My long-standing dislike of the Netherlands has been tempered lately by an unusually lengthy stretch of sunshine and warm temperatures, in combination with the lovely long days that do my light-starved psyche good. I am almost considering the possibility that this place is not determined to kill me. With only five weeks left it's nice to think I may leave on a pleasant note...
Of course, any progress the Netherlands has made is likely to be somewhat undone when I make a quick trip to Scotland next month!! Yes, that's right, returning briefly to my Happiest Place on Earth, after which the Netherlands will once again pale in comparison. heh. Melissa and I will be staying in Dundee, the larger, less attractive city near the incomparable St. Andrews, and I am looking forward to visiting some of old favorite spots before leaving Europe.
Of course, any progress the Netherlands has made is likely to be somewhat undone when I make a quick trip to Scotland next month!! Yes, that's right, returning briefly to my Happiest Place on Earth, after which the Netherlands will once again pale in comparison. heh. Melissa and I will be staying in Dundee, the larger, less attractive city near the incomparable St. Andrews, and I am looking forward to visiting some of old favorite spots before leaving Europe.
This trip is made possible mostly thanks to Melissa, who offered to subsidize my plane ticket as a farewell gift, a thoughtful, generous act which reminded me once again that not everything about my experience here was terrible. After all, I did live in the Best Apartment in Maastricht, a physically excellent abode made even better by the people who live in it. Even at my most dissatisfied, I was never unhappy to go home at the end of the day, which is pretty good, really.
It also helps that today I finally had an unequivocally good time riding a bike here, spending most of the day outside on what is sure to be one of the finest weather days all year -- mostly sunny w/temperatures around 23C/75F. My lungs breathed air so fresh you could almost taste it, my skin saw more sun than it did during my last trip to Haiti, and the views of the canals, fields, caves, and castles as we cycled in and out Belgium were almost surreal in their picture-perfect beauty. Good stuff.
I maintain that the Netherlands is the worst place I have ever lived, but it -- or at least certain people/places within it -- is carving out a tiny piece of my heart nonetheless. But just a tiny one.
It also helps that today I finally had an unequivocally good time riding a bike here, spending most of the day outside on what is sure to be one of the finest weather days all year -- mostly sunny w/temperatures around 23C/75F. My lungs breathed air so fresh you could almost taste it, my skin saw more sun than it did during my last trip to Haiti, and the views of the canals, fields, caves, and castles as we cycled in and out Belgium were almost surreal in their picture-perfect beauty. Good stuff.
I maintain that the Netherlands is the worst place I have ever lived, but it -- or at least certain people/places within it -- is carving out a tiny piece of my heart nonetheless. But just a tiny one.
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