cute places and fun people.
3 - Honningsvåg is one of the prettiest places I've ever seen - this is the harbor.
4 - But Sørøya is lovely too. Here am I on my morning walk, to keep me sane in between all the interpreting chaos.

& more.

Snow, coffee and good food

Copenhagen. Denmark's capital was filled with snow and homemade bread by our AirBnB-host and one of the best exhibitions I went to was very nearby. But of course I also explored the city - I walked almost 50 km, saw too many cute streets, didn't fall a single time (obs: ice!), but I did fall in love with some places and things, like:

- Louisiana, as mentioned before;
- the best chocolate mousse I ever had (which even is vegan!), at Cafe N;
- the walk along the lakes, from Østerbro to Vesterbro;
- Rist kaffebar's traditional Danish pastry called thebirke;
- the entrance of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek;
- Bankeråt's brunch;
- the coffee (and maybe mostly the cute illustrated posters) at Risteriet;
- the beers at Mikkeler & Friends;
- (awesome) urban park Superkilen, in Nørrebro;
- and of course: the botanical gardens and all the cute streets in the Inner By(, once again).

• • • • •(een stukkie over stippies)

Copenhagen. Two weeks ago I spent the weekend in Copenhagen, mostly because I wanted to go to Louisiana and visit their Yayoi Kusama-exhibition. It was crazy crowded, but still AMAZING.

The exhibition at Louisiana will be closed this weekend, but move to first Oslo and then Stockholm. Google it! Visit it!