Carrying Light Into 2026

Standing and watching the last-ever street fireworks on New Year’s Eve—before the ban is implemented—made me reflect on all the changes 2025 brought with it. Lower blood sugar. A little more mobility. A hearing aid in my right ear to join the left one I was already wearing. I found new online friends. I dealtContinue reading “Carrying Light Into 2026”

Deafinitely Not What I Expected: The Blog My Brain Wrote While I Slept

Dear Readers, After a late night and little sleep, I became painfully aware that I had just two hours left to catch more z’s when the light started seeping through my curtains. That’s when it happened again. Instead of falling into deep sleep, my brain dragged me into another dream where it mixed a tinyContinue reading “Deafinitely Not What I Expected: The Blog My Brain Wrote While I Slept”

DI-RECT at De Kuip: A Night to Remember 

It all started with a road trip. Destination: Dordrecht. Transportation: Mom’s car (thanks, Mom!). Jessy and I hit the road, fueled by excitement and a playlist full of bangers to power us through the two-hour journey—which felt more like three thanks to traffic jams that apparently wanted to join the party too. We arrived atContinue reading “DI-RECT at De Kuip: A Night to Remember “

My Ear-y Tale: Staycations, Second Chances, and Screaming at Microsoft

May: a magical month full of plot twists, personal growth, and one long-standing feud with the wind. This was the month I hit pause on life with a staycation and pressed rewind on a decision I made months ago — to stop wearing my hearing aid. Turns out, sometimes life gives you lemons and audiologyContinue reading “My Ear-y Tale: Staycations, Second Chances, and Screaming at Microsoft”

Cane, Cushions, and Chaos: A 60-Day Saga

Dear loyal readers, There seems to be an inexplicable force in the universe—possibly the same one responsible for tangled headphones and disappearing socks—that prevents me from writing monthly blogs as intended. But fear not! The last 60 days have been packed with excitement, progress, and a few laugh-worthy moments that I just know you’re dyingContinue reading “Cane, Cushions, and Chaos: A 60-Day Saga”

December: A Month of Mischief, Magic, and Memories

December is hands down my favorite month. It’s like a marathon of festive preparation that starts as soon as the calendar flips. In the Netherlands, tradition dictates waiting until December 6th—after Sinterklaas (who, I should clarify, has nothing to do with Christmas here) hops on his steam boat back to Spain—before putting up the ChristmasContinue reading “December: A Month of Mischief, Magic, and Memories”

November Tales: Progress, Fairs and Fabulous Music

I’m only just finding the time to write about November, yet Christmas is knocking on the door like an overexcited caroler. Where did the time go? Well, I’ve been busy, but this is about November. If you’re itching for December, you’ll just have to come back later. Suspense builds character, you know! Looking back atContinue reading “November Tales: Progress, Fairs and Fabulous Music”

Sick Days, Snack Swaps, and Self-Care Wins: My October Roundup

Two days after coming back from a warm, sunny, and downright spectacular vacation in Greece at the end of September, Jessica and I found ourselves oddly toasty—even though Dutch weather was chilly. A quick test with the COVID kits we had lying around revealed we’d brought home an unexpected souvenir we hadn’t paid for: Corona!Continue reading “Sick Days, Snack Swaps, and Self-Care Wins: My October Roundup”

Listening Differently: Embracing the Power of Sign Language

As we strolled through the village, passing the hearing aid shop, Jessica suddenly asked, “Are you even wearing your hearing aid?” I smiled and said, “Nope, haven’t worn it in four months.” She knew I’d had this particular hearing aid for five years, so it was definitely due for an upgrade. She wanted to makeContinue reading “Listening Differently: Embracing the Power of Sign Language”

To Lesbos and Back: An Epic Journey of Waffles, Castles, and Toilet Paper Lessons. 

Ah, vacation time! The epic part of adulting. We had been counting down the days since we booked in January, working hard on our physical health and preparing for what promised to be a memorable escape. After many years of staycations and daydreams, I was finally off on a real vacation! Destination: Lesbos! Yes, theContinue reading “To Lesbos and Back: An Epic Journey of Waffles, Castles, and Toilet Paper Lessons. “