NYE Amsterdam
I live pretty much just around the corner, but it wasn’t until last week that I finally visited Amsterdam. Every time I travel I lose my heart a little bit, falling in love with this new place, the atmosphere, the people. Okay there’s definitely a few places that I don’t have any urge to re-visit, but the general rule is that I fall in love a little. And with Amsterdam as well.
We did HomeExchange, staying in the center of the city in a wonderful neighborhood, having an entire apartment to ourselves, free of cost – for me this is one of the the best ways to travel. I’ve stayed the most amazing places around the world, and only had great experiences. If you haven’t tried this yet, I highly recommend you to.
Even in the cold winter weather, the city is so beautiful that you feel like you’re walking around inside an old painting.
In the winter, the Amsterdam Light Festival has filled the city with amazing art installations. This one is titled ‘178 bottles – one message’ and is a reference to the 178 nationalities living in Amsterdam. It’s created from bottles, lighting up while changing into all 178 flags, and obviously the message is LOVE.
A lot of time was spent just wandering around admiring all the street art.
I tried to do a panorama on this one, but it was such a narrow alley that I couldn’t get backwards enough.
I do love Curtis Kulig and his ‘Love Me’, so seeing this made me happy. Last time was the Easter Egg hunt in New York.
And then a little wisdom for the bike ride..
And last, New Years Eve. Simply magical.
We didn’t get home until 6 in the morning – I can’t even remember when I last time partied this long and had so much fun. Btw I think this is the first picture ever on my blog that I’m actually in, even if it is only the back of me.
If you haven’t been yet, go visit Amsterdam, do homeexchange, explore and have fun. And may 2015 be an amazing year with expanding horizons, valuable insights and a million reasons for gratitude.
♥
Bring it
bring the distorted sense of certainty
to this twisted entirety
bring the messiness
the confusing chaos
the emotional wretchedness
bring the blinding clarity
catalyzed by pain too great to contain
too inconvenient to sustain
but consistently
too loud to ignore
bring it all
I surrender
with gratitude greater than ever before
I love it all
♥
Cycles
again
concluding the cycle at the same juncture
of sadness
with him
it always ends there
when not even the illusion
of hope
can be sustained
I finally disengage
again
but even with distance
the sadness remains
Body
honor the constantly transforming constellation
of corporeal sensory distraction
and allow this vessel communication
express
only
truth
an entanglement of life itself
this body is sacred
Movement
such magic in movement
the way a body comes to life
in choreography
unknown only seconds before
transcending the mind
communicating directly with spirit
with Providence
gracefully creating a language of truth
swirling mysteries hidden in flesh
dancing a prayer
of wisdom embodied
A reality in progress
Once it was only a whisper
persistently reminding me
of an essence I wasn’t ready to set free
once I was too sensitive to the weakness of others
willing to excuse their limited reality
making myself smaller
to not step on their toes
to not be unjust
to others than myself
but not anymore
Destroy the last fragments of acceptance to conform to structures suffocating the truth in my heart
turn my whisper into a powerful song and let this truth resonate through everything I do
cut away my eagerness to accommodate other people’s needs when they merely echo ignorant manipulation
enable me to recognize with all clarity the path I’m walking
and give me the courage to continue forward with open eyes
mobilize all my resources and let them ripple through this world
allow me my softness
nurture my love
remove what doesn’t serve me
♥
Don’t hold back
If you knew that everything is possible.
If you allowed yourself to shape reality in any way your heart tells you to.
What would that look like?
Don’t hold back.
♥
Ocean and sky – again
I never get tired of the ocean. Ocean and sky. Always changing, always such a perfect canvas for reflection. This day was dark and stormy – very dramatic, very beautiful.