Highs and Lows of 17th Year - Part 1...

Can you believe that we’ve lived in the Netherlands for 17 years as of November 22? Once again, the four of us weren’t together then, but were reunited for Christmas. Ashlynn requested that we eat at Oudt Leyden, our favorite pannenkoekenhuis (Dutch pancake house) and Veronica suggested that we reflect on our Highs and Lows there on December 28. As usual, here are our lows first:

• The sting from the loss of our extended family
• Putin attacking the Ukraine causing global inflation
• Train strikes messing up travel
• Climate change!
• Roe v Wade being reversed
• Disappointed in the Democratic party
• Continued incompetency of British government
• Cold homes
• Wordpress
• Jimmy: repeatedly hearing how great his business idea is but no one is willing to pay for it; running injuries; having to walk a hash instead of running the ballbreaker; slow uptake for Harrier Central; misses going to the spa; poor scheduling of Zombie Hash which resulted in no zombies participating; not being able to help Veronica move; missing King’s Day
• Melissa: saying farewell to Going Dutch, essentially killing the magazine since no one was willing to take it over; lack of financial stability; uncertainty surrounding staying in Holland; having to fight my way upstream to get to Jimmy on crowded German train; losing public transport card during hash 
• Veronica: downfall of Twitter because of irrational Musk; film camera breaking during Interrail trip; van breaking down on the highway on the way to graduation; Lake Como tourist chaos; jellyfish sting; COVID-stress  before the panto and then getting COVID after the panto; missing Brett; suboptimal food environment in Falmouth since it’s in the middle of nowhere; closing my business and stopping working due to UK student visa requirements; Ashlynn not being able to come to panto
• Ashlynn: BAaD falling apart severing her work family; leaving Thailand; continued Bilge drama; missing Sophie; infections; Mia living so far away; Stereo Club Night shitshow; Cameron; last nights in Bangkok; living someplace where the sun sets at 3 p.m. 
• Melissa/Jimmy: meeting a very fun American couple that lives around the corner, but go to sleep by 9 p.m.; being given notice that we have to vacate our rental house by July 2023
• Veronica/Ashlynn: visa stress; RStudio