It comes a time when ...

you shout out loud your happiness, when you love life like you never did it before, when you sing in the heavy rain, when you see only the good things around you ... almost in the seventh heaven :)
I confess, I'm not always like that, but it happens and it happens pretty often. It starts with a song, or with an anonymous smile, or with a hello, or some other word, or I "turn my head upside-down" and see things from a different light, or I feel my friends so close to my thoughts. It's like enjoying every piece of things that surrounds you: a leaf, a rock, a building, a view, the wind or the singing birds, or a warm bed, or just a color.
For the last months I have developed a bad habit of mine: I wake up in the morning smiling, looking forward for the new day ... and I cannot help myself doing that. I'm sorry :P
It's crossing the line to wonderland; enjoying moments of happiness; exploring the world that lies in front of your eyes; discovering your life; going higher and higher than you have ever been.


That's my "Happy New Year!" wish for you :)

Step on it (14)

Maastricht: with AIESEC trainees in the Netherlands. It was a Christmas celebration, but about it I’ll write later :).

I’ve taken a city tour … and it’s truly a very old city, from the Roman times. I’ve saw the defending walls (they remind me a little bit of Sibiu, just a little bit :)). Close to them I’ve seen the classical “zoo” park that I’ve saw almost everywhere in this country: the usual trees and grass and benches, but in the middle you can see dears, goats, all kind of birds, and sometimes donkeys or ponies. We’ve taken a long walk on the streets of the city and I’ve felt the scent of the city: it is much more similar to Belgium and a little bit different from Dutch; in fact I think it’s a mixture of the two cultures.

In the main square there was the Christmas market with all sorts of amusements for kids (I hardly stopped myself not to try them :) ), places to enjoy a hot tea or boiled wine and … the huge vertical spinning wheel, bigger than the one in Groningen … and I’ll say it again: I’m a foul for views from high above :).

P.S.: stay tunned for the pictures

Step on it (13)

Groningen: with AIESEC people. Friday, after work, I’ve cooked and eaten quickly my dinner and jump on the train (delayed bus, crowd and empty trains :) ).

In a few words about this week-end (I left at 18.30 on Friday and got back to my room at 23.23 on Sunday): green and white party, lunch and dinner with around 30 people, skating (for the first time, really good, only one funny fall on my ass :) ), darts, bowling (for the first time, nice playing), pre-party and party, city tours. I enjoyed meeting old friends, new friends from all over the world that I’ve made in the Netherlands, so many friendly and smiley AIESEC people. I’ve got the chance to get to know new lovely people ;).

I have heard so many things about Groningen and now I’ve got the change to taste it; it tasted really good: parks, old buildings, new places, the smell from the sugar factory.

Right now I’m speechless; I don’t have words to describe all the great places I’ve seen and all the great persons I’ve met (or met once again).

Later edit:
I tasted a little bit of the night life too. On Saturday night I went To the Grote Markt and saw all kind of people: hungry, drunk, fancy dressed girls, homeless, from teenagers to old ones, getting out and in from full clubs and bars, a lot of mess, police on bikes, vans, horses, not too many internationals ...
I danced and danced on great music: electronic, house, happy hardcore, AIESEC dances, rock mixes and a little bit of latino and hip-hop kind.
I've taken a ride in a huge spinning vertical wheel (for the first time :)): a great view of Groningen from up above.

Step on it (12)

Gouda: with Anne; feeling the Christmas spirit. Gouda by Candellight

After work I grabbed a shoarma and my backpack and went for the train. I’ve meet with Anne in the train; she jump up in Utrecht (nice way to establish a meeting point :) ) and soon we were in Gouda.

We’ve listened to the mayor and the crowd singing carols. A band of Santa’s were singing instrumental versions of the carols, choirs were singing all around the center, the city hall was enlightened by candles, in the cathedral (a superb building) also Christmas songs … before leaving we’ve stopped near the Christmas tree: a band of around 15-20 young and old people were playing at drums, trumpets and all sort of instruments. I didn’t have to close my eyes to live the Christmas dream.

