so much goodness

I had another two amazing days since I last posted. Yesterday I caught the train out to Almere to visit my friend Melanie, who I have been friends with for at least 16 years. Unfortunately the weather was quite cool, but I was glad to be wearing those nice leather gloves again while confidently riding my bike through mid morning Amsterdam. I definitely do not ride like a granny anymore, one week can make quite a difference.

It was nice to take a train out of town. I got to look out the window, listen to my iPod and do a little philosophising. Cow gazing, I think it's called. It dawned on me how happy I have been the last week here in Amsterdam, and how one little week can bring so much fun into a life that, I have to admit, was a little...I don't know...not so much fun. It's not that I don't enjoy being in Elsendorp with my Mum and helping her sort the house out, but of course it's much more fun to be in Amsterdam where there is a wealth of food, fun, friends, coffee, pretty buildings and interestingness to be enjoyed. I also realised I quite like being here in Holland by myself, as it is quite different to being here with my husband. I get to make snap decisions and do, see and eat whenever and whatever just happens to be around.

I really love that freedom. I always have. My sister and mother both still have that, but as I am the only one who is married, my freedom manifests in other ways. I enjoy the freedom of knowing I will always, always be adored by a wonderful man for the rest of my life for being just me, and I will always have someone to support me should I hit a bump, or who will laugh with me when we relate our funny stories of what happened at work or during our day. It is something hard to explain, because it's something unique but also very common, as every marriage has that. For me, like I said in my wedding vows, our relationship is like the roots that let me be strong and my leaves dance in the breeze, without being blown away. I am currently out there on my own dancing in the breeze, enjoying the flow of a life full of surprising events and unpredictability. It is awesome. And I need that in my life. I sometimes just need to get out my routine and safe little life in Australia to be out here in the world and with friends who give me a completely new perspective and view of my own life.

So anyway, back to my train trip to Almere. It was great to see Mel, and she had her youngest son with her as he was a little unwell and stayed home from school. He felt a bit better when I gave him a big fluffy koala that I brought for him. We sat on the couch together and chatted like we always have, and it didn't feel like it's been 3 years since we last did that and time went very quickly. We went to pick up her eldest son from school and I surprised him by putting the toy kangaroo I got for him on his car booster seat. Both boys, I later learned, took their new animals to bed last night. Very cute.

Then I had to head back to Amsterdam as I had a chocolate fondue (a fun do) date with Emily. I had thought up a clever plan to pick up my bike at the centraal station where I had parked it and then take it on the train to Amsterdam Amstel, which is close to Emily's house, and ride from there as I knew the way from riding that way last year. But alas, I had not realised you are not allowed to take a bike on the train during peak hour, which it was. So I had to ride all the way to Emily's, who lives about an half hour ride away from centraal station, but more importantly, I did not know how to get there by bike. But the weather had gotten milder and I decided I would be fine riding, I still had a bit of google maps remembered by my iPod which I used to navigate, and I got there quite easily.

Girls should not eat potato chips and chocolate fondue for dinner. But some do. They should also not finish a whole bottle of dessert wine whilst snorting in absolute hysterics over naked marshmellows, but we did. It was a great dinner, we talked about every item a girl talks about with her bestest friend, from serious relationship issues to giggle fits about nothing at all. Then we rode our bikes to the Nassaukade and talked some more. It wasn't long before we drifted off to sleep and woke to find a glorious day streaming through the windows in the morning.

Today was beautiful, my best pal beside me all day, the sun up in the sky, Amsterdam in all its cheer for the first day of the year above 20 degrees and my first visit to the Westerpark. We walked all over town, warm, even hot, with out cardigans that we thought we might still need. We talked, we laughed, we marvelled over the beauty of today. We ate lovely foods. My first portion of bitterballen since touching down. It was soon dinner time and Emily had a party to attend, and I was catching up with Phiroze.

The evening was quiet and funny, as Phiroze has just gotten his new Mac Book Pro and is positively giddy with excitement over its speed and the ease with which he could transfer his old apps, mail and software onto it. There were moments I would say he was almost squealing like a happy child. But don't tell him I said that. Oh, yes, he reads this... but you were, Phiroze, and you know it.

My sister is coming home tomorrow, and I hope she likes what I've done with her place...I tidied it quite a lot and I hope she doesn't mind that I moved the couch. I am staying one more night in Amsterdam at Emily's and hitching a ride with Mum back on Monday, as she has a meeting here then.

 Anyway, I better go and get some sleep, she might arrive home early in the morning.