My housing dream for 2018

Hi Fam! I hope you’re having a great week so far. Currently, I am waiting on an important phone call, but I decided that it would be better to use my time productively. As some of you might know, I’ve been looking for a house these past few months. The journey has been .. pretty weird so far so I’d like to take you along so we can both enjoy this together.

As a 27-year old, I’ve learned that even though every woman deserves her own castle; it’s not always how life turns out. Back when I was little, I assumed I’d have a job (probably a kid) and a husband and dog who would love me no matter what. The reality, however, dictates, that even though I was close to paying 700 for an apartment essentially the size of a post-stamp, I ended up saying no.

A few weeks later, we came across our first house viewing, and even though we both said “I’ll take it” we knew that this was not the standard we were hoping for. The stairs were dirty, and the tiles in the bathroom were essentially back from when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The roof on the top floor was slanted, and we both mourned the loss of space. My mother and his mother (and a friend of mine) saw potential in the space. Whereas we were like ‘Nah ah’.

In reality, I would have liked a home that essentially looked a lot like this:

This house actually exists, and is based in Vancouver, Canada. If you click on the picture, you’re taken to the site I found it on ;).

What we saw at the viewing, however, was .. kind of terrible. I’ve got pictures to prove it!

 

I grew up in an apartment, my parents would host parties, and it had the most beautiful stained glass. Personally, I don’t mind living in a small space (if you don’t believe me, my other blog has pictures of my room in South Korea). The apartment wasn’t big, we had a kitchen, a living room, a study room, three bedrooms, and a shower. That was it. But it felt like home.

Ideally speaking, I would like to have a home that had a decent-sized kitchen. A living room that no one can peek into from street level, two or three bedrooms and a pretty bathroom. And possibly space where I can unload my books, and my favorite person can store his items as well. To be honest, I don’t think I am that demanding. I’m also aware that the housing market is not in my favor at this point. I don’t have the type of cash that is currently required to buy or rent a decent-sized house since we are stuck on one income.

For the future, I am honestly excited to have a kitchen of my own. I’m thinking of the food videos I can shoot and the food I can try to make. A few months ago, favorite person and I made cheesy bread. I got the video up on YouTube, and it still amazes me how much closer we got in the process. We had fun, we had dinner and we also bonded in a way that hadn’t been possible in quite some time at that point. (I know that this was supposed to be a house post, but the kitchen is kind of part of the house, right? Right?).

Instead of living in a castle or a post-stamp, I want to find the middle ground. For me, having the space to unwind has become as necessary as breathing. There is no way that I can keep living the way I am doing now. I spend a lot of time away from home, but when I am home I feel pressured to do things I don’t necessarily feel like doing. Do you recognize this feeling?

I hope that this post has made you think about your house, and the houses you’ve lived in. Are you happy where you are currently at? Let me know by sending me a DM or e-mail! For a link to my previous post click here. Have a good week!

Forest bathing through the years

Hi Fam! I hope you’re having a good day so far. Last week, I submitted an Instagram poll, asking you if you’d like to read something on my forest bathing experiences. The answer was a resounding ‘yes’! So here I am, writing you this post, hoping it might add something to your Tuesday as well. Last week I caught a very bad cold, and I was unable to post anything. This week I am posting about something that is important to me, and I hope that you like the content!

As the title suggests, this week’s post is nature-oriented. Last week, I read two books on forest bathing. The first book was called ‘The Japanese way’ by Erin Niimi Longhurst, and the second book was called ‘Shinrin-yoku’. It was written by the same authors who’ve also published the book on Ikigai, or ‘finding your purpose in life’. Shinrin-yoku is the Japanese term for forest bathing.

Before we dive into the concept, I’d like to start off with a story about my childhood. Back when I was in elementary school, my parents used to take me to the park on the weekend. I loved going to the park; since it meant that I could feed the deer. At the time, we lived in a small apartment, and my father used to keep a lot of birds. Being as small as I was, I didn’t care for birds or trees at all. Instead, I was hyper-focused on convincing my parents we really needed a dog in our lives. Little did I know, that spending time around nature, and listening to the sound of birds, are part of the concept of forest bathing.

