Follow Up to Holland

Follo= w-Up to Welcome to Holland

By Cathy Anthony

I have= been in Holland for over a decade now. It has become home. I have had
time to catch my breath, to settle and adjust, to accept something differen= t
than I'd planned.

I reflect back on those years of past when I had first landed in Holland.

I remember clearly my shock, my fear, my ange= r - the pain and uncertainty.

In those first few years, I tried to get back= to Italy as planned, but Holland was

where= I was to stay. Tod= ay, I can say how far I have come on this unexpected

journey. I have learned so= much more. But, this too has been a journey of time.

I worked hard. I bought new guidebooks. I learned a new language and I
slowly found my way around this new land. I have met others whose plans had=
changed like mine, and who could share my experience. We
supported one another and some have become very special friends.

Some of these fellow travellers had been in Holland longer th= an I and were
seasoned guides, assisting me along the way. Many have encouraged me. Many =
have taught me to open my eyes to the wonder and
gifts to behold in this new land. I have discovered a community of caring. =
Holland= wasn't so bad. I think that Holland is used to wayward travellers like
me and grew to become a land of hospitality, reaching out to welcome, to assist and to support newcomers like me in this new land. Over the years, <= o:p>

I've wondered what life would have been like = if I'd landed in Italy<= /st1:place> as planned.

Would life have been easier? Would it have been as rewa= rding? Would I have
learned some of the important lessons I hold today?

Sure, this journey has been more challenging and at times I would (and stil= l
do) stomp my feet and cry out in frustration and protest.

And, yes, Holland is slower paced than Italy and less flashy than Italy, = but
this too has been an unexpected gift. I have learned to slow down in ways <= br> too and look closer at things, with a new appreciation for the remarkable <= br> beauty of Holland<= /st1:City> with its' tulips, windmills and Rembrandts.

I have come to love Holland and call it Home.

I have become a world traveller and discovered = that it doesn't matter where
you land. What's more important is what you make of your journey and how yo= u
see and enjoy the very special, the very lovely, things that Holland, or any
land, has to offer.

Yes, over a decade ago I landed in a place I hadn't planned. Yet I am
thankful, for this destination has been richer than I could have imagined! =

(Cathy Anthony is a parent, advocate and presently the executive director o= f the Family Support Institute in Va= ncouver, BC)