Week 3 Mantra: A bad day doesn’t equal a bad week, month or year! The cure for beating a bad day lies in your mindset. Your heart is more powerful than your head.

edit: When I first wrote this entry when I was still abroad in the Netherlands. I remember sitting at my computer eager to post and POOF. I lost the entire page I had just written. I was SO frustrated I’m pretty sure I even cried. It upset me so much that it pushed me over the edge and I shut my mac for weeks. Funny how I began this entry with such optimism with a “cure for beating the bad days”….the irony huh…

Todays June 14th 2022. A full two years (and some change) later than when I originally took fingers to keyboard on this. ergo, we can see I never made it out of my frustrated mental space.

Earlier I got caught up in a depressive state and found myself stuck in my head once again. I’m thankful to a good friend who drew me out of my sadness and encouraged me to go outside to get some sun. Coincidentally, this next entry was about just that. In part it was about the actual storms happening in the Netherland; metaphorically, it was about the sadness those storms brought — that storm of sadness that sneaks up on you when you’re least expecting it.

With that, I felt moved today to log back in under my “everything with a purpose” alias and write to that emotion. Little did I know how much of a parallel that would be to my most recent draft. Here’s to shining some light on those rainy days–

XO,

stXky ❤

Rain rain go away!

March 3, 2020

3 Major storms hit this week and boy did they hit hard….

It was dark and dreary nearly every day this week. People were miserable and this negativity was clearly expressed in the streets. Quite honestly, I too found myself falling victim to the negative environment around me. I noticed that I struggled wanting to get out of bed let alone going out to complete tasks required by the day. For a moment, I let that feeling consume me; but somehow seeing everyone be so miserable set something off in my brain to instead do the opposite. That night I walked to the bus station in the pouring rain with a huge smile stretched across my face. I can’t quite explain the feeling or how in the least of likelihood & circumstances that happened to me, but it did and it was beautiful to realize. I wanted to share this because even when we feel like we have our minds made up, something inexplainable can overcome our hearts.

Something that speaks to your mind and can change your outlook. Sometimes we forget to remember that our heart is stronger than our head. Our mind makes up our daily emotions & attitude but in our heart is where our ultimate comfort lies. my emotions really impressed me today. Maybe they’ll impress you too

Natural & Organic is the original form, so why must we settle for anything less?

The first time I opened a bag of lays chips I knew immediately there was something different going on. I flipped to the back of the bag to learn that there were only 4 ingredients in total! Same with my Jam, 3…strawberries sugar and water. I ultimately concluded that since there are less providers offered, the market can choose to have minimum items with shorter shelf life because the products will sell out before expiration. Perhaps there is just a healthier cycle of consumerism in this country, but for now, im just content getting fresh produce without the up-pricing. t at home we pay extra for “All-Natural, Organic, Local” produce. When you stop to think, why should there be an up-charge to pay for something that is already NATURALLY perfect and free? The real difference here lies in consumerism. The people here wouldn’t settle for anything less and they also dont need food to have a high shelf life. Many of the food on shelves has a shelf life of 6 mo or less and get sold and consumed way before coming close to that date. Also to say that each european country is not as wide spread as the U.S. is. This means that products do not need to be outsourced as much in say the Netherlands as they do in the U.S. And finally, there arent 5-6 different brands of strawberries to choose from, there’s 1-2. Having less brands also helps pricing be lower because consumers have less option to choose.

Some meals of the week for you foodies!

Oh the places you will go!

This weekend I traveled to Amsterdam to visit with my cousin Kyra and celebrate her 21st! Kyra lives in Greece now but grew up partly in the U.S. and partly in Greece. Growing up I never really got to see her very much because of it. So having the opportunity to spend 4 whole days with her made me so happy!

When the destination falls on your shoulders, your intuition kicks in and you become able to fully take charge.

Cycling around in Amsterdam made cycling in Leiden (my home town) look like a piece of CAKE! During this trip my cousin Kyra and I had rented bikes in AMS and as cycling was not a part of her everyday routine, it fell on my shoulders to make sure we were being safe and well navigated. Although admittedly we got lost a few times, I knew the ropes and was able to guide Kyra along. Prior to this week, I was having anxiety about cycling but being forced to be in a leadership role really helped me to overcome this fear. Once returning home I felt more in control than I ever had before. This really taught me that when faced with animosity, you will come out on top and potentially even really surprise yourself.

In good company . . . ♥︎

I spent a beautiful weekend with my cousin Kyra in Amsterdam and we spent a lot of our evenings talking about life & different ways to view/appreciate people in this world. Growing up I never got to see her very much since part of her life was spent in Cleveland and the other half in Greece. Therefore, many of the following takeaways are from moments I shared with her that i really hold dear to my heart now. Even if not explained in full, each takeaway expresses a very special moment we shared & I love being able to recap with all of you ❤

Weekly Take-aways:

1. Trying to rewrite narratives will exhaust you.

Sometimes I feel responsible for helping the world. Things I’ve been seeing here have made me so confused and upset but I had to remind myself a few things….

You can’t rewrite negative memories. The best you can do is look to heal and grow forward.

