That’s a Wrap: A Semester in the Netherlands

It’s almost like the end of a fairytale, the only difference is no one prepares you for this very bitter sweet ending.

Reflecting over the semester really helped me learn some valuable lessons:

  1. Quality over quantity. I spent almost all of my time with my 10 flatmates and a small few other friends I made during my time. Though I could’ve happily made more friends, sharing a home with my best friends and spending quality time with them as often as possible, deepening our bond was my best decision. This way I made genuine, life long friends and I’m all the more grateful for it.
  2. You don’t have to do/ see everything. Though it is vital to explore your new home and neighbouring areas, don’t rush. Sometimes taking a day to spend with friends by the river or sit inside and watch the rain or sleep in after a busy day previously is just as important as getting out and seeing. Those little moments sometimes end up being more meaningful than the big ones. Be mindful throughout your experience.
  3. Serendipity. This is a fun little word a learned but an essential lesson I will carry with me in life. Sometimes we don’t find what we’re looking for but we end up in somewhere far better than expected.

So my 6 months can simply be boiled down to those 3 sentences which resulted bittersweet ending (bitter only because it had to end and sweet because of the lessons learned) but the journey to that ending was something quite beautiful in itself.

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