Home sweet home!

Some of you may have heard it already, but here is the official announcement:

I FOUND A PLACE TO CALL HOME! :)

I am renting a room in a super duper cozy apartment that I'll share with a Dutch girl. The first month we'll be three, cause the girls were so kind as to welcome me in their house before my room was free. This pretty much sums up how lucky I was.

But it does not stop here, as H. (the girl whose room I am going to rent) is also picking me up at the airport. She's an amazing young woman, strong and positive, with whom I immediately felt at ease, even if we never met. She even invited me to her farewell party on my first weekend in the Netherlands (she's going to be working for an ONG in Africa...I told you she's cool)... The world is really showing some good love to me lately.

I feel really lucky. I haven't arrived yet and I already feel at home.

Of course I am a little scared, too...afraid of all these novelties, of the grey weather, of being separated from my love. This is why I can't wait for my new life to begin, to get over with all this anticipation. But I know I'll feel nostalgic of so many things: having breakfast with my colleagues, laughing at lunch time, going home with Giuseppe, cooking for two and watching a movie nestled in his arms. All things that is breaking my heart losing.

I take comfort in all the nice things that have happened and are bound to happen to me, and looking at my new house's pictures. I am posting one in case you're curious, and I promise I'll take more pics when I am there :)

As for our apartment in Italy, we are still looking for new renters. If you happen to know someone who might be interested, please share my contacts!

Linda 

Goodbye...

What shall I say? May I shed a little tear?

Yesterday has been my last day at work. Tuesday will be my first day in the new office.

I'd never thought so many people were supporting me. I'd never expected so many emails, cheers, hugs and "I'm sorry you're leaving". I'd never imagined I left my small mark on that big blackboard.

I'd never thought leaving would be so hard.

The word cloud you see below has been created with all the nice messages I got today from my colleagues. Not my idea, I stole it from someone I very much admire, although I realize now I never told her clearly enough. I would have linked her post but I cannot find it anymore. Thanks Carlo, you rock.

Alea iacta est!

Ok, so, I did it! I quit my job today.

I feel sort of strange. Both relaxed and nervous.

It feels as if everything around me flows by without touching me. Everything that was so important a few days ago now is different, just like I am looking at it from a different perspective.

Not that I don't care - with all the ups and downs, I liked my job.

I've been with this company for 4 years, and I grew quite attached to it. 

But the hustle and bustle of the office is now unreal, and I am left behind.

I took on a slower pace.

It's not gonna last! In a month I will be starting my new adventure.

Guess where? In the Netherlands! Sure you couldn't have guessed it from the blog's name. Ah-ah.

I took a job as copywriter for an e-commerce company. It's pretty similar to what I have been doing so far, but now I will be handling all the site's communication ON MY OWN.

No more complex workflows. Just me.

My new team, the e-commerce team, is a pretty small one - like, 12 people - and I will be the only copywriter / content manager / localization specialist / translation coordinator and god knows what else. Eek!

And so, I am leaving this messed-up, chaotic, fucking beautiful Italy. I am leaving my cute, stylish, comfortable apartment which I share with my boyfriend. And - ohshit - I am leaving my boyfriend. Well, not literally leaving him - he won't get rid of me so easily - what I mean is that I am moving abroad and he's not. Not for the moment.

So to recap: I am changing job, city, country, home, colleagues and language.

I won't have my boyfriend or friends or family there to support me.

But hey, I am strong. I am a 28-year-old gal at her full potential.

I'll be successful or I'll die trying!

The reasons behind my choice are simple: I want to grow personally and professionally, learn new lessons and skills, become stronger, make more money (why not?) and last-but-not-least I want to live abroad for a while. I already lived in Chile for a year as an exchange student, but I have never worked outside of Italy. And for a globe-trotter like me this is a must!

Finally, I love the Netherlands. From the first time I visited Amsterdam, I have always day-dreamt of living in one of those lovely tall houses. Although I will probably have some curtains on my windows. But this is a different story.

I have opened this blog to write about my adventures in the Netherlands. My idea is that it can be read both as a journal and a starter's guide for anyone who's willing to move to the Netherlands: so I'll put in here anecdotes and personal comments, but also useful information and references about practical tasks to get done in the process of relocating.

Hope you enjoy reading my blog and following my adventures!

Linda