100 days in Holland (reprise)

A rerun from roaming, reread while rooted

Hallo, fellow learn-it-all 👋 Greetings from somewhere on the Baltic coast, either now in Sweden or Denmark.

Today marks 100 days since I moved back to the Netherlands, specifically to Amsterdam, marking my second '100 days in Holland' milestone, counting the nomadic chapter last fall. I'm mid-cycling trip without Internet or writing bandwidth this week, so I'm resurfacing the original Letter 282 from last October, back when I was still finding my footing here.

Back last October, it was a season of my life when I didn’t know if I’d make it to this 100-day milestone, since my visa was only 90 days. It had me constantly looking for my next housesit, counting steps, tomatoes, thrifted flannels, and new friendships. I’ve gathered the numbers, the flavors, the moments that add up to a sense of belonging. It felt natural to be here. Friendships formed with ease. Events sprouted out of thin air. I stayed warm and went outside anyway.

Worth rereading now that I'm more rooted instead of roaming. (Though there's real irony in writing that before my butt is in a bike seat on the Baltic coast. Turns out roots don't mean staying still. I just didn't know I needed this kind of movement until I was in it.)

Now, let’s dive into a reread of letter 322 (as a reread of letter 282) from a learn-it-all. Enjoy!

~~~

❓Question to think about

What’s the past 100 days look like?
(What film would I like to show?)

🖊️Writing

100 days in Holland,
and still, I keep going.

🏡 Ingredients of Home & Heart

12 beds slept in:
3 hotels.
2 relatives lived with.
2 plant sits.
3 guest bedrooms slept in on a biking trip.
3 animals cared for.
3 raving reviews on Trusted Pet Sitters.
100 days in Holland,
and still I am here.

🥗 Portions of Movement

1,180,704 steps
115 km cycled in a day, a new personal record.
31 runs
9 Dutch Hoogland cattle spotted
17 Dutch cities strolled¹
2 pool swims
6 different bikes ridden.
0 accidents.
2 ocean dips.
1 ferry ride to the island of Texel.
1 running club relay race in Rotterdam.
100 days in Holland,
and still I keep moving.

💰 Money & Making Do on a Budget

10 days calling immigration.
2 IND appointments.
2 months waiting.
€405 fee.
1 DAFT visa.
€600 in rent.
2 coaching clients.
96 bonds sold.
6 second-hand stores.
Plenty thrifted:
3 pairs of pants.
2 thicks socks from Aldi.
1 cozy corduroy flannel.
1 Dutch bank account
1 museum kaart purchased
4 bonus cards accrued.
100 days in Holland,
and still I make do.

🍞 Flavors & Tastes

100 bananas
90 apples
17 plump tomatoes harvested.
1 homemade tomato sauce.
1 Aldi. 1 Jumbo. 1 Deka Markt.
6 Albert Heijns.
9 appel flappen homemade.
Countless pannenkoeken eaten.
1 favorite cheese: Komijnkaas
1 favorite bread: Maisbrood (with corn)
lost count of cheeses and crackers:
Estimate = 25 days.
100 days in Holland,
and still I taste it all.

✍️ Writing & Language as a Daily Staple

14 weekly letters shared online.
9 handwritten letters.
4 writing circles led.
3 writing circles joined.
1 Dutch language café.
? words learned.
A goal of 1 Dutch word a day.
So about 100?
1 audiobook recorded in Almere.
100 days in Holland,
and still I write

🎨 Spirituality & Creativity as Seasoning

4 borrowed books from friends.
4 libraries visited.
2 masses attended. 1 Dutch Catholic. 1 English Mennonite.
2 yoga days. 1 Dutch. 1 English.
2 meditation courses. 1 Dutch. 1 English.
1 creativity accelerator experience
1 fiction and poetry course
1 Artist’s Way workbook
1 live marketing course
reiginting the zest
100 days in Holland,
and still I create.

🫂 A Serving of Connection

15 internet friend IRL meetups
2 random run-ins with friends from Thailand.
2 fashion show friends made in a dressing room.
1 Thai massage exchange in Tilberg.
1 castle visit
1 trip to London to meet more Internet friends.
1 Dutch writing friend met at a German castle.
1 publishing friend made at Almere’s train station.
1 cousin’s 5th birthday party.
1 American friend visiting.
1 trip to the Rijksmuseum.
1 walk through the Hortus Botanicus.
100 days in Holland,
and still I long find belonging.

Many joyous dancing days,
and lots of nights crying
Longing and
Missing Omi.
And as it becomes frigid
I will not alter to a white walker.
I shall thrift, and move,
And knit and layer,
and wrap my fingers ‘round steamy mugs
And write,
(of course.)

100 days in Holland,
and still I keep going.

🎧Listening

Just Kids by Mat Kearney

Shoutout to Grace Smith for sharing her fun writing playlist in that helped me find this song:

frequently asked questions about my debut novel + writing process

🔍 Dutch word to define

oppepper

It means a boost, pick-me-up, or something that gives extra energy or motivation.

Example:

• A cup of coffee in the afternoon can be an oppepper.

• Getting encouraging feedback might also be an oppepper.

It’s used for both physical (energy) and mental (morale, mood) boosts.

🌟Quote to inspire

“Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it.”

—René Descartes

📸Photos

Peppered throughout :)

🙏Shoutouts

• to Jolleen Opula for her feedback on my upcoming snailmail project :)

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I am grateful you chose to fill part of your day here.

If something in this letter resonated, press the ❤️ , leave a comment, reply to this email, or reach me at vermetJL@gmail.com. I love hearing from you.

Keep on learning 😁

Tot snel 🌺 🌺

Toodles :)

Jen

P.S. #1 - I coach writers. I guide them to find their voice, build a writing rhythm, and have fun hitting “publish.” Let’s chat.

P.S. #2 - You’re invited. If a friend forwarded you this, welcome to the learn-it-all crew. Sign up here to get the next letter.

P.S. #3 - I wrote a book. Letters to My Life is my favorite way to share my writing with you (and it keeps your screen-time stats down). Grab your copy here.

P.S. #4 - Here’s what you missed. Last week I wrote about what I’m learning lately on the internet and in Amsterdam in My Season of Saying Yes

1. The 17 Dutch cities: Middelburg, The Hague, Woerden, Utrecht, Gouda, Voorschoten, Leidschendam, Leiden, Haarlem, Texel, Amsterdam, Almere, Hilversum, Laren, Naarden, Muiden, and Amersfoort. More to come :)