Drops of Jupiter

March passed mischievously fast, just as the sand in a board-game’s hourglass funnels without any notice. The pink and yellow tulips blooming along the liquid-mercury canals welcomed the beginning of spring, our long awaited friend. Although erratic, the sky in Utrecht is finally revealing its blue behind the otherwise grey curtain of clouds. The sun’s happiness inevitably reminds me of what little time I have left during my study abroad. Just yesterday, I officially booked my flight back to California, and doing so fostered a newfound vocation to maximize the rest of this experience. The ache that comes with realizing that the greatest year of my life is closing can only be cured through the art of romanticizing each day. So, let’s do that together as I reflect back on the month that passed too soon.

March began as a storybook in the medieval town of Brugge, Belgium. Given that Belgium is a mere 5 hour bus away, I vowed to return and see more beyond the confines of Brussels, which I explored back in September. The quaint villages of Brugge, Ghent, and Ostend made me feel like a princess, their cobblestone streets, castles, and bell-towers fostering an enchanting tale. Ostend is a European San Diego, as it is a beachside town and the first time I have felt sand on my feet in 7 months!

As quaint as Belgium was, its charms could not compare to my roadtrip to Luxembourg, which may be one of my favorite excursions yet. My roommates Stephanie, Elaina, Nina, and I rented a car and drove through the rolling hills to this tiny cowgirl country. Being in a car again and seeing depth in the terrain (the Netherlands is unrelentingly flat) brought me an obnoxious amount of excitement! For four days, we lived in a cottage Air Bnb with horses roaming the farmland outside, and engaged our curiosity with night hikes, cave tours, and Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” castle (see picture below)! With my cowgirl hat (which I adamantly wore daily) and the freedom of being in a car, I felt quite like Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford must have mutated into a blonde California girl! Luxembourg, which is best described as the cross between Snow White and Lord of the Rings, was my favorite not because of its beauty, for Venice and Lucerne were much grander. The trip was memorable because it bonded me and my roommates infinitely more than I could have hoped. We cooked meals together, slept in an enormous bed, and all exchanged childlike curiosity with each other. My stomach ached from all of our laughs, and our “book club” reading sessions in the cottage will forever be a core memory.

The remainder of March was packed to the brim with wonder: slurping on gelato with Grainne as we celebrate the long daylight hours, biking to the gym with Andi and bulking on protein afterwards, dying my hair pink again and wondering whether I should do it permanently. Everything has been more magical here, and it is perhaps because I am opening my mind to noticing the intricacies of each day. I will snatch little fallen flowers and poke them in my hair, study in new cathedral-like buildings around the city, climb trees and walk outside the second I see a hint of blue. It is as if my toddler self is being revived, her curiosities and wide-eyed perspective on the world illuminating my life. I had the opportunity to see Tom Odell live in Amsterdam, and his song “Black Friday” summarizes the mindset I am curating as I appreciate my last three months abroad: “You look so pretty, pretty like the sun. I could watch forever while you shine on everyone.” Although the idea of leaving this experience brings me storm clouds of sadness, I long to foster a sunshine outlook on my beautiful Netherlands days. What a gift it is when even your daydreams can’t compare to your reality. I am living a storybook life here, and I will eternally be grateful for every experience, memory, and drop of sunshine.

Let’s hope April passes slowly,

Katia