Dutch in Translation

37 days ago was my last day at PostNL. I do miss my colleagues every day. I have been lucky enough to sometimes see Cindy or Loes. I know I have to get all of us together every now and then. I will work on that pretty soon. On the other hand, since I stopped being a postbezorger, a whole new world of opportunities has open. All beautiful. Let's see... New Office Space I had been wanting a space of my own in our home. My darling is not keen of changes, so I knew it would be a challenging negotiation. When I said Interior Designer Ayşe İçaçan would be in charge, he could only agree. And guess what?! She did a superb job in such a sweet and beautiful way! She was able to create a little magical world for me. Ayse combined my personality, the purpose of the office, and the colors of the logo. She considered every little detail: the students had to be comfortable and able to concentrate, the atmosphere should be modern and fresh, and I would find it inspiring for pr...

My sister is 8259.17 km from me or I from her. It depends who you ask, doesn't it?  I have been missing her. A lot. Especially when she sent me the photo of her new tattoo: Two stars. One purple, one blue. Our favorite colors. The tattoo represents us, blood sisters. How far I felt! Sometimes, how lonely! And then, I remembered one of her  posts on social media: Obviously, the message of this phrase will depend on what you want it to mean to you. As the teacher in me, I would think of it as this: If you really want ______________ , you will  ______________ ____________ . If you don't, you will find an excuse. Here, the homework begins: What does one really want? What is the point in all we do? Anyway, to make the long story short, I decided to focus on the element that has me struggling at the present: Loneliness. First, one must define it in order to understand it: "Loneliness creates a deep psychological wound, one that distorts our perceptions...

      Wouldn't it be wonderful to plug oneself into a computer, run a scan, detect errors and fix them? My report would probably say, body overload,   brain overload, heart overload, and contents spilling down the muscles. Back muscles. Beware of severe damage!       Unfortunately, this technology is not available at my home and I couldn't prevent the damage: I have been out of order from PostNL for almost a week. Needless to say how I feel since this is my last month with my dear colleagues.       What the hell happened?! An overload, of course! Now, let's try to find the beauty in this because I do have many happy projects going on... Our bodies are like computers, and if they need to talk to us, they will. In this case, I am being told to sit still, review body, brain and heart activity, re-design plans, and reboot!      Here comes the tricky part. One must stop avoiding. One must con...

  Life has some very tough moments. My mom used to say that when things got hard for her, she felt like throwing in the towel. The problem was, the towel had to be picked up and there was no one else around to do it. End of story: Quitting was not an option.   I feel as if for months I had thrown in the towel. I knew it, I stared at it, I ignored it. Now, this is not an easy task either. It also drains you and your closest friends. You know you are stuck and no one but you can do something about it. Luckily, spring came, and with it,  my decision to set a deadline to make up my mind. Time for feeling sad, disappointed, tired, and lonely was up.      And what, you might be wondering, have I decided?  1.  Embrace my relationship as it is 2. Seriously study Dutch 3. Focus on ARTSY Language Studio 4. Swim 5. Date PostNL less frequently 6. Find a support group In summary...    Moving abroad for love an...

  I wonder when is it ever easy to say goodbye or close circles. In my experience, some come easy and others don't. It can be a relief, but it can also give you a heartache. Still, no matter what, I have learned that peace comes first. So, one just needs to do whatever it takes to achieve it.  As for now, I need to get ready to close two circles, peacefully.  1. My  praktijkondersteuner   I started seeing her back in October 2017. She has been of great help. With her, I have understood my place in this country and in my relationship, I have remembered who I was and still am.    During our session last week, I could tell it was going to be the next to last one. I was at ease and self-confident. Now, this doesn't mean everything has been a bed of roses, it signifies I have been dealing better with my reality and my own inner world. In other words, I got the tools, and I am using them better.   What is next? I have one mo...

    Can you find the treasure?      My sweetheart and I sometimes are poles apart, like in our musical tastes, or the fact that he is a night owl and I an early bird. Still, to have a common area of entertainment was important to me. The good news is that he has indulged me by looking for something we could share. The question was: What could we do that was mostly outdoors, implied a challenge, and fun? GEOCACHING! What is geocaching?      According to Wikipedia , geocaching is, "...an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world.  Is it popular in Eindhoven?      I'll let you answer that. I will just say that we have found caches that have been already found that same day! Are we going ...

Writing this post doesn't come easy. Dutch in Translation has been a transformation agent when I've needed it most. Now, and in order to pursue this year's main goals, writing the blog every week doesn't come first. Let me explain. Dutch in Translation was born as a catalyst for change. Writing about my experience moving to the Netherlands helped me organize my thoughts, feelings, and decisions. Thanks to the power of journaling, I was able to understand what I was going through and what was needed in order for my life to improve and move forward. Exploring my life's priorities was a key factor. "Life is not stressful, we make it so."   My mother told me this last night. Wise phrase. I tend to overwhelm myself with projects and activities that it makes me wish days were longer: I want to work on EVERYTHING I like. Now, acknowledging my limitations, I realize I must choose in order to have a balance. So, which is my new mindset? Finding tim...

After being through the process of becoming a freelancer in the Netherlands, I thought of sharing the info on how to register at the Kamer van Koophandel  (Chamber of Commerce). If you know someone that might find it useful, please share it. Furthermore, if there is any way I can help you with, please don't hesitate to contact me. I would be delighted to assist in any way I can. Step 1. Check if you must register at the Chamber of Commerce. There are 3 criteria used to determine if you are an entrepreneur. Check if they apply to you. You can verify  here . Step 2. Think of a company name! To begin with, get all the help you can. Ask people for ideas and explore a business name generator online. Make sure it is short and that it expresses who you are and what you do. In my case, I asked my students, friends, and family to lend me a hand. We all did research and voted on the name. This went on for weeks. Until one day, it just felt right. Step 3. Prepare a busines...

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."  Marcel Proust My First 3 Months in the Netherlands I wish I had started writing a journal back in those days. I have a terrible memory, you see. From what I remember, I was excelling at being a housewife, studying Dutch every day, and enjoying my new social life. On the other hand, my sweetheart and I were figuring out how to be with one another, and I too was unrestful figuring out what who would I become.  Month #4 I got my first job as a postbezorger, and that was quite a ride as you know... (If you don't, read " Finding a Job in the Netherlands: PostNL and I .") Month #5 At the taalcafe, I was asked if I had been a teacher. When I said  yes , this beautiful Russian lady expressed she would love having a teacher like me.  This took me completely by surprise! Some days later, I contacted a language school in Eindhov...

          It is the end of the year, and one starts thinking of what has been accomplished and what one desires for next year. Oh, dear!  I hadn't reflected on it until a cheerful friend of mine asked me about my 2018 goals. Then, and to follow up on my top priorities , I settled on a plan of action. In it, I pursue and select activities which bring me excitement, joy, and that in a certain way, provide nourishment to my brain and soul, as for me, like knitting or visiting museums.  What is at the top of my list?      The  Museumkaart ! It  is a personal card that gives you access to more than 400 museums in The Netherlands and it is valid for one year.   If I had asked Sinterklaas for a present, it would have been this! As you can tell, I didn't ask for it so...I will give it to myself as a New Year's present. Yeah!         What will I do in order to foster personal growth...