There were 4 full hours of Christmas for me; I felt it so deep and so warm (even thought it was a rainy and windy weather). A great present from someone up in the sky.

Step on it (11)

Wageningen: by bike on a cold clean Sunday sunset. I was getting bored in my room; a day before I’ve been to Rotterdam and today I missed the change to go further … so … I love my bike :) . I take it out for a short walk on the Rhine valley at noon.

And I couldn’t help myself in the afternoon: I went to the center of the city to do some stuff and I end up taking a tour outside Wageningen. I discovered a little pound next to my ex‑hostel and a bike route on this region. The sun was going down and the sky was coloring in pink, red, violet and to the darkness of the night. Me feet were frizzing; the wind was biting from my cheeks. I was on my bike and I was happy.

Do you remember when I’ve told you that I felt like the blond boy from “Bob Sinclar – Love generation”? Well, … I did it again :)

step on it (10)

Rotterdam: Happy and sunny Saturday morning: wake up let’s go traveling. I was ready faster than ever and had the greatest mood to walk; it was a gorgeous December sunny day. Today I also felt how it is to wait for a Latin person … I don’t want to experience that again; even though Latin persons are much more closer to my feelings I prefer to struggle to get in time with the non-Latin précis time from Nord Europe :)And I’ve been in Rotterdam: a long and very “gezellig” street from the train station to the harbor. To be sincere we were just walking ahead (we: means me, an AIESEC-er from Brazil, a guy and a girl from Spain). While we were still in the train station area I’ve seen my beloved rainbow over Rotterdam … speechless; I hope I will get somehow the pictures to share it with you. And we’ve walked near the canal straight ahead … and we’ve met with Anne and a German friend of her (also a very friendly traveler :) ).

What I’ve saw there: a platform full of flags (don’t remember exactly the meaning), the old harbor (with superb old boats), the oldest sky-scraper in Europe (I think just 15 floors high), the houses in a cube shape, a small and spectacular chess museum (every theme you can imagine for a chess table was there) … and back on the streets of the shopping center and main market to the train station.

Ohhh … Before we proceed to the old harbor we saw a double rainbow embracing the city and a fairy tale sunset.

Going to work

As every person that works on a daily schedule, I wake up in the morning and go to work. As an authentic Dutch employee, I take my bike from the garage and “let’s go”. Nothing special so far.

Let me show you the road I take every single morning: on the middle is the street (I go on the left or right side of the street on the bike roads); on the right some trees, a canal with ducks (one morning I’ve almost went with my bikes in some of them; I was so sleepy) and a very green park; on the left lots of trees and bushes (you don’t see the residential area that is near) … and beside some little car noise I hear the birds singing, no matter if its night or day, sunny or rainy, hot or frizzing (crazy birds, but they know how to cheer you up :) ) .

Then I turn left: one small street with a car once in a while, lots of trees with birds, no canal this time.

I really like going to work :). Unfortunately I have to move in a couple of days and I’ll take another route … don’t take my morning dream away from me :(

Christmas wish

It is again an early morning for me (one hour early morning) … and the clouds are running through the sky and it’s warm outside. From time to time I ask myself: what do you want for Christmas? Want to go back home? Why don’t you want to go home? … and you are asking me the same things.

Everywhere you look and anything you see it’s Sinterklaas; almost the same commercial madness as the Santa Claus that I know from Romania. Now I’m used to it and I just ignore it. But I cannot help myself to have a wish for Christmas: I dream of snow, of a warm place, of a hug, of friendly faces … I wish for the Christmas feeling.

My room is warm, a hug I can give to anyone and anyone can hug me (almost :) ), a smile is everyone these times, I’ve already smelled the snow air … I’m not wishing for this things that I already have.

I think you know what I am speaking about … there are some particular people for each one of us ... they give and receive, smile and are sad, cry and laugh, run and sleep, dance and fly. I’m not thinking about a specific person, a specific name, I’m just dreaming the dream of a child.

Time to wake up!

step on it (9)

Utrecht: with my traveler friend. I tried to get there in time to catch Sinterklaas coming … but it looks like I’ve been a bad boy this year and Sinterklaas went way before seeing me.

