Some places you can hype yourself up for too much. The Netherlands was that place for me because visiting was a childhood dream. The more research you do, the more expectations are raised. Tourists and expats rave about it, but you never read about it from a nomad. So I was surprised that staying for a month and only spending $1,561 was still a good time.
Airbnbs are pricey. If you’re lucky you’ll get a one bedroom the size of a closet for $615 a month. Despite it’s size it had a better “dedicated work space” than many other places I’ve been. Everything had to be efficient which made for an inspiring atmosphere. To me it felt like an adult pillow fort filled with my favorite things. Plus it’s not like I spent much time in it.
Wandering around Delft I wondered if I had stepped into a Black Mirror episode. Which didn't last long as spending $122 for weekend trips to the surrounding cities pulled me back to reality. The Hague was the most city like with plenty of cars, suits, and blocky buildings. Rotterdam on the other hand is the opposite. It’s as if someone took a zero emission city plan and made it into reality. Groningen with its inspiring yet controversial Public Forum reminded me of the The Ugly Duckling. While shunned by some, its beauty comes from within. Finally, Amsterdam enchanted me with alleyways that’d put the wizarding world to shame. Living in a closet size room made that experience more real.
The cowork’s communal lunches were magically delicious. Each one was made with care and consideration for long term patrons since they only cost $5.50. Add on the opportunity to make friends and they were the best lunches I’ve ever had. Sadly coffee wasn’t free, but barista made espressos for $1.60 was still a fair deal. In total, communal lunches, coffees, and very rare restaurant visits, I kept dining out to $174. With the help of bread in combination with a variety of hummuses, cheeses, and spreads I kept myself full by eating in. The price tag for that wasn’t too bad at $183.
As for the bad part- at least by boomer standards. A .3g muffin cost $5 and a .5g preroll cost $4, probably because it was a majority tobacco. 15g of Mexicana, the tamest of the strains, cost $13. Rather than try and tame your dragons solo, consider the wide range of retreats where therapy is combined with psychiatry. To feed my ****curiosity ****I bought 18 microdoses for $20. Which was a great deal considering it last up to 90 days.
The other outstanding deal was a phone case and screen protector costing a total of $27. In that phone I had a 4GB prepaid SIM card for $16. But the best deals were the coworking trial days since each one provided coffee for free. While expensive to me, I know for my fellow Americans spending $50 on property and health insurance can’t be beat. Finally, my favorite expense, spending $32 for a round trip bus ticket and entrance to Keunkenhof.
Arrive as early as possible for this festival of flowers. Even at opening on a Wednesday morning there were plenty of tourists. I didn’t mind, in fact it was part of the dream. As a child I visited a tulip festival held in The States. Being at eye height to the tulip heads meant the colors and sizes left a lasting impression. All of the dazzling hues were well kept amongst the old European style architecture. As a kid I would have told you we stepped into a fairy tale. Decades later I visited the source of that fairy tale and found it surpassed expectations.