Home?

For the first time since I moved here and spent a few days in the Dam, it didn't feel like home anymore. I noticed how grumpy I got when trying to get some information on how to get to Arena from Schiphol - an almost impossible task, and so completely different from the service I have become used to. Hearing Dutch was weird, as was grabbing lunch on the go on Saturday. Being spoilt with Pret and cheap sushi bars, I felt a bit lost.

Then again, seeing my close friends, made me realise that the basics haven't changed. I still love them to bits and know those feelings are mutual. When sitting around the table in cafe De Jaren, I looked at the friends I have known for 8 to 15 years and knew we could well be sitting in that same setting again years from now, and the basis would be as strong. Mary, Martin and Elena are friends of more recent times, but the strong bond of friendship I feel, is the same.

But it is weird. I always thought Amsterdam would never cease to feel like home. This weekend, it were the people he made me come home - not the city, despite its beauty and vibrance.