“The opportunity of a lifetime should be taken within the lifetime of the opportunity.” That’s what a wise women said to me some time ago. When she first spoke the words it didn’t make sense to me. I had her repeat for a couple of times and asked her to write it down. The quote puzzled and excited me. When I first heard it and whenever I read the note a feeling of indescribable joy and adventure comes rushing through me.

In the documentary “I’m fine, thanks” one of the interviewees says: “If you live your life cut off from your own heart you’re not really living” and somebody else says: “When you start making your own choices you start to live your dream instead of somebody else’s”. Words that deeply touch me and make my heart jump. For as long as I can remember I always had a strong longing for freedom. And nearly 10 months ago I finally gave in to this feeling and booked my one way ticket to leave the Netherlands.

And it’s incredible for me to realize that I really did and am doing it. The realization that I made this happen. That this is me. Luckily there were also moment I wanted to give up. And even more luckily on these moments there was always somebody who gave me a hug, spoke with me about how they were prepping dinner, offered me a job or told me to go and recharge. “The opportunity beyond the uncertainty is so great.” 

So I haven’t stopped and am not planning to stop anytime soon. But how could I stop living my life in joy?