In the afternoon we were lucky and I could borrow a bike (thank you :) ). We went to a small park with some kind of zoo in the middle; this kind of parks are really popular in the Netherlands; I have one also in 2 minutes from my place, with doers, ponies, wild chicken or goats. It was funny to met the keeper of the place; we went inside with the bikes even if we weren’t biking there (and it’s not allowed at all); so the keeper came to after a while and begun looking to me from my feet to my head, up and down (come on, say something, I know you can speak :) ). Suddenly he begun speaking Dutch (even if I’ve asked him to switch to English); neither Anne didn’t succeed to make him speak in an understandable language for us; luckily she understood a little bit of Dutch: we weren’t allowed to get our bikes inside the park and it was closing time (around 17.00). So we had no other choice but to go and see the Rhine passing Utrecht :).

In the night we have delighted our mouth with a tasty Mexican meal together with other trainees and AIESEC members from Utrecht. As a bonus we had lots of laughs ( she really knows how to have fun, our good Mexican cocker :) ) and we’ve experienced also a typical Dutch “party” in a bar (lots…not lots, but lots of lots of people were inside… no room to turn around … some old Dutch music … some old Dutch people … not my taste at all).

Sunday was the time again to see Utrecht. We’ve went by foot to some spots that I’ve already visited (but really liked them), to some new spots … and I haven’t seen yet all of Utrecht.

step on it (8)

The Rhine near Wageningen: by myself; with the same AIESEC traveler. Yeap, the Rhine that I’ve only heard or seen in TV is 10 minutes away from my room :).

First, I’ve been there with my bike, in a sunny and windy Saturday a while ago. I went straight to the ferry crossing point and I was really close to take a bath; luckily my pinky bike had good brakes. It remembered me a little bit of my loved Bistrita river (I won’t compare them). Unfortunately there was no way to go on the riverside further, so it was quite short my first date with the Rhine.

After some weeks, I went again. This time I was with my new traveling friend and we have taken another path to walk really close to the Rhine. Some cows welcomed us there (they really have a dump face :) ) and the rain and the wind took care of us all the way.

It’s been a while since I have walked through the forest or near a river, without asphalt or cement on my feet.

La multi ani Romania!

For those of you that don’t know, today , the 1^st of December, is the national day of Romania … and I’m really celebrating it. I’m proud to be a Romanian and I can enjoy it.

Why do I feel proud? Just because I have chosen to see all that good things and values that you can find there, in that peoples, in that places. Because there I grew up, there I have knock at the door and I have found a friend, and another one, and another one, there I met her and walked and talked with her for hours, there is my family, there are the places that I love, there it is a huge part of my life. I feel connected with all this stuff because I have found something inside of me that is really linked with them … or it just happened to be Romania instead of Vanuatu ;)

And I celebrate this day … not really today (I’ve begun working 1 hour earlier … really dark outside) … but the previous 2 days. I have given a presentation about Romania (“Salut .RO”) for AIESEC in Wageningen and people that wanted to join AIESEC or it just happened to be there, and also the same presentation I have given inside my working place … and I want to do it again. I really felt the smile rising on my face while I was preparing photos (so many memories were coming back) and while I was listening to Romanian music during the presentation … I don’t know why but they gave me a good feeling.

La multi ani, Romania!

sound of the night

Dark rainy night, empty trees, scaring shadows, endless quiet … and me.

It happened for a few times, quite a few, and is still happening now and then; it happens to feel the rain kissing my lips, to spread my arms wide open and hug the darkness, to close my eyes and feel like flying while I am on my bike; it happens to let the wind blow into my hair, to pedal so fast without looking where I am going or to pedal so slow in order to catch every drop of rain that comes in front of my eyes. It happens to love the sound of the yellow leaves taken away by the wind or the whisper of the water flowing to nowhere.

I want to shout my happiness in the street in the middle of the night.

I want to give you my smile and to take your hand and do it again.

