“The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke” – Jerzy Kosinski

The best thing I purchased since moving to Amsterdam is my Museumkaart. This little piece of plastic has given me access to so many amazing museums and exhibits, serving as a gateway to different cultural experiences around the city.

Earlier this month I went to the Louis Vuitton Legendary Trunks Exhibition with some friends. It was equal parts ridiculous as it was actually interesting. Such an iconic brand with so many brilliant stories. There were LV originals – travel trunks dating back to the late 1800s – and special-made trunks for authors like Ernest Hemingway to transport his typewriter and books. Oh, and the traveling casino. Because everyone needs that, right?

 

 

I also re-visited the Dutch Masters exhibit currently at the Hermitage last weekend with my friend Jenna. I briefly breezed through it at our Corporate Affairs Forum in October, and I’ve been dying to go back ever since. The exhibit is comprised of masterpieces that typically hang in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Some of the paintings have ‘come home’ for the first time in 250 years.

 

I appreciated this exhibit a lot now that I’m living in the Netherlands. It’s amazing to see how the art tells a great story about Dutch history through people, landscapes, etc. It’s like a time capsule that includes more than the few hand-written letters and a favourite toy from an era that you buried away as a child.

Walking through History in Berlin

I went to Berlin for the first time five years ago. It was Christmas time and the allure of the Christmas markets (surprise, surprise) overrode any hesitation to visit the city during the frigid wintertime. I had a great time with my friend Amanda, but vowed I’d come back the next time in nicer weather.

Fast-forward five years and my friends from London reach out to say, “Hey, we’re thinking of Berlin in late January. Are you in?” My visions of visiting Berlin in the summertime faded quickly, and it didn’t take me long to say, “YES!”

Our late-night arrival on Friday didn’t stop us from an evening of catch up over local beer and food. Well, didn’t stop those who actually managed to arrive in Berlin on Friday night (Sorry, Hallie!).

We started Saturday fresh with a three-hour walking tour of the city. The tour replicated one that I did years ago, but there’s something so fascinating about Berlin’s history that I didn’t mind doing it again.

Berlin is chock-full-of museums, but walking through the city with a guide is like walking through history. There are remnants of the imperial times before Word War 1. There are historic buildings plastered with gunshot and bomb wounds as a result of the demolition during Word War 2. And then there’s the stark contrast between the old (pre-1945) and the ‘new’ (1945-1989) which makes the years of the DDR (communist years) more real than you can imagine. Lastly, there’s the new, new. Which is anything that has been built (or is being built) since the fall of the wall in 1989.

 

When we booked the trip none of us realized we’d be in Berlin on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. But we were.

The Holocaust memorial, or the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, is a striking memorial. The artist said little about the piece when it was erected. It is left for the visitor’s interpretation. So, I’ll tell you how I felt:

You approach and you’re disappointed at first. All those lives lost. A whole culture gone.  And here are only 2,711 concrete slabs that are so impersonal. From the outside looking in it just looks like one big grave. It doesn’t do justice to the 6 million lives lost.

 

But then you’re in it. You feel isolated. The walls around you seem to close in. They get higher. You get smaller. It’s cold. Dark. And then you start to realize this is all deliberate. You stare in any which direction into a vast nothingness. There are multiple staircases that lead to nowhere. It’s frightening. It’s powerful. Oh, and by the way, 2,711 is the number of pages in the Talmud.

 

And then you start to approach the edge again. You sense the worst is behind you. Your breath starts to ease and the most miraculous thing happens. You are brought back into the light. The sun is shining. And you cannot help but think, where there is light, there is hope.

 

An emotional experience that brings me back to Kosinski’s quote -- “The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke.”

The rest of Saturday was a bit lighter. It had to be. Beers, pretzels, and friends pretty much sums it up. And a great visit with Shannon May. A colleague from Grey who is now living in Berlin. It’s been wonderful following Shannon’s vlogs as she travels around Europe and navigates the ins and outs of daily life in Berlin. It was even more wonderful to catch up with her in person after four years!

 

Sunday was dedicated to the DDR, or the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic). It still boggles my mind that the reunification of Germany was something that happened in my lifetime. This is not ancient history. Needless to say, I find it all incredibly fascinating.

We started the day at the East Side Gallery. This is a string of remnants of the Berlin Wall that were given to artists to share messages through art. It actually comes from West Berlin, but has been transported to it’s current home in East Berlin.

 

 

Here again, you are reminded of a dark part of the city and country’s history, this time the one that lived behind the iron curtain instead of the third reich. Panel after panel of messages that try to inspire through images of hope, liberation and freedom.

Most of the artwork was the same as five years ago, but there was one main difference. Five years ago the wall stood as a symbol. It was meant to teach us to learn from the past for a better future. Five years ago there was no Donald Trump in politics. There was no other wall. Visiting the gallery this time around evoked a whole new set of feelings. Has Donald Trump been to Berlin? Does he really understand the power of a wall? How could anyone believe in a wall? Can’t you see the danger in building a wall? I could go on and on...

We ended the trip at the DDR museum. Through a collection of please-touch style exhibits, the museum lets you into this world beyond the wall where the world is dull, things are scarce, thought is limited, and speaking out is dangerous. I highly recommend this museum to anyone visiting the city.

 

Berlin is an important city to visit. Although famous today for the underground party scene, swanky galleries and new food movements, we can’t forget the place this city has in history. In many ways, it’s a true living reminder of what was, what we don’t want to happen again, and how we can all move forward.

Until next time…

 

Eat. Pray. Workout. Love.

