Annual review: help is needed

No, I did not die and gone to heaven. I was just busy with finishing my studies and finding a job (and between you and me, I was a little bit too lazy to write a new blog).
For now: Driving lessons & changing goals

#52 Start driving lessons

Yes! I finally have the courage (and the money) to keep up with my driving lessons. My very first lesson I had the day I turned eighteen, but at that time I was so insecure and uptight, it didn't go that well... And besides that, I was saving up for college so I couldn't afford to continue. But now, everything has changed! It feels quite good to be on the road. And when people ask me how the lessons go, I respond with an appropriate: "At my pace, everything is going very well" *smiley face* 

Changing goals

Unfortunately, I have to adjust a few goals, because of changed circumstances. After I finished my studies I went back to Rotterdam and lived with my parents for a while. This, for me, wasn't my ideal setting for after graduation, so I found another place to live with two girls in the city. As it is not my own home and I have plans to find something for myself in about 1,5 to 2 years, I can’t change that much in the house. The goals # 77 ‘Paint a wall with inspiring words’ and # 92 ‘Buy a cat and call him….’ have to give place for new, fresh goals.

Also, goal #62 (Get a tattoo) is now goal #3: Spend this money on something fun! I would like to spend my dearly saved money on a tattoo design of my own. In that way it will always remind me of this lovely project. And at last, I still need two more goals in the ‘Fill in the blank-category’. My question for you: do you have any ideas or suggestions? Please, help me to come up with FIVE new goals! :D

By the way, I realized I still have 51 goals to finish! HELP!

Nail confession

It has been a problem even since I was little - correction: younger. My nails were always short and ugly. I don't have the habit of biting them, as most people with this problem do, but I tear them off. It's really bad and I do feel ashamed about it. I've done several attempts to stop it and to grow my nails, but after a while I relapsed again. 
But, we can celebrate a little success I think: since I started this day zero project, I've been able to grow 4 nails! :P I have them already since a year now, so that's pretty nice I think. The only problem is that my other hand has to endure a lot...  It's been so bad nowadays that some of them hurt. 

I decided that the reward of one euro is not enough, so maybe you can help me!
Do you have any tips or suggestions for how I can stop this awful habit? Or do you maybe want to contribute in the reward?? Something like: If you manage to grow your nails, I'll bake you a cake! Or something else that won't cause over weight... 

This is a desperate call for help! 

Major update

It has already been six months since I wrote my last blog. This happens to me every time ever since I was younger. I had the habit to buy a ‘fancy’ diary (you know, the one with cats, horses or ballerinas or something like that…) almost each year. I started writing fanatically for a couple of times, but after a few days already more often I skipped a day or two. Eventually, I even stopped writing in it. At that point not even a quarter of the diary would be filled with the foolish thoughts of a young girl. The next year or even sooner I bought a new diary again, for ‘a fresh start’.  And so, this went on and on… 

I’m afraid this blog is kind of the same as keeping up my diary. But as one of my goals is to write at least 10 blogs in English, I have to stay strong with this one! A lot has happened in the past months, but I will save you the trouble to get into the details of the pursuing of my goals.

#26: One of my most important goals was to travel around in Europe for 3 or 4 weeks and I had to visit at least three countries. And oh yeah, I did it. Although in current times, most young people travel much further away, I am of the opinion that Europe also had a lot to offer. For the first time I travelled alone and with a backpack. And maybe nowadays this may not seem like a big achievement, but for me it was. I’ve been to 11 cities in 6 different countries and met a lot of amazing people. The first week I travelled with a good friend of mine. We’ve been to Berlin, Munich (Germany) and Salzburg (Austria) and after we’ve said goodbye I went to Verona, Venice, Rome (Italy), Athens, Chersonisos (Greece), Oslo (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Hamburg (Germany).  

To give an impression: 

 

 








 











The updates: 

#53:Unfortanately I didn’t get the scholarship, which I wrote about in my last blog.
#8: I did some research on the internet and found a couple of cultural organisations and amazing painting.
#10: Utrecht and Arnhem
#13: Obviously…
#16: I watched a part of the first movie, but  wasn’t really enjoying it, so I changed this goal. I can also watch three Star Wars movies and I recently watched episode IV: A new hope.
#30: Finished!
#34: Only six months to go.
#35: 20 Euros on behalf of the disastrous happenings on the Philippines.
#41: A big Buddha statue for my best friend
#47: Started last week
#51: Started today.
#56: Wasn’t as bad as I thought it was
#61: My mom thought me the basics and I already nit a scarf for a friend of mine (this supported goal #84).
#74: One of the girls a I met during my Eurotrip came to Groningen and with her I went to the petting zoo to pet a cow. It was huge! :P

#78: Almost done, only Q, R, V and Z. Any suggestions?
#81: It’s not even that big of a deal, as I have 9 nieces and nephews
#84: 3 out of 5 (necklace, scarf and something to put jewelry on).
#89: Even though I had two streets, I still lost.

 And I added some new goals in the ‘Fill in the blanks’:
#96: Cycle from Groningen to Spijkenisse.
#97: Make photos in a photo cabin.
#98: Go to dinner on your own (did this on my Eurotrip).
#99: Don’t buy any new clothes for a whole season (this winter). 

As I pointed out, I will spare you the details of the stories behind the realization of these goals. As it is a new year I have the ambition again to write frequently. So, next time I will go further into detail in some of the stories :-)

For now, I have one question or task for you. Could you help me come up with a subject for a poem (Goal #94)?

