I've been so focused on school the past week. Despite only a couple hours of class scheduled per day, I've been there for a solid 8 hours per day. I'm really trying to work on breaking my habit of procrastinating and it feels great. I've just had this kind of inner calm the last week. It feels great to be on top of things and not just play catch up all the time. After summer I'm taking a block delay to resit the courses I haven't passed yet from phase 2, and I'm determined to not build on to the pile of resits. I know that I have the capability to pass, I just need to focus and put in the effort. So far, so good.

You know what else is great?! Spring has finally come back to Amsterdam. It's been such a shitty spring so far, cold, rainy and gray. Put the last couple of days the sun has been shining and the sky blue. Yesterday afternoon when I got back from school I texted Carlotta to meet me down at the park, slipped in my Birkenstocks and packed a bag with a blanket, fruits and picnic necessities.

We sat down next to the lake, our toes in the cool water and our faces turned towards the sun. Put on some chill music, sipped on some rosé and just enjoyed the moment. When we started getting hungry, we ordered some Indian food to my place and got on our bikes. Afternoons like this is what I live for. But, I'm gonna put away my laptop now and get on my bike again to the gym. Now that I'm getting school routines in order, it's time to get back to moving my body regularly again. I've missed it.

I arrived in Budapest late Friday night. After a delayed flight and what felt like forever waiting for my luggage, I finally got in a cab towards my hotel. The driver looked somewhat like a little old man from a cartoon, with a big belly that bounced when he laughed and a huge smile on his face as he exclaimed "Welcome to Budapest!". With his broken English, he guided me through the city as we drove, pointing out historic landmarks, his favorite rastaurants and famous buildings. As we crossed the bridge from Pest to Buda, I got a first glimpse of how beautiful this city is: the caste on the Buda side towering in front of me,the impressive parliament building lit up across the river behind me. As my cab driver continued his stories, I was almost too busy taking it all in to fully comprehend what he was saying. And then, we finally arrived at the Hilton, where my family was waiting for me. I was met by birthday gifts on my big comfy bed and lots of hugs from my parents and brother. After taking in the amazing view, openings my gifts and a warm shower, I fell asleep with a smile on my face as soon as my head hit the pillow.