A Spring In Scandinavia

After a rough second half of 2018, I needed something, anything, to stop myself from spiraling and obsessing over the constant thoughts in my head. I needed a project to throw myself into: something I could plan down to the minute detail, something I could be very proud of, something nothing or no one could…

You Never Forget How To Ride A Bike

So there I was, lying on the street, clutching my left knee in pain on a busy intersection on one of Maastricht’s main bridges, trying not to feel flustered or helpless. But that was easier said than done. My hair was an utter mess. Sweat had begun to make its way down my back. We…

When In Greece, Planning Is An Afterthought

When we found out we couldn’t legally enter Portugal for our spring trip, Ahmad and I needed to think quickly. To not go on holiday was unthinkable. We’d already began our countdown. We’d also, stupidly, disregarded all the travel advice including that of the embassy and booked non-refundable tickets. In my defense, they were a…

When A Group of Strangers Travels Together

In the lead up to our trip to Sri Lanka, I had been telling Ahmad that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad that we would be travelling as part of a group, doing everything together for the next few days. If anything, I hoped it would lead to new friendships (as I am always looking…

Our Family Reunited for Christmas

There was no elaborate table set up and no extensive spread of food and drinks. There was no decoration adorning the walls and the various rooms of the house. No photos were taken, and nobody bothered to dress up. But it was worth every moment, because for this Christmas, we were finally reunited- my father…

Berlin Had Me At Hello

The good people of Maastricht, and Limburg in general, are big on Carnival, so much so that we got a whole ten days off, with almost no work, to celebrate.But since I’m not big on neither dressing up in funky costumes or drinking, when Lina suggested we journey to the German capital, I welcomed the…

A Modest Twinkling Christmas in Maastricht

Christmas is one of my favorite seasons of the year. It most certainly has to do with the lights, those twinkling bright lights that are hung up for almost a month. They just make everything seem prettier and brighter. I can’t believe that we’re heading towards mid-April already. Wasn’t all the excitation surrounding Christmas just…