Appreciation

Hi all!

I’m checking in here after a packed weekend of stroopwafles, canals and dangerous bike lanes! My friend from Scotland and I left Dijon on Thursday night to head to Amsterdam. The bus we took lasted through the night and, in spite of the sleep deprived state in which we arrived to the city, we were blown away by its beauty!

Our hostel was actually a boat, located about 5 minutes from the central train station. Being used to sleeping in tight quarters and dealing with gentle rocking of the boat (that seems to last for at least a day afterwards), I was happy to be on the water. The Anne Frank Museum proved to be one of the most moving memorials I have ever visited and the stroopwafles that are sold warm on the street served as an irresistible mid-afternoon treat. However, what I loved most about the city was its intricate system of canals and bridges. The canals are all lined by beautiful boats, ranging from the ultra-modern tour boats, to small teak vessels and square, ivy-covered house boats–I wish I could have shared this experience with my family, knowing that certain members would be particularly interested in stopping to examine the boats!

Despite all the beauty and fun Amsterdam held, some sad news has been weighing on my mind. I learned last week that one of the students I have in class passed away in a car accident. Though this tragedy shocks and saddens me, it also teaches me to take advantage of my time–seeing the fragility of life can be the biggest wake-up call to appreciate every moment we have. My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone affected by the death of this young man and I hope that we will all be able to continue living our lives to the fullest in order to honor a life that was cut too short.

à la prochaine,

Thomas

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016 at 8:26 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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