Perspective

We have settled into regular routines and sometimes that means I forget the magnitude of what we have done. Those are the days I have to shake things up. That’s what I did today, so this article is a little shorter than normal.

Some days it seems like we just moved houses not continents. There are of course little hints that this is not true. The commercials on TV suddenly being in Dutch during an English program. The sounds of people biking past the house. The packaging on products as I make dinner. Even the number of Dutch language posts in my social media feeds.

But it really takes getting out of the house to make me remember what we have done.

Waiting at the station and hearing chatter in Dutch. Interacting with the train conductors in Dutch. Being on the train and rolling past fields filled with sheep, cows and birds and then suddenly being in the middle of a city. Seeing wooden windmills and modern windmills from the train windows. Watching the boats on the canals or going through the locks.

These are the things that make my brain say - oh yeah. You moved to another country and culture. And as scary as it was, it is still awe inspiring every single time.

And getting a dose of that reality gives me a little jolt. I hope that I never lose that wonder. Whether it is coming upon a family of swans swimming up the canal as I head to the train station or just seeing the incredible history and architecture as I roll through Amsterdam, these little things bring me so much joy and happiness.

I hope your weekend brings you similar moments. They are all around, you just have to step out and notice them.