From Manila to Amsterdam

Mabuhay everyone! I am May , 36 years old from the Philippines. Back in Manila, I have worked as a teacher for more than 15 years. My interests include a wide range of things such as art, music, dance, fitness and travel. However, what you might  find interesting about me is the seven-year long distance relationship I  maintained with my husband. 

Yes, you heard it right! Seven arduous years of living apart from my partner which may as well be broken down to 5 years of dating and 2 years of being married. The power of internet of course brought possibilities to our once hopeless situation.  Above all, we followed the summon of our willing minds and longing  hearts. For those years that  we were apart we traveled  to be with each other's company and for few weeks managed to slash  the gap of  10, 385 kilometers in distance and 6 hours in time difference. 

But alas! Those seven years have finally come to an end! The bittersweet fruit of patience was just right for picking when we drew nearer to the finale of the  immigration process. On February 27, I arrived at Schiphol bearing an  MVV sticker on my passport. I hope that would  be the last time I had to be picked up then dropped off again to Schiphol.  The moment I saw my husband,  I felt  like a damsel in distress who was  finally rescued by my prince charming. If we were in a fairy tale, the last page of our story must have ended right there . It was the end of our  ‘happily ever after’ but our real-life journey  is just about to begin….

From here onward,  I plan to detail  most  of my  personal recounts and reflections as a newbie resident, a rookie wife and maybe soon, as a novice employee or perhaps a first time mom (who knows..)  I am a neophyte , inside and out. It has just been two weeks since I arrived so I am still basically someone who lived most of her life on the other side of the world. Where do I put the blame ? To the  laws of nature for making everything on that other side of the globe completely the opposite of the life I have to live here ? Before my sanity breaks loose,  here is a gentle reminder to self - HASTE NOT! Nature also dictates that gradual adaptation takes time and  time is of essence in rebooting one's consciousness. For now, I just have to sit back , relax, chill in the cold climate and enjoy what this land ( the 'Holy Land' as my dad would always proclaim),  well known for windmills, tulips , its abundant staple of coffee and cheese has to offer :)