Unlike I thought at first, it has little to do with taking an actual bath in the forest. I really thought that you assembled a group of people, and you’d take a hike on a special trail so that you could end up in a bath, surrounded by the forest. (Weird, I know). The real concept, however, is something I experienced in South Korea as well. Whenever you bathe in the forest, it actually means that you are submerging yourself in the experience. It means that you feel the earth beneath your feet, to breathe in the scent of trees and to be mindful of everything happening around you. It also means that you stop focussing on time, or how far you still have to go until you reach a certain point on the trail.

Komorebi in the Secret Garden in Seoul

A beautiful water scene in Biwon

As you might have read on my other blog, Seoul is quite an intense city to live in. There are sounds of cars, big concrete buildings and a lot of neon lighting as well. The moment I entered Biwon, (or the Secret Garden in English) the sounds of cars were drowned out, and it did not feel like I was in Seoul at all. A few weeks ago, I actually felt nostalgic towards the memories I have of Biwon. I longed for the calm and timeless feeling I had while walking around, it is still one of my favorite places on earth.

In ‘the Japanese way,’ Longhurst has dedicated a small chapter to forest bathing. In it, the author explains exactly how I felt during my time in the Secret Garden. The time I spent in the garden, I honestly felt like I was a part of nature, of something bigger than myself. The sound of the birds and the feeling of ‘becoming one’ with the forest really made me feel relaxed and calm. In Shinrin-Yoku, the authors explain that spending time in nature during the weekend could also have health benefits well into the workweek. According to them, forest bathing could help your cells recharge. The sound of birds and the presence of plants in your home could also attribute to your overall wellbeing.

On Sunday, I attempted my first conscious trip to get some forest bathing in The Netherlands. Instead of doing what I intended, I started stalling and delaying until I finally had nothing else to do but to cycle to the spot I had originally intended. I made it there, and I was taken away by the light that shone through the trees. (In Japanese this is called ‘komorebi’). For a minute, I was back at the Secret Garden in Seoul, who would’ve thought it to be possible? Not me. After a few moments, I started to become restless and decided that it wasn’t wise to try and run a mental marathon on my own. I vowed that I would try again as soon as I got another chance.

Deer near The Hague Central station

Yesterday, I went to the park that is right behind The Hague Central station. The trees were larger, and there was a true possibility to ‘envelop’ yourself in the forest. That’s where I reaped the benefits. Opposite of me, there was a herd of deer, who (at times) stared back at me as I finally felt calm.

This morning, I realized that I have been forest bathing more often than I initially thought. I did it back when I was in elementary school, a few times back when I lived in Seoul. (Secret Garden, Grand Children’s Park, Seoul Forest, Yeouido Hangang Park, to name a few). This year, I forest bathed while I lived in Almere. After work, I would sometimes head out to the national park, which happened to be within walking distance of my residence. I had zero idea that heading into nature after work would bring me that many health benefits. Now that I know what kind of benefits it brings to be out in nature, I will try to make a conscious effort to do it more often.

This is such a big step away from how I used to be. Back when I was in elementary school I was terrified of going outside because our neighborhood wasn’t exactly safe. Another factor that has a part in this, is that I still am terrified of ticks. (I know, I know..). I also read that botanical gardens have the same effect (score!). Which means that the trip I made to the botanical garden in Leiden in January wasn’t such a bad idea after all! And this is coming from me, the girl who used to not care about trees or birds for that matter. I guess people really can change.

I hope that this post has explained a little of the benefits that can be reaped by going outside in nature. Both books have stated that going out in the weekends may have benefits that may stretch well into the work week. In this day and age, where we spend a lot of time inside or commuting, this may be a way to relieve stress without completely having to empty your wallet on massages, candles or aromatherapy.

I hope that you enjoyed this post, and if you have any questions or comments, you can always send me an e-mail, DM or comment on WordPress. I would really like to know if this post has inspired you to visit a park more often, or if you think that this isn’t really for you. For a link to my previous post, click here.