It’s not our job to understand why we got here and why but rather what we can do and where we’re going.

It’s not our responsibility to fix the world. This is out of our hands. What we can do is work on being our own best version and improve from there.

You cannot make yourself responsible for the actions of others. This will exhaust you emotionally and make you feel unfulfilled.

Don’t get trapped in the endless loop of frustration trying to change it. Instead, look to find peace in the process.

2. The Dutch make mindful and INTENTIONAL decisions.

The Dutch are very logical in practice. I found this to be true in the simplest of ways. For starters, the dutch do a great job of optimizing their space. Stairwells are tall and narrow, classrooms have stow-away seats and desks, rooms are multi purposed etc. Just from an academic standpoint, it is most efficient and logical to have a multipurpose room, considering the limited space of land with a maximum amount of students. Then, my favorite two memos… 1st, instead of putting whipped cream directly on top of the piping hot beverage, instead they put it on a versatile metal rimmed dish which is then placed on the drink. Prevents it from melting and also ensures you dont get jipped on your drink! 2nd, There are treadmills in ‘tenna-shoe’ stores. Which when you think about it makes a whole lot of sense…I want to make an investment so I need to ensure it is the best fit! This way customers can ensure its the best fit for their athleticism. Everything just makes more sense. Also just to note… when it comes to cycling, since its is the main mode of transportation, they have to be mindful when making decisions while out and about. Quite simply put, They can’t eat too much, shop too much or purchase too much because they have to CYCLE all the way home with that current condition.

3. The outcome of being denied or rejected is the same outcome of not pursuing the opportunity at all.  Go for it. 

A note about Dutch culture that everyone should get to know…. Men sincerely see & treat women as equals. It’s been reaffirmed in so many ways since i’ve been here but here are just a few.

I’ve seen more men carrying their children in slings, cycling with them or holding their hand crossing the street that I have seen women do so. Just LOOK at these pics!!! Men equally share the responsibility of being a parent!

I had a conversation with my cousin’s dutch friends last night and they expressed that the first way they know they like a girl is when they connect on an intellectual level. “I’m attracted to intelligent girls first and foremost” and finally, and this is a HUGE deal to me…. Men receive paternity leave !

i have never loved the culture more… I’m THRILLEd to see what comes next.

and yes, i’m a lurking gal (0:

Thanks for following along on my journey! Keep an eye out for more postings

All my love,

Stellanie X.

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Week 2 Manta: Staying in instead of going out is just as an important part of living your life when studying abroad!

Weekly Happenings:

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Monday was my first day of classes!! Let me tell ya, academia is taken VERY seriously here in the Netherlands. It’s quite refreshing to see so many people in the library taking their studies seriously.

Cycling is hard.

I had been struggling to encourage myself to go out and do things beyond my assigned schedule. I almost felt that because i had not gone out thus far , that it was “too late” to change that decision.

Im slowly working on silencing my anxiety and pushing myself to remember that I am the one in charge. So today, I decided to push myself to go out grocery shopping after class. On a day when you’re feeling down, even doing something small like deciding to do one more thing than you wouldn’t before is a BIG deal.

I was really proud of myself.

I even stopped at the Candy shop to treat myself ( :

Power in sanctifying your space.

On Tuesday I started to feel like my time here was already flying by. I was getting anxious and a bit sad because I know there is still so much I have yet to do. So, in order to remind myself to remain present, I decided to sanctify my space. In doing this, I always made a point to sanctify my time.

Thus setting my morning and evening goals to mindfully and intentionally read the Bible. Every morning I would read the days Epistle and the Gospel, and every evening, I would read 1-3 Psalms.

Part of my goal in doing this was to truly connect with the people who wrote the history of Christ Jesus’s life. In order to do that, it was essential to put down the phone, physically hold the Bible, visually see the words, and audibly say them aloud. –THIS has made the greatest impact on my relationship with Christ

Food of the week:

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Style

Weekly Takeaways:

Believing and TRUSTing in yourself helps you to GROW.

In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve realized that I am so comfortable being a follower, that being a leader with certain tasks scares me. I am learning to combat this habit by reaffirming myself in all things possible. Reaffirming that I am capable of completing a task entirely on my own reminds me of my untapped potential. —-Don’t allow fear or disbelief to discourage you from being a leader.

Sanctifying your space helps you remember that YOU are in control.

You are a creature of your environment. Nourish it, keep it clean and make it your own.

Staying in and keeping comfy does not make you a lazy person.

Theres nothing wrong with staying at home and lounging around. I made a rule for myself however that even if I plan on staying in all day. I have to 1. change from my pjs and 2. Brush teeth and wash face. Doing these two things makes any potential for leaving the house (if I wanted to) possible. & remember, it is seriously important to take days off from the daily tasks of life.

Find comfort in what works for you.

Part of enjoying time abroad is having a variety of experiences. Being able to combine exploring new places as well as finding comfort in staying indoors has been a really healthy medium for me.

Realizing that no two persons “study abroad” experience is the same has helped me appreciate what MY experience are and will be. I have my own method and following it will bring me the most joy and best possible outcome.

Thanks for following along on my journey! Hoping to post every Sunday 

All the best,

Stellanie X.