Unlike some of my friends studying at the Vrije Universiteit, my course schedule has lecture five days a week, meeting multiple times a day. I recently experienced the two gruesome weeks of finals followed by the next period’s courses with no break in between. While this sounds like a whole lot of “not so much fun”, throughout this process I have learned that I thoroughly enjoy my holiday breaks. I have also learned that sometimes, it is about the little things.

Keith Haring, Stedelijk Museum

This past Monday I had a day off of lecture *gasp*. I took this opportunity and, in my opinion, lived it to the fullest. I slept in until 11:00am (plus I was sick so I really needed the sleep) and took my time enjoying a slow morning. I got dressed, bundled up and biked to Museumplein to visit the Stedelijk Museum by myself.  

It was sunny for the first time in three days and while the wind was brisk, the sun made up for it. Once I found a parking spot for my bike Makda, I made my way into the museum. It was lovely to pace through the museum on my own timeline. The Stedelijk Museum had a Keith Haring exhibit, and I sat on a beanbag chair enjoying it for I don’t know how long. When I was ready I made my way to the “family room” where anyone was welcome to draw on anything in the room. I gladly took part. When I was ready, I made my way back to Makda and biked home.

The Cactus Blossoms

In the common space of our apartment (realistically, it’s just our kitchen) I was surprisingly productive before heading out with a group of friends to go see The Cactus Blossoms, a band from Minneapolis, Minnesota (my home!!). As we walked into the venue, we laughed noticing that we definitely brought the age demographic down by quite a few years. We all had a great time. Afterwards, some people from our group got fries (classic) before we biked home is the frigid wind. I made some tea to warm up once I got home, and reflected on my amazing day before setting my alarm for lecture the next morning.