Man, what a day! Seriously, I can’t even. So, I woke up in my tiny apartment on the Kerkelanden. You know, the one with the view of that weird-looking building? Yeah, that one. I had a million things to do. Research, meetings, the whole shebang. But first, coffee. Always coffee.
I hit up my fave spot, Café de Buren, on the Gijsbrecht van Amstelstraat. The barista knows my order by heart. I mean, who doesn’t love a good cappuccino? But today, they were out of oat milk. Like, seriously? I almost lost it. I mean, how can you call yourself a café without oat milk? I settled for regular milk, but it just wasn’t the same. Ugh.
So, I’m chugging my coffee, trying to prep for my big presentation at the Media Park. You know, the place where all the TV magic happens? I was pumped. But then, I realized I left my notes at home. Classic me, right? I sprinted back, dodging cyclists on the Stationsweg. Those guys are like ninjas on