Almost 12 years ago, I came to live in Amsterdam. It was the single best decision I have made in my life until a few months ago.I fell in love with the place. I was taken to bars and restaurants in the Jordaan and the Pijp, enjoyed Bokbier in the Autumn, partied on Queens Day in the Spring and drank in the melancholy of the long winter before the glimpses of sunshine Amsterdam calls summer returned. I was introduced to the small villages outside of the city, watching the sunset at Marken and enjoying pancakes in Monnickendam. Finally I fell for the charm of flat Dutch polder landscapes and big skies.
Great friends came into my life and stayed - Morten and Christine, Sonny and Peter, Helena, Rogier and Carmen, Bruce, Siobhan, the Li clan, Mieke, Chantal and Frank. Those friendships lasted through a 4-year absence while living in Vienna. Since returning, new friendships like those with Yvonne and the Angel Mafia have also come.I didn't give one second's thought to moving to London when my job moved there. With all this joy and love for the city and the friendships here, why would you leave? It would have to be something quite dramatic, right?
And so, one day before I do indeed leave - for 5 months, or even longer? who knows? - I flick through printouts of some of the bookings Nicki and I have made for our Round The World trip. It is unreal to see my notes on each one - "car hire, New Zealand", "hostel, Cuzco", "log cabin, Maine", "visa Australia", "hotel, Tahiti". I feel like one paper should say "car hire, The Moon". Because I thought other people do these kinds of trips and make these kinds of decisions in life. It seemed impossible that I would do so, and on the eve of departure, it still feels incredible to think of visiting all of these places.
And not only that. To do this trip with a great person who has also committed a chunk of her life to our adventure together is the best possible way to take a next step in life.
One little surprise. The guy who is renting my apartment comes from the same town I went to school in. He is the first person from Gravesend I have met since leaving England. It's a small world...
First stop, Greece - to celebrate my father's 70th birthday with his Greek friends, an event that has been a mark on the calendar for the whole year. Then back to UK for a few days, and we fly to New York on 26th October. My own journey starts tomorrow when I fly to England and join up with Nicki. It's 4 months since we met and I can't wait to be together with her.
The full story of the trip will appear here and this blog will continue Round the World. From Canon to Canberra.
