All of a sudden, I see how many good things happened this November. I can just say that I am grateful for so much – and so few will fit in the pictures. It can be tearing down a construction in Veenhuizen or marking the walls with the laser; making bird sounds during the improv games or enjoying watching the others perform. It is me trying stand-up for the first time or learning new capoeira moves, which make me feel so good in my mind and body. Sometimes this gratitude lies in simple jokes during history lectures and sometimes – in going to expositions, escape rooms, having dinners with dear ones and reconnecting. It also lies in visiting Glow and writing wishes in a church, watching the university boxing competition or ‘Legally blond’ once again. It is hearing on a rainy walk ‘good morning Yulia!’ from the street that makes me smile for another day, or a university sign wishing a tailwind. It also is a suddenly taken train to Rotterdam, with a tram to the wrong direction. And most importantly, it is spending time with my mom and all the evening talks, despite being constantly busy.
By the end of the month I was feeling present and calm, and it is a huge contrast with me at the start of it. I notice that, even though my mind is desperately trying to find excuses, I do see myself and my life differently than those 30 – or even less – days ago.
