I never thought I would be dreaming of living in Holland. During our recent trip there, however, I’ve learnt to love the country and its little quirks. So I’ve created a pretty detailed image in my head of how our life there would look:
- We live in a lovely house on the outskirts of a pleasant old town crisscrossed by canals. Our carefully manicured garden with beds of colourful tulips reaches all the way to the water and we share it with a family of ducks. It’s a quiet neighbourhood not far from the sea where we go for long beach walks on weekends.
- The interior of our house looks like a page from the latest issue of the Architectural Digest. There are pillows, decorative statues, odd antiques and vases everywhere. Candles and designer lights provide pleasant atmosphere which can be admired right from the street as we don’t use any curtains. There is always a huge bouquet of fresh flowers on our big hardwood dining room table. And a smaller arrangement in the hall welcoming visitors.
- Every day I cycle to work and back on my white cruiser bike. The Dutch call it “omafiet”. I work in one of those modern office buildings surrounded by extensive green areas. As this is an imaginary job, I start late and finish early. Just in time to reach our local store (closing at five!) to get some imported Belgian beer (the choice is really good) and aged Gouda cheese for the evening.
- In our free time I like to paddle on my SUP board through the canals. We’re thinking of buying a boat which we could use instead of our e-car for our trips in the area. Having a drink at one of the crowded cafes in the main square of our town is one of our favourite weekend activities. Only after we’ve done our share of browsing through fashionable boutiques and interior design shops, of course.
My imaginary life is perfect. So perfect in fact, that I’m thankful for the Dutch weather and food. Without them I would already be checking real estate ads and open job positions in Holland.
Travel-Sehnsucht 