If you are on your way out the door after spilling coffee on yourself and you realize you forgot to do an assignment, it must be Monday. If you are not entirely sure what day it is and you fumble off of your bike into the only puddle of mud in town, you might be able to guess it is Monday. But if you are still oblivious, don’t worry. Three people will find a way to yell at you in Dutch under three entirely different circumstances. One retched old woman may even grab you as you ride past her on your bike in the center. If you want the icing on the cake you better hope that the only time it rains all day just so happens to perfectly line up with the 20 minute bike ride from the University to the student housing.

 

This is my Monday in a nutshell.

 

Normally one would look at this series of unnecessarily unfortunate events as a sign that their day is ruined.. but I didn’t.

 

It is about 3 p.m. and I still have so much to look forward to.

 

To the old woman who I assume cursed at me for being an ignorant young girl with lack of consideration for others ((side note: turns out I had been riding my bike on a pedestrians only road)), I apologize for being so oblivious. Thank you not so retched woman for making me evaluate the situation and laugh at myself once I found I was the one in the wrong.

 

Thank you also to the spilt coffee for making me put on a warmer sweater to protect me from the rain that would come later. Praise be to God for allowing me to get rest instead of staying up to do the forgotten assignment because it is actually due Tuesday and not today.

 

 

While tomorrow only marks the third week since I left the United States to embark on this new journey, I can honestly say my heart has experienced the growth that some undergo in an entire lifetime.

I feel rich in spirit. I feel confident in myself. I feel love for others. I feel empathy for all.

 

I am being made new.

 

What I mean to say is that no matter where you are there will be the “Monday blues” and random puddles of mud that seem to find you. Flying across the ocean and planting roots in another country will not eliminate the battles of life. It will, however, give you experiences you could have never dreamt of. A new perspective will be brought forward. You will forever be changed.

 

Here’s a quote to sum things up:

 

“Some people are unforgettable, and so are places. It’s like those weird complicated math equations that have too many steps. You try and try to figure it out but it makes no sense. Then there is a spark of understanding and everything adds up to the perfect sum.” -me