001. Introduce yourself

Here we go. First post. Gulp.

See, as a kid I was painfully shy, so introduction rounds were a sure way to get me stuttering. Or stammering. Or both. I usually stick to the basics – the whole “hi, my name is, I’m such and such years old and I’m from…” routine. In my opinion, sticking to the basics is a sure way to survive the evil introduction round of death. But then again… This is my blog. And it’s a personal one.

So you know what? I’ll give it a shot.

Hi! My name is Hannah, which brings me to the following: I’m Jewish. Although Hannah is a common name in both Dutch and English, it was given to me because it’s originally a Hebrew name. This doesn’t mean I run around in stockings with seams looking for a husband+beard, but it does mean I like to go to the synagogue when it’s a holiday (a Jewish holiday, obviously), have a mezuzah on the door and a Star of David around my neck. I know my way around a Jewish custom or two, and enjoy the type of “togetherness” that comes from practicing them with other people. I am Jewish.

Yet, I’m not religious in a “fear God” kind of way. But if I remember the list of topics correctly, that’s a story for another day.

I’m also a Psychology student. I started out as a Journalism student back in 2006, after I graduated High School, but knew 6 months in I didn’t care for it at all. I’m not the type to tackle people, sit on top of them and demand answers. I am, however, the type to sit across from people, asking them questions and tackling their problems. Hence me being a Psychology student. And I love it. Not all courses of course – Statistics, hello? – but overall, I’m in love with studying Psychology. I get borderline crazy half the time trying to get all the material down, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

And I’m a blogger. This is my project. I love to write, but life gets in the way from time to time, and I don’t want it to feel like an obligation to sit behind a computer and type out my thoughts. So yes, I will do this project. But it might not be a daily thing.

Mission Blog.

Summer’s almost over, so it’s time to start looking alive and throwing myself back into blog existence. Apart from doing some major linking to various sites I heart, here’s a little project I came across at Olga’s place (which is a site I love so I guess I’m multi tasking!)…

Basically, I’ll be blogging for 30 days in a row (gah!) about a bunch of subjects listed below.

Day 01 – Introduce yourself
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A moment
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – What you wore today
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favourite memory
Day 18 – Your favourite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – This month
Day 21 – Another moment
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – A first
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favourite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your aspirations
Day 30 – One last moment

Wish me luck!

I just want a ticket out of town, a look around, and a safe touch down.

I know, I know, it has been far too long since I’ve even glanced at this page… Sorry folks, life got in the way! I can honestly say that it has interfered in the most pleasant way I could have imagined, and I’m enjoying it thoroughly.

Right now I’m getting ready to leave for Antwerp on Tuesday. Packing is as annoying as always (honestly, I wish I had the money to just buy clothes and shoes there, so I don’t have to schlepp around luggage from train to train), but it is for a good cause. Oh I can just smell the chocolates now… And the Starbucks, of course. I’m looking at four days and three nights in my favorite hotel and city… Life is good!

Be sure to enjoy these last days of summer break, I know I will… Classes start up again soon, and we’ll all be crying over our statistics books in no time.

I know everything changes, all the cities and faces – but i know how i feel about you

Change. I’m changing. Slowly and deliberately, but noticeable to everyone around me. Whether it’s for better or for worse, it feels okay. Even right, somehow. Like this change was long overdue.

This has been one roller coaster ride of a year. Totally exhausting. Highs and lows. A loss of control and that feeling in your stomach that let’s you know your body doesn’t like what you’re putting it through. Or your mind, for that matter. Too much stress and too much drama.

And then, one day, you wake up and smile for no reason. And you realize it’s because it’s all over and you’re still standing. There are some pieces that need to be glued back on, some apologies that need to be made, but the outline of how things should be – and will be – is there.

And along the way, I found some things I thought I lost. My pride, my ability to stick up for myself and what I think it’s right. The feeling that it’s okay to choose yourself over someone else, if that person is doing you more harm than good. My trust in people.

And it’s funny how most of those things you have to do on your own, while others that were carefully wrecked by people in the past can be restored by one single person. So yes, I am changing. I’m shedding layers of pessimism, sarcasm, and other defense mechanisms I mastered over the past few months.

It’s time to just be.