Last Thoughts

If everything goes according to plan (and hopefully it should) I’ll be hitting Holland tomorrow evening. So, here go my last thoughts for my seven year sabbatical from my country of origin.

The first question: Am I ready to go back?

Yes. I think it will be good for me to see the country that helped form me – as well as trying to relearn the language. Now that I’ve been hanging out with Dutch people for nearly two weeks continuously I’ve started thinking in Dutch again. The annoying thing is, thinking in Dutch is a lot harder than thinking in English and I actually feel stupid. There’s only two solutions for that. One: Make certain I don’t speak any Dutch, so that I think in English. Two: Improve my Dutch. I think I’ll bite the bullet and go for option two.

Second Question: Was it a good idea to go away?

Absolutely! It was a brilliant seven years and I think all in all I’ve grown immensely over these years. I feel comfortable in my own skin, happy with whom I am and pleased with my abilities. I think that my seven years of travelling has given me a lifetime of experience that I would otherwise not have. I understand foreign values, appreciate the differences in cultures and appreciate what different places have to offer. What is more, I’ve realised that what I’ve been looking for can be found nearly everywhere, as long as I look in the right places.

Third Question: Will I stay in Holland?

I doubt it. I might be able to find what I’m looking for where ever I am, but that doesn’t mean I’m done looking at new things. This world is amazing and, as the famous quote goes: the world’s a book and if you don’t travel, you only get to see one page (that’s not an exact quote, mind you). The best way to learn is to move outside your comfort zone and the easiest way (though hardly the only way) to move out of you comfort zone is to leave the place you’re in.

Fourth Question: What do you hope to get out of Holland?

I have given up completely on trying to get something from somewhere. I went to India with absolutely no idea of what I was going to get and as a result I got more than I ever imagined. One of the principles that I was introduced to in the Luck Factor (brilliant book) was that one of the most basic principles to luck is being open to it. The more focused you are, the less chance you give the world to give you new opportunities, so I refuse to say what I’m going to get; instead I’m just going to take what’s given.