I just feel like complaining. Hahaha. Yup! Welcum to the blog where I complain. Apparently it is something the Dutch love. Other cultures must love it too. We complain about the weather, politics, train delays, work, relationships, rent, opportunities to housing, student loans, working after 65 years old, broken stuff, bad movies, crowds, our inability to queue, changes to roads, traffic…

What do we enjoy in the Netherlands? Our cheese, the ability to cycle mostly everywhere, beers, ‘borrelplank’ which is our version of tapas, sports, hobbies, music, ice skating, football, going out for food, holidays within the Netherlands or abroad, good roads, many trains, the opportunity to health care for an okay price, opportunities to many studies, technological advances such as dykes, self made land called Flevoland, food from all over the world, cheap clothing (at what cost?), cheap products (at what cost?), secondhand shops and online sites that give away free stuff and shelters for the homeless, food for the less fortunate, a pay-check even when you fall ill…

I am aware of how beautiful the Netherlands is. I love that I have so much freedom as a woman. I can study, I can work. I like that our roads are cleaned and that our rubbish is stored below ground before taken away and that we try to recycle, that the country feels mostly safe, that everything is close by, that our lighting works, that plants and flowers are being taken care of by our government on the street.

Maybe I should like how efficient things are around here. People respect each other’s time mostly. Most Dutch people speak English and try to keep up with technological advances. I hope in the hope to make the lives of others better, to make this world a better place.

Sometimes life feels grim, frustrating, confronting. Life is full of paradoxes. Contradictions. Maybe I just need to focus on what makes life beautiful.

I hope you are doing well wherever you are. Until next time! X