Visions

Senses working overtime
Trying to taste the difference 'tween the lemons and limes
The pain and the pleasure
And the church bells softly chime
(Senses working over time, XTC)

The one and a half week in Europe passed in oblivion. My weakened stomach, accustomed to light noodle soup, tons of rice and tea, had to succumb to the heavy European high-fat and -carbohydrate diet. Dutch bread, cheese, beer and smokes have been rummaging my body, filling it up quickly, inflicting unthinkable pains. Who would have thought that a year in Asia could transform my eating habits so much that een beitje gouda kaas, twee biertjes en een mooie jointje will be so painful?
But painful or not, I am enjoying every single moment of it. The smell of Europe, the sounds of the church bells, the eetcafes under the tree branches – so typically European. And so inexplicably different at the same time. Breda is a different town. New shops, new bars, new cafes. Even the people around me are different. New girls (hotter), new boys (much hotter), new hippies in the park (much weirder). The music in the park every Tuesday seems to be better. Everything is different, but I guess I am the one that has changed. I seem to be enjoying everything much more, observe much deeper, be spontaneous more often. This must be it, right? This transformational power of traveling that alters you mind set. You feel it when you slip between the landslides. When you realize that the world is so incredibly small and changing, and you catch yourself thinking big, across continents and cultures, beyond languages and nationalities.
And since there is no home, or no place that truly feels like home yet, it seems like the trip never ends. It's good to be back in Europe. My bohemian nature is waking up again.