Places I want to go...

It’s routine days like today that I forget where I am and how lucky I am to be here in Holland. Everyone may be jealous of my new life and home but to be honest, sometimes you lose sight of where you are and get caught up in this busy, messy and chaotic thing called life. There are ups and downs no matter where you are in the world and sometimes you just have to step back for a second and appreciate what you have.

Now Koen and I have had plenty of good times but lately, hard times seem to be more frequent. There are many different aspects of living abroad that they don’t really include in those romantic books…You know the ones about two people who fall in love and run off to some exotic place to live happily ever after. There are work permits and residence permits involved that include piles upon piles of paperwork and important documents (that you even have to get your Dad to send through FedEx Express--sorry about that). There is the constant worry that something might not be accepted and paperwork may not go through and things will fall apart at the drop of a hat. Fortunately, this continual burden has left me with a different perspective and a better sense of what I want in life. Not many people have the opportunity to see with this much clarity and if you do, I hope it is not under the same circumstances. They always say that once you lose something, that makes realize how much you needed or wanted it in the first place. Well… you could say that is something that concerns me on a daily basis and I am very certain I have everything I could have ever wanted.

Now having said that, I want to emphasize the importance of the cliché quote that one must “live every day to the fullest”. (Cheesy I know) But you can’t let the paperwork stop you. Do what you want and experience what you want to experience. For me that experience is travel and seeing the world and luckily for me, Koen and I are on the same page with this goal. 

So here is my list of places to see before I leave Europe:

Paris, France: For obvious reasons, I want to visit Paris, the City of Lights or should I say, la Ville Lumière. I want to hear French all around me. And maybe even learn a few words (“voulez vous coucher avec moi” probably won’t get me very far). I want to have a baguette and drink champagne alongside the Seine.  And being that it is famous for being one of the most romantic cities, I anticipate dragging Koen along for this one!

Prague, Czech Republic: To be honest, I know very little about this country but I think that’s all the more reason to see it, right? Like most people, I’ve googled the city and it looks beautiful.

Istanbul, Turkey: This would probably be the most exotic trip I’ve experienced being that it is the most eastern country that I plan to visit. The Netherlands is different from the US, that’s true but doesn’t have the religious influences that a country like Turkey has. There is something mystifying about the mosques and scenery--they leave me intrigued.

Japan: Now Japan wouldn’t be my first choice but Koen has really sold me on this one lately. Perhaps I've mentioned this before but about 2 months ago, Koen had the random idea of visiting Japan as his graduation present and I was completely bewildered. At first I brushed this off and thought he was just going stir-crazy in the Netherlands but later I did some research and saw pictures of Mt Fuji and Miyajima which truly seem like breath-taking places. Not to mention it is the hub for innovating advanced technologies and could be educational for me since I’m currently working in the IT industry!! Wink wink

Some more on my list: Copenhagen, Brussels, Berlin, Rome, Croatia, Budapest, and Barcelona

Meanwhile, awaiting some cash flow, good weather, and vacation time!!!  

Let the adventures begin! :)