Zero-Dark Winter
February 6, 2019
Not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been under the radar ever since I got back from Marrakech. At first I was just worn out from the trip and recovering, but then the days began to stretch out and I was still hanging around the house in my pajamas a couple weeks later. I realized I was deep into a winter hibernation. Not a rut, per se, but definitely holed up. I binged three entire seasons of Jane the Virgin (it’s an awesome show, you should watch it if you haven’t yet) and the only times I left the house were to take Brian to Vondelpark or to go to the Tiny Hiney grocery store at the end of our block.
As luck would have it, I finished the final episode of season 3 of Jane the Virgin today (and Netflix hasn’t released season 4 yet), and I had lunch plans with my friend Meredith.
We went to Frank’s Smoke Shop — a place she discovered years ago in an article she read before moving to Amsterdam. Meredith took Dorothy there when she was visiting back in November and Dorothy raved about it, so I was really looking forward to our plans. It felt good to put on real clothes and earrings and get not only out of the house but out of my entire neighborhood.
We took two trams and walked through the rain (yes, Meredith-I -Don’t-Think-it-Rains-Much-in-Amsterdam-Mani, it was definitely raining) to get to Frank’s and simply riding the tram through the different neighborhoods was aweseome. The energy of the city snapped me back to civilization. I talked Meredith’s head off and we laughed like we always do when we’re together and we ate loads of delicious smoked meats. It was a perfect day and I’m feeling much more energized and happy to be back in the world.
In other happy news, my BFF Jessie Bellamy is coming to visit later this week! I have lots of fun stuff planned for us so stay tuned….
Drizzle is not rain. If I don’t need to seek shelter, it didn’t happen. My hair is telling a different story, however. There may have been some humidity.