Can you believe it’s been 11 years since Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat. Pray. Love. became an international bestseller? A few weeks ago, as we were preparing to say goodbye to 2017, it hit me. My life was mimicking the book. Kind of:

·         Protagonist was a late-twenty/early-thirty something: Check

·         Protagonist had a dream job in, arguably, the greatest city in the world (NYC): Check

·         Protagonist was married and divorced: Not check

·         Protagonist used travel as a way to learn, grow and discover herself: Check

This all came to light as I was thinking about my resolutions for 2018. The comparisons were a bit scary when I thought about it. It’s extraordinary when you look at what Elizabeth Gilbert did and how her year of travel led to such rich self-discovery. And while we can’t all up and quit our jobs and travel the world full-time, nor would that be personally fulfilling for me, there’s a lot to be learned from Gilbert about how we can use our time wisely to reflect on the past in order to carve our path for the future.

Eat.

2017 was the year of ‘eat.’ I spent the first few months of the year on a goodbye tour, eating and drinking my way through Manhattan with friends, family, and colleagues. A good excuse to hit all the local hotspots one last time. After all, when I got to Amsterdam I’d surely go back to some normal routine and have plenty of time to get back on track. Ha. Right.

Upon arrival I found Amsterdam to be one endless gastronomic wonderland. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a vibrant food scene. Elizabeth Gilbert spent 4 months eating her way through Italy. I spent 9 months eating my way through most of Europe.

In Amsterdam my excuses for throwing any semblance of a balanced diet out the window were easy: I was partly intrigued because I am a foodie who absolutely loves trying new restaurants and exploring new cuisines, and I was  partly reluctant to turn down an offer to meet someone for a meal or a drink because, well, that’s the way you meet people and make friends!

And then the travel began. When I was in France why would I not eat the croissant, and the crepe, and the pastry and drink the wine. In Spain the paella. In Ireland the battered fish, and creamed soup. And so on and so forth throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, Myanmar, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Russia, Israel, Latvia, Germany and the UK.

And all those amazing friends who came to visit. I had to take them to Winkel 43 for apple pie, Pancakes Amsterdam for pancakes. Bitterballen at the bar. Tony’s Chocolonley bars. And so. much. bread.

I enjoyed every moment. I savoured every bite. I did not, and do not, regret it. But one day, just like Elizabeth Gilbert experienced, my clothes got tighter, the number on the scale was scary, and I just couldn’t do it anymore. Unlike Elizabeth Gilbert, I did not take this as a sign to move on to my next destination. I needed to find a way to have a better balance in Amsterdam.

Fast-forward to present day. Two weeks into 2018. Why would I share this? After all, it’s actually quite embarrassing to admit. But I am writing it because a. I know I’m not alone and b. if I put it out there, I have to do something about it.

So, there you have it: resolution #1. Focus on fitness again. Yes, you read that right. Do the same thing about 1 billion other people around the world are doing. But unlike 99% of them, stick to it. Just like I’ve done before.

Workout.*

*Ok, ok. I know this should be pray. But, as stated above, I said my life was kind of like Eat. Pray. Love. And part of Elizabeth’s spiritual journey included yoga, which is exercise. So, it’s essentially the same thing.  

 

In 2015 I went on a fitness journey. I joined a new gym, started working out with a trainer and took an interest in properly learning about food for the first time in my life.

It took a full year to see results. One full year. That year was frustrating. It was demotivating. Why was I torturing myself to get up in the pitch dark at 5:00am to go to the gym before work? Why was I cutting back on pizza? Why was I wasting time to pack my own lunch each night for the next day? Was it worth it?

Absolutely. I cannot describe how it felt to be in, arguably, the best shape of my life. My energy was up. My confidence was up. And here’s the catch: I never even got on a scale. The number never mattered. It still doesn’t matter. I just felt good and that was good enough for me.

It’s been a struggle to get back on track because for the last few months I’ve let the pain of that ‘year’ take over. I didn’t know if I could do it again. To try and try and not see the result for a loooong time. And although I never stopped fully training when I got to Amsterdam, I wasn’t fully committed the way I was back in 2015.

I’m pleased to share that mind-set stopped a few weeks ago. Mind over matter is real, and it’s powerful. I’m now excited to get back on this fitness journey. I know things won’t change overnight, but they won’t ever change at all if I never start again.

Resolution #2: Live the mind over matter mind-set. Not just as it applies to my workout/eating habits, but in everything I do. Maybe I am a bit spiritual after all.

Love.

When I was in London I looked back at some of my first few blogs posts. London, by the way, turned out to be so much fun after the complications of the first 24 hours. Anyway, I noticed I wrote about dedicating more time to dating. In the beginning that was absolutely the case. And then I got busy. Work picked up. Friends came to visit. Trips with new and old friends found their way onto the calendar. Dating became a secondary priority again.

What I love about Elizabeth’s experience in Bali is that she just fell into love instead of seeking it out (if I am remembering correctly??). It got me thinking: why doesn’t that happen anymore? We’re all hiding behind apps. When was the last time someone came up to you at a bar and struck up a conversation? Sometimes the apps are misleading. Sometimes the apps are downright scary. How great would the dating world be again if apps went away? But alas, this is the world we live in.

If you look on the bright side, a great thing about the apps is the amount of people you can potentially connect with. And although none of my app-based dates have amounted to anything significant in the last year, clearly, they do tend to make for fantastic stories to share with friends. So friends, you are welcome.

Resolution #3: Prioritize dating again, and be open to meeting someone via a dating app BUT never give up on finding Prince Charming in the real world. A girl can dream, right?

So there you have it. 3 out of my 4 resolutions for 2018. What’s the 4^th? It’s professionally related and now that I know how many of my wonderful colleagues are fans of my blog, I’m going to keep that one personal for now J

Happy 2018 everyone!