Today marks six months since I arrived in The Hague, the Netherlands. The career move and the opportunity to live on a new continent has been very rewarding. In short, work is going well. I've had the freedom and flexibility to create and share The Hague Institute's mission throughout the web. My work has had a positive impact on the Institute's goals and I couldn't ask for a more supportive boss.
Outside the office, I've focused on a touristic mindset that has encouraged me to experience many cities, new cuisine and multiple languages. I have travelled to Estonia, Belgium, France, throughout the Netherlands, and visited family in the Middle East. Dutch classes have improved my sense of belonging in South Holland, and biking on days of continuous rain barely dents my psyche now.
However, beyond my new life in Europe and beyond the routine of new challenges such as communicating in dutch and cooking home meals, two thoughts have persistently tickled my emotions over these past six months. The first deals with the contrast between the place of living and the place of home. I would like to reflect more on these thoughts but in a later post.
The second idea involves a desire I expected to (somewhat) subside, the travel bug. Even before arriving to Holland, I understood living in Europe would encourage more exploration. However, I did not anticipate the intensity of my cravings to "screw it," and trek the globe. Some of this relates to the range of diversity and my discussions with countless people from dozens of backgrounds. They have inspired me to think more seriously about the day when I trade my business casual for a backpack. I'm not sure when this trip will begin but I am convinced that my life in The Hague is only the first part of a larger goal to see more.
So with that in mind, I look forward to another six months of weekend trips, cultural events, new encounters and better communication. They will serve as ingredients to a journey facing the horizon.
Outside the office, I've focused on a touristic mindset that has encouraged me to experience many cities, new cuisine and multiple languages. I have travelled to Estonia, Belgium, France, throughout the Netherlands, and visited family in the Middle East. Dutch classes have improved my sense of belonging in South Holland, and biking on days of continuous rain barely dents my psyche now.
However, beyond my new life in Europe and beyond the routine of new challenges such as communicating in dutch and cooking home meals, two thoughts have persistently tickled my emotions over these past six months. The first deals with the contrast between the place of living and the place of home. I would like to reflect more on these thoughts but in a later post.
The second idea involves a desire I expected to (somewhat) subside, the travel bug. Even before arriving to Holland, I understood living in Europe would encourage more exploration. However, I did not anticipate the intensity of my cravings to "screw it," and trek the globe. Some of this relates to the range of diversity and my discussions with countless people from dozens of backgrounds. They have inspired me to think more seriously about the day when I trade my business casual for a backpack. I'm not sure when this trip will begin but I am convinced that my life in The Hague is only the first part of a larger goal to see more.
So with that in mind, I look forward to another six months of weekend trips, cultural events, new encounters and better communication. They will serve as ingredients to a journey facing the horizon.
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