Dutch Reset

Travel can encourage many things including self-actualization, creative impulse and clarivoyance. My recent trip to visit family and friends in DC and Virginia reset these perspectives. Less than a week after returning I realize three things I appreciate more about the Netherlands. 

1) Diversity. Perhaps it relates more to living in the densely populated Randstad, but I am regularly impressed by the high level of Dutch multiculturalism. Each day, I encounter folks from China, Indonesia, Korea, India, Pakistan, Suriname, Morocco and Turkey. All of them speak perfect Dutch and live very Dutch lives. I certainly didn't expect this concentration of diversity and integration, especially coming from the US where we tout our rich multiculturalism (rightly so) as a global ideal. Of course, Europe has it's migrant woes but diversity seems very much alive in the Netherlands.

2) Openness. I'm not referencing Dutch tolerance towards drugs or sex. I'm talking about window curtains and sidewalk smiles. The Dutch are not bashful about showcasing their homes to the street. If you stroll any neighborhood at night, you will encounter many homes exposing decorative ceilings, soft-lit living rooms, bedroom art, beautiful lampshades and historic chandeliers. As for sidewalk smiles. I've had some lovely  exchanges, including one which led to a spirited bike race. The Dutch are light-hearted and amicable people to say the least. And in both cases, a sense of community is developed. 

3) Arts and Culture. In the Netherlands, no matter the season, climate or even the time, there is always an ethnic celebration or festival on the calendar. And whereas American's tend to remain indoors on cold or rainy days, no weather pattern can deter the Dutch from biking to a social function for a delicious beverage and a chance at cultural inspiration. 

A Minor Epiphany

Sitting on a stone wall at the beach in Qurm, Muscat, Oman. As I'm admiring the 6v6 beach soccer happening right in front of me, an older white tourist with the demeanor of a surfer dude appears next to me and breaks the silence, "you look like you want to play." 

"A part of me wants to", I respond. "Go for it, you should," he replies. I stay silent and ponder the thought. A couple mins pass by and when I turn to see if this guy is still standing, he's gone. Moments later I jump down from the stone wall and begin walking again. In front and behind me is nothing but beach. Yet this guy is no where to be seen. I start wondering about his remark to encourage me to join the beach football. 

Upon reflection it feels like one of those moments when you scale back to think of your action(s) and how they can reflect or even shape a personality. In recognizing this hours later, I realize that the guy and I had a verbal exchange of 25 words in the span of seconds and in that exchange we acknowledged two important things:  an interest in communicating with potentially like minded people, and a desire to to belong. 

Whether I fully understood at the time or not, I certainly realize now that the guy (directly or indirectly) challenged me to challenge myself; to stop pondering and start acting. Make a move or not. More importantly, there is no right or wrong answer but such choices define opportunities and how we chose to perceive them. 

Six Months in Europe

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.