Upon arriving
back in Holland, Gerben and his Dad were kind enough to spare me the 2.5-hour train
ride to Groningen and met me at the Amsterdam airport with the car. I was so happy
to see them and Geb brought Mr. Charlie Brown to greet me as well. It was a
very happy reunion indeed! We took the scenic route home, which led over the
Afsluet Dike (basically an enormously long bridge over a lake…the Dutch are
amazing with their ability to reshape their country haha). It was really lovely
and we stopped for ice cream and to enjoy the view.
Back in Groningen, life returned to
“normal” again. I found a wonderful yoga studio here called Open Yoga, which
I am truly loving, and the nice weather has brought all kinds of fun
adventures. The markets are open, the streets and parks are busy busy with
happy happy people and Geb and I get out into it all as often as we can. I
joined some friends from my Dutch course in a pub quiz team and although we are
not quite the best team, we meet
Sunday nights to test our combined compilation of random knowledge and have fun
together. Go team Gaboobz!!!
Over the
past few weeks Charlie and I were also able to spend
some days at Geb’s parents
house in Delfzijl, which I consider to be a tiny paradise. Not only do they
have one of the prettiest gardens I’ve ever seen (complete with apple trees and
magnolias!), but they also have a small collection of very sweet horses and big
yard, which Charlie patrols regularly. It is quite a place and a great little
getaway from the city now and then. Thank you Gerard and Marianne for having us
so often!
Also Geb
and I took a day trip with his brother Harm, and girlfriend Nienke, to Walibi Amusement
park! As the Dutch version of 6 Flags, it has multiple roller coasters, a large
ferris wheel, churro stands and my personal favorite: the swing ride. The four
of us took advantage of an online ticket deal and found ourselves strapped in
and screaming (well, I was at least), for an entire afternoon. What fun! Thanks
Harm and Nienke for driving and for a fun filled day!
The
following weekend Geb and I packed our backpacks and Charlie, and headed to the
Dutch Isle of Skiermonikgoog for a weekend camping trip.
We pitched our tent in
the field of an adorable dairy farm, which rents out spots for a nominal
nightly fee. It was equipped with communal bathrooms, showers, a kitchenette, a
large fire ring, a small family of goats and lots of space and sunshine. 
Of
course we took Charlie down to the ocean where he ran and rolled in the sand
until I thought he would die of exhaustion. Geb 
waded in the water and I
perused the beach for shells. Perfect. Day. 
We rented
bikes for the weekend and toured the small island along with the even smaller
town it is named for, consisting of a few houses, a grocery store, multiple souvenir
shops and restaurants, a used bookstore and an ice cream parlor. It was beyond
adorable. Seriously. Although Dutch “camping” seems to me like camping for weenies
(we didn’t even use our portable stove!), we had a great weekend just the three
of us and a fun time “roughing it” haha
Apart form
that, I have been able to meet friends for study/cooking/fun sessions where I
am learning to make some seriously yummy Syrian dishes while reviewing Dutch
homework…what a wonderfully odd combination!!
Life is
good here in Groningen. Even though I miss Mom very much, it feels good to be back with my boys and planning my next steps…Masters Thesis look out!! Madi comes for you ;) Of course it's not rainbows and butterflies all the time. A darkness still clouds my heart on most occasions, but I suppose it's now about acceptance and continuing onward. Healing. Living. Finding joy without Neil's physical presence but his spiritual one instead, and that is what counts...Until next time! Take care everyone and as usual, I love and miss you all very much! Please let me know what you are all up to by email if you have a spare moment.
