Day 3 & 4: Leiden

It must've been about 4 years since I last saw Alecky. She's currently studying in Leiden, about a 35 minute train ride South from Amsterdam, and she agreed to host me for a night. Her bubbly personality and occasional one liners straight out of left field was exactly as I remembered her from high school.

Leiden is a beautiful little city. It was a Saturday night yet hardly anyone was out and about. Apparently there are many students there who have gone home over the weekend/holiday season. Right by where I was staying there was a live jazz combo playing at this small, intimate bar. It was the perfect setting and time of the evening for me. They weren't overly impressive players, but the occasion was very sweet.

I went for a neat stroll in the morning and found my favourite bridge. When I got back at 12.30, Alecky was still asleep. She cooked us some lunch then we explored some more.

I got a lot out of our conversations. She is an incredibly consistent being, who lives stubbornly by her beliefs and ideals. She is a true, free soul, and always has been. That hasn't changed. What has changed is my reaction to interacting with someone like that. I used to be weirded out, disinterested and put off by it all - the unwillingness to follow expectations and the norms of society. Today, I could feel myself be intrigued and in admiration of her free spirit. She embodies the values I try so hard to instill in others( e.g. students), and yet find myself struggle to live by. It is encouraging because I can feel the change and growth I've undergone over the years. It also challenges me to be braver and bolder, to be consistent with the progressive ideals that I preach.

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