Are you happy enough to catch the sound of the night?

step on it (7)

Den Haag (The Hague): with an AIESEC-er traveler. Yeap, I’ve discovered a traveler. And what are doing 2 travelers when they are meeting? They go traveling :). With a map to be studied in the train, with sandwiches and chocolate and tea and fruits and carrots to be eaten when your body asks for attention, with a big smile to bring the sun from behind the clouds … we went to den Haag.

My personal impression after one day in den Haag: “Is it for real?”. I was really amazed by the mixed of history with S.F. design; it’s not really S.F. from nowadays, it’s the one from 10-15 years ago that I’ve saw on TV when I felt in love with this kind of movies. It’s like “building the future on top of the past”. It’s really wonderful: statues of kings, 21^st century trams that goes under your house, old museums, large squares, narrow streets, latest brands in shops … and the sea.

We made 2 friends there: the chocolate eater pigeon and the grumpy pigeon.

The North Sea’s beach in den Haag. My first time that I see the sea in the autumn or winter. My beloved sea. It was really windy, but we were lucky with the rain … it stayed far from us. Have you ever tried to catch with your hand the sea’s foam carried by the wind on the sand? Have you ever tried to hug the sea and felt the waves calling you?

And I’ve been waken up by the hunger :). We went for a pizza in a place with a very strong American brand but with a very Dutch lekker design inside … and of course the usual more than half an hour waiting for the food or desert.

counting

Yesterday there were exactly 2 months since I've put my foot in the Netherlands 19 sept - 19 nov. It's a lot of time and it's to few time. I'm changed, others are changed, and others are the same. I've been said and I've been laughing, I've been frustrated and I’ve been smiling, I’ve walked into the rain and I’ve lied down in the sun, I’ve met people and I’ve been alone, I’ve been putting questions and I didn’t cared, I’ve been going ahead and back, I am here.

My first dinner here was in a place called Jerusalem, with the person that helped me in the “getting here” process. We’ve eaten a pizza and went to the party, after less than 1 hour since I’ve been in Wageningen.

After exactly 1 month, on the 19^th of October, guess what happened? I’ve had dinner in the same place, and again a pizza, but with other AIESEC-ers; she went for a traineeship across the ocean.

Yesterday I came back from Utrecht and counted my internationality rank: I’ve met people from over 32 countries, beginning to understand at least 2 new languages, eating food from I don’t know how many places in the world … yeap, I was counting countries :), I was really tired and I was trying to get rid of my throat: any volunteer for a short term exchange?

lord of the boards

Guano Apes are singing that, it’s not me … I have only went skiing. And also I’ve put my step in my third foreign land … Germany …yey.

Bottrop: indoor skiing with aiesec-ers. I went there with the idea of putting my hands on a snowboard and take a picture…but wait a minute, for taking one lousy picture I should have only the experience of being there and sitting in the snow ? No no no! I picked up the sky equipment and rock’n’roll. It was like my first time o a bike or on roller bladder: no falling down, even though I’ve climb the slope (the beginner one :) ) for 6-7 times. It’s good to watch some TV from time to time; it helped me skiing without any help at all.

Of course that there some moments when I just went straight ahead screaming to make room for the beginner, or I had to drop down to turn my skies around, but this doesn’t compare to the adrenalin pumping, or to the feeling of controlling your direction and speed or succeeding in turning naturally. I can sky easily too :) Yey … I’ve done it

And the evening ended with a specific party. At the beginning I was really satisfied of the music (old songs with nowadays rhythm), but it soon begun the german/dutch/danish songs night…

dutch weather

errr…it’s very simple the dutch weather: sun, clouds, rain, ice, sun and only in 5 minutes; enjoy your walk.

My first month here was really sunny and warm. And it continued like that. Yeap sunny and warm with some pepper and salt. It happened to me one day: I looked on the window, the sky was almost clear; I get down to my bike, it begun some raining; I went to my hostel, ice and rain was thrown in my face by a tremendous wind; I arrived in the bikes’ parking lot near my hostel, the sun begun shinning … that’s nice, in 5 minutes I’ve experienced summer, autumn, winter and spring.

And only now, in the middle of November it feels and looks like the autumn that I know from back home.

And you know what? I can really bring the sun whenever I feel good (even though I’m not a blond child, but I’m from there… ;) ).

