The year is coming to an end and as every other person with a blog on this planet, I thought it would be a good idea to make a series of posts looking back at the year that has passed! For obvious reasons, let's start with January. I wasn't sure how many months I wanted to do per post, but then I realised that I have done so much this year that every month deserves its own post. First, let me just say: What a year it's been! I started out living in Amsterdam, then moved to Utrecht and found out I got in to the school of my dreams and moved back to Amsterdam again to start yet another huge chapter of my life. 2016 has been a rollercoaster: it's been exciting, scary, absolutely thrilling, difficult, full of laughter and full of tears, decisions and milestones. So, let's begin!

I celebrated New Years in Stockholm with my family and Tim, my boyfriend at that time. The new year started quite dramatic with an ambulance ride in the middle of the night since Tim dislocated his shoulder just a couple of days in to the new year. What a beginning...

When Tim went back to Amsterdam, I took the last couple of days to spend time with my amazing family and friends. I went for at Flippin Burgers and had the best burgers EVER with some great girls, spent a lot of time in our music room with dad jammin, jammin, jammin... And just relaxed at home, getting ready to go back to reality and work.

When I came back to Amsterdam I got thrown back to reality with a full weekend alone with the boys I was taking care of. I felt like a single mom, spending 24 hours a day with my crazy boys. I didn't get a lot of sleep but we actually had a lot of fun, having cozy evenings at home and going to fun excursions in the city during the days. I remember I was exhausted and a bit fed up with work at that time, but now I look back at it with a big smile. Gosh, I miss those boys!

I had such a great group of friends surrounding me at that time. I went brunching with my brunch pro Dana that I miss insanely much and made Amsterdam unsafe with my girls at Leidseplein. A lot of blurry night we don't remember but never forget. I'm so thankful for all the friends I had around me at that time, but sadly as most au pairs do at a certain point, they've moved back to whatever corner of the world they call home. Ah, I'm getting so sentimental thinking about these times. It was truly amazing.

Java Eiland, where I lived at that point, was beautiful as ever. Gosh, I miss the views there almost as much as my friends. What else happened in January? It was quite a standard month in my au pair life. Worked a lot, spent as much time as possible with my friends, just tried to enjoy it as much as possible. I also ended the relationship I had at that point, which resulted in quite a lot of girls nights out. Great month all in all. It ended with a huge argument with my hostfamily though, which ultimately had me make the decision it was time to move on to something different. It made the beginning of February very stressful, but that's for another post. Either way, I'm very greatful for the time I had with my hostfamily then and happy that we have such great contact today!

Now it's time for me to sleep, I have to get up in six hours or so to do my last shift in school of the year. I will try to update you with the next 2016 post as soon as possible. If I don't get a chance to write before the Saturday: Have a very merry Christmas!

Last night I ended up at a friend´s birthday party and it was so much fun! Around midnight Carla and I decided to go downtown for a last night out in Utrecht. Which was also really fun, except for the fact that she left with someone and didn't think about the fact that she locked her bike to mine. So I got a 50 minute morning walk home... I guess at least I burnt off some of those beer calories. Met a lot of new people and laughed so much, so a really successful night I have to say. Now I have to pack my last things and in about two hours I'm taking the train to Schiphol to fly to Sweden. Officially moving away from Utrecht! Looking forward to a couple of weeks in Stockholm and then it's back to Amsterdam to move in at campus. So excited!

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The last day of February this year I was standing at Arlanda airport, ready to take on a new adventure. I had already worked as an au pair in Amsterdam for a year, but this time I was going to spend half a year with a new hostfamily in Utrecht. And now all of a sudden I am sitting here int my room in Utrecht with my bags all packed, ready to move on to the new adventure. I can't believe how fast time went by and that this is my last day of au pairing. I am a little sad to say goodbye to the kids, but mostly I am just happy and excited. I have both loved and hated being an au pair. It has been fun and I have experienced so many new things and met some amazing people, but it has also been very difficult and challenging sometimes and I feel like I am more than ready to move on. It is time to close this chapter of my life and start a new one. But first, I am going to make the most out of the last moments of it. Have a great Thursday!