IFMA and turning dreams into reality

Although I don’t have much free time left according to my day planner, I really want to post a new update about my day zero project. In the last blog I promised to post it already last week, but I failed… ;-) I’ve been busy with one my personal development goals: apply for a scholarship of IFMA. The application had to contain several lists and it took me a while to think of the aspects I would like to mention and how to phrase that. 

One of the assignments was to write about my long term and short term goals for my career. In my first English blog I mentioned something about how I feel my heart is somewhere else (instead of with my  current study), but I’m not sure where... 

Well, today I would like share a part of the assignment I had to make for my application, which will display a bit of my career dream: 

To describe what my short and long-term goals are, I must distinguish between two aspects; what kind of leader I would like to be and where I would like to work.

[…] The second part I would like to explain is the field I would like to work in. Ever since I saw the musical ‘The Lion King’ in The Netherlands I’ve developed a great passion for the theatre. It’s like being in love; you feel that it’s right and it gives you shivers, but you can’t really explain what makes you feel that way. It’s not just the shows and performances, but when I visit the theatre I’m constantly and every time again impressed by the organisation. The decor, the costumes, the lighting, the music; everything is so well fitted.  It would be amazing to be a part of that. I’m not sure yet where I would fit in, but I’m sure I want to fit in somewhere. To get more familiar with the various aspects of the theatre, I want to take a volunteer job in the short term.
In the end my dream is to run a respectable theatre, where the people work in harmony and they see me as their equal, who they can always turn to.

I think some of you already knew about this dream, as I’m a bit of a musical fan. From the moment I came back from Bonaire I've been telling more people about this dream and some of them helped me making contact with somebody they know in theatres in Groningen. Besides that I've been applying for jobs, but untill now only a volunteer job is available. However, as I already have a job, I can also go for that volunteer job, just to get more familiar with all the aspects of the theatre. Also, seeing more shows would help! (maybe an idea for another goal for day zero?!)

Tonight I will also visit the theatre for one of my other goals: #24: Go to an opera or ballet performance. Already two years ago me and a good friend of mine promised each other to go see an opera performance. Because we both never saw one, but believed we would enjoy it. Tonight’s performance: Romeo & Juliette!

Status #48: On the first of May I decided (or at least my body did) to stop drinking any alcohol for a month. And so far I am successful! I have to say I have been avoiding going out at night, so I made it myself easy. Just two more days to go! :D

Doeltjes schrappen, uit wil en noodzaak

 #48. Drink een maand lang geen alcohol
Zucht...
Als ik zeg dat ik de hele maand mei geen alcohol drink, word ik raar aangekeken. "Maar het is nu juist zulk lekker terrasweer". Dat klopt! En daarom vind ik het ook wel een klein beetje jammer, maar het is echt nodig! Afgelopen weekend commissieweekend en de daarop volgende Koninginnenacht en -dag hebben iets te veel gevraagd van mijn lichaam. Na deze dagen was mijn immuunsysteem sterk verzwakt, wat ertoe heeft geleid dat ik twee dagen met griep heb gelopen. Een duidelijke hint van mijn lichaam naar m'n verstand dat ik het even rustiger aan moet doen. Zoals één van m'n vriendinnen dat altijd mooi kan zeggen; "Luister naar je lichaam!".
Dat doe ik nu dus noodgedwongen ook! En dat dat moet in de maand mei, waarin we net eindelijk een beetje zon toegediend krijgen, zorgt voor een extra uitdaging. Sterk zijn! Ik weet dat jullie me steunen! ;-)

#10. Bezoek alle hoofdsteden van Nederland - I & II
Afgelopen weekend heb ik weer twee euro mogen sparen: zaterdag heb ik een bezoek gebracht aan een vriend in Den Haag. Na elkaar zo'n negen maanden niet te hebben gezien, hadden we weer een hoop bij te kletsen. Inmiddels  ook plannen gemaakt om samen een aantal van mijn doelen op te pakken. Erg leuk dat er nog best wel wat mensen zijn die me willen helpen bij het realiseren van mijn doelen, fijn te weten dat ik er niet alleen in sta!

Afgelopen zondag heb ik met een vriendin prinsheerlijk (prinsesheerlijk, Koningsheerlijk... verandert daar nu nog iets aan?) in het Stadspark Groningen genoten van het bevrijdingsfestival. Ondanks dat de line-up niet zo interessant was, hadden we gelukkig het weer mee! Chillmodus, mensen kijken en genieten maar! Ultieme invulling van zo'n zonnige, vrije dag en zeker voor herhaling vatbaar!

Beide dagen waren trouwens al een goede challenge voor m'n alcoholloze maand; I made it through! :D

#90. Bij de kapper laat je je haar... 
En nu natuurlijk het doel waarop een aantal van jullie hebben zitten wachten... Wat is er met mijn haar gebeurd? Na verschillende reacties via blog, facebook, whatsapp of persoonlijk contact, viel de keuze op de boblijn... tadaaaaa:

Naar mijn mening nog niet eens heel extreem, maar ik had er zelf toch niet snel voor gekozen. Gelukkig kan ik mijn vriendinnen dus vertrouwen en weten zij best heel goed wat mij staat! Thanks girls!




Volgende week weer een blog in het Engels; IFMA and turning dreams into reality!