It’s time for today’s shower. Tot ziens.

happy

I miss Iasi, but this feeling is a stranger for me; it’s not mine. I miss Romania, but … I don’t miss it. I miss you … yes, this is what I really miss. I miss you, I miss spending time with you, I miss seeing you … but I’m happy without. I have other things to do right now, I have new pieces of me to discover and invent, I really know how to enjoy my time and to love my life. Missing you it’s the joy of meeting you again somewhere sometime. Missing you is the happiness of the tomorrow, the happiness of today is my hands, my eyes, my mouth and my ears.

Yeah you, the one that you read this; maybe I’m speaking about you right now … or maybe it’s not about you.

step on it (6)

Arnhem: with 2 romanian guys. It was a specific Dutch Saturday: some clouds, some sun, some wind and some water drops. Ok, let’s go. We went for shopping; at least this was the main goal. This time I did it another way: just put some clothes on me and went away without any sack on my back … hmmm … I guess I had some candies with me :D. A new city for me and some time available, guess what? Exactly, a short city tour; and it was really short: the main square with the church (interesting that it had an elevator into the tower) and the narrowed commercial streets with old and new buildings. The shops were quite ok and I had good luck in finding what I like at a more than reasonable price. But I still need some warm trousers before the winter will freeze anything (the Dutch frees, not the Romanian -20C :) ). I really felt like going from a village to the city; it was like: uau! So many people! Uau! So high buildings! :). I’ll be back for sure to get under the skin of Arnhem.

step on it (5)

Nijmengen : with AIESEC people. Perfect Sunday noon: a little bit of wind, some sun with clouds, a little chilly, green trees above, the Maas, yellow leafs on year feet, a little bit tired after skiing (yeap skiing …yeay) and partying, great people around me … perfect time for a walk. We have taken a little tour of the city and its historical spots (lot of history that I’ve heard … and forgot in the next second). I love to hear it but I’m not the person to remember it. I’ve heard a creepy story about some hanging people, I’ve seen some “lady’s” like in the famous Red District from Amsterdam :), walked along the Maas and seen the signs of old and new flooding, climb some stairs to a roman building, some beautiful parks and gardens (I’ve seen my first real black swan), walked on the oldest street of the Netherlands, stepped inside a cathedral and heard the pipe organ music … I’ve stepped in history for some hours and enjoyed a relaxing Sunday.

... and played table football

step on it (4)

Zoo near Wageningen: with AIESEC people. My first week-end here and it was already time to “step on it”. There were around 30 AIESEC-ers from all over the Netherlands … and many places in the world. I’m not a big fan of the zoo because I do not like to see animals locked in cages and the humans pretending that they offer them almost the same habitat as they would have in nature. I had a very bad mental trauma last year after visiting the zoo in Sibiu (Romania), so this time I was prepared to refuse this grotesque way of entertaining people. But it was ok or almost ok. The animal environment was somewhat acceptable. What I’ve seen there: a monkey fight that scared all the ducks :), a huge and very frustrated polar bear, very very high giraffes, some “olifants”, of course my beloved penguins, some “rock” wild pigs (they had the same hair style as a rocker :P ), and many more (some funny, some said, some happy … some animals).

step on it (3)

Bennekom: by bike. It’s really small, even smaller than Wageningen I think. The center looks really “gezellig”. I have founded there the remains of a tram line or railroad and the statue of an old railroad worker looking far away for the incoming tram or train

Road to Arnhem: 2hours and a half by bike. Hmm…I want to bike, but where to? Look, it is written up there Arnhem 17km. Ok, let’s go. It was really chili and the wind was blowing in my face all the way, and it didn’t stop blowing in my face neither when I came back. I climbed the Wageningen’s “mountain” (hmmm..maybe it has more than 100m high…hmmm), biked near the highway, through some small villages, into the forest, smelled the fresh air that remembered me of the mountain forests from my home, and biked and biked and biked. I had to stop after more than 1 hour; my body needed a break and some energy…water and chocolate :D. And let’s go back, but not on the same route. So I have chosen Benekom come back. I really love those forests. Lucky there weren’t too much traffic on the street so I could fall in love with the noise of my bike going further and further and further. People here live really close with the nature and I see a great respect for it.

step on it (2)

Utrecht: 4hours walk by myself. I have followed a tourist route and I’ve seen almost all the historical places in Utrecht… and it’s really historical. I had the sensation of walking in a novel about an old monastery, or another one about knights, or another one about the lower society in the middle ages. All of them are conserved in such a manner than made me feel the history, touch it. Even thought I was reading on every step about what happened there, I forgot it in the next second; I just kept the sensation of those so far away times. And something unexpected: while walking on a quarter of the route I haven’t seen no one tourist or native … and on the Jerusalem street was a spooky bar, with doubtful people inside and outside … and I was on the way of being robbed (lucky I have an innocent look or because I staid very calm…hmmm). I have stopped on one side of a canal in the warm sun light and eaten my sandwiches. It was the perfect time for my feet to rest and for my face to get some heat in the chili breeze of autumn. I have to come back and try some sailing on the canals and a drink with my friends.

step on it (1)

Tilburg: with two of my best friends. The first Dutch city that I’ve stepped in. It looks rather modern than old. Of course it has the main square with the church or some old houses or spots. But there are much more new buildings with modern looks; not too futurist, still preserving the Dutch style. You see bricks and pavements everywhere.

step on it (0)

I've told you that I'm crazy about traveling: put a grapefruit, a chocolate bar and green tea on my backpack, put it on my back and my lovely shoes on and step ahead to see new places, to smell the flavors of a city, to smile to a foreign face, to hear the daily noise of that spot, to listen to the ancient story of that site or just to experience the being there feeling.

So where have I been until now?

Green

Last year I have left my home and my 20+ life for an internship somewhere away. After 1 month and 2 weeks my psychic crashed my body in a miserable way.

This year I have left my home and my 20+ life for an internship somewhere far away. After 1 month and 2 weeks I finished a book “Vivre heureux. Psychologie du bonheur” by Christophe Andre.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

What’s after the next door?

love

Yeap... I did it... I felt in love at a short time after I've got here.
Maybe you know how it is like: you feel it all your life; you meet it in your dreams; you know it's yours and only yours; you can enjoy it over and over again...time after time passes by and you know that nobody will have but you; it will give itself to you like you give yourself to it; the angelic feeling of the most wanted relationship that flows between both of you so smooth and so normal; it’s so normally goes step by step ahead that you could say that you lived it since you know yourself; it’s the feeling of bounding with what the being inside of you is so perfectly and deeply in touch … it’s like falling in love

It happened in a Tuesday (Tuesday is a lucky day for me here…it just happens :) )… I have seen my love in a picture before, but now it was time for a face to face meeting. Perfect match and we both know how to keep it perfect.

From that moment we are inseparable and having great time.

Yeap my lovely pinky bike: a gorgeous mountain bike painted in the pinky color of a famous cycling team.

I have taken good care of her: inflated its strong wheels; yesterday I bought her a splendid blinking back light and it was really happy of this small gift. I hope I will fix its gear shifter soon.

What has it done for me? Hmmm… it has taken me in the middle of the night and gave me the most unbelievable flight sensation (I wasn’t high or drunk… the road was really good), it walked me through the forests and the wind in the way to Arnhem, it got me down to see the Rhine; it clears my mind after hard thinking or working.

Yeap… the angelic feeling of falling in love

Live

I have seen them on TV, on pictures, on books, on internet, on the eyes of a person ... and the moment for LIVE came out. It just came out of nowhere; I don't know who called it.

It was a fly up beyond the clouds and close to the rainbow; it was the airport; it was new people expecting you and calling your name; it was a shy hug; it was a bike parking lot; it was Dutch cows, English speaking, wind mills, day by day things in a foreign environment, “Where are you from? How do you feel? How do you like it here?” over and over and over again, Dutch students drinking, new language, international people, lots and lots of “Hy, I’m bla bla la from bla bla”. They were broadcasted LIVE in front of my own eyes; I was living them moment by moment.

Landed in progress… ok

Connecting in progress… ok

Contact establishing… ok

Adventure starting…. ok

You are successfully LIVE

Flying high

More than a month I had to prepare for stepping into the next day of my life…and you know what? I really used that time; I was prepared. Until it hit me: Monday morning leaving my home; ok, nothing bad, traveling by train, smiling… and the day passes minute by minute and my freaking out experience is growing minute by minute. Tuesday morning, totally freaked out: I’m going far away, I’m leaving, I’m turning right on my path, it’s all so dark in front of me, stop, go back. Lucky, my last month revealed into me those reflexes that made me keep going ahead despite my freaking out mood. And up on the bus to the airport, and up on my face a big smile of relief: I have chosen to do that, I want to do that, I am happy with doing that…hmm… how could I have freaked out for almost 2 days when now I am enjoying my steps ?!

After enjoying my first airport contact, I’ve got up on the plain. I’m going to fly so high…I am already flying. Hold tight to the chair…hmmm…why should I hold tight? It’s like a bus going faster and faster and shivering and bending in all possible direction…so no need to hold tight. I just can close my eyes and take the pleasure after being relieved of the past 2 days. Downstairs were only big huge white gray clouds; it looked like snow and I wanted to jump up and embrace all that fluffy “snow”, to lay down on it and make angels, to grab a snowboard and slide faster and faster. And my first foreign city…somewhere near Prague…it looks nice. A huge airport in Prague and walking and walking and walking. And up I go into the blue blue cloudy sky. Yeap: again that “snow”. But look: the NEDERLANDS…haha, it’s really flat…and the water…hmm… I guess it’s the ocean. And the sun going down, a beautiful sunset.

My next day is today. Welcome!

Go travel

I will begin with the 8th of October; when I'll find out why I'll let you know :)

Actually it started on the 6^th of October. It was a rainy autumn afternoon on the streets of Utrecht. My first AIESEC conference abroad was finished. I had one wish (among other dreams…) for the coming week-end: go travel.

This was a dream of mine: put my special shoes on, get the sack on my back and walk where ever your eyes lead you. I saw people doing that on TV and that made me wanted it even more.

Now I am far away from home; now I am traveling. I DID IT.

So…it was rainy… it was Friday … some of my friends where next to me … my birthday was coming … hmmm “I’m coming with you to Tilburg.” “OK” … and I begun singing in the rain; I was living a dream. This was my present that I have made for myself (the first one).

Saturday was market day. You get to know so many things about a place and its people if you just go to the open-market; just observer them buying, selling and socializing, meeting friends, smiling to the one next to you. I have finally got to the open-market in the Nederlands after I have heard so many peoples speaking about it.

And there was something more to be added to complete the traveling feeling: sleeping on something else rather than a common bed. I’ve done it before for a couple of times, but this time was different because I was feeling like a traveler.

And it came…Sunday the 8^th of October 2006... early in the morning… I wake up and take a short look at the clock: 08:10 on the 08.10.2006 :) … too early…go back to sleep. Around 9.00 I was arguing very hard with someone in my dream; I heard my phone ringing and I was sure it was a message from that person…but it was my boss wishing me a happy birthday. I cannot imagine how a huge smile rises up on my face; in fact this was the way I’ve been the entire day: with a huge smile inside of me, but not eating it entirely; a quarter of that smile was a said person…

Then, it was my family time: I’ve spoken to all of them and it was wonderful to hear all of them after so long time.

Have you watched Bob Sinclair, Love generation? If you want to know what I’ve experienced next look at the blond boy on the clip. Biking with a great friend in a wonderful sunny day…yeap, it’s really my birthday :). You want to add something special to it: add another great friend (that you felt so open-hearted to you in the previous day) and get a nice dinner in the town.

And the cherry from the top: a group hug when the clock tells you “You are 24 from now on”.

As an ending point the time to go back home came. I was looking to make another present to myself: on my way home, just get down in one station (Den Bosch or Utrecht) and go for 1-2 hours and enjoy the city, without any map or any knowledge of where I am…but I was really tired and my body refused me (but I still enjoy it :) ).

What was my second gift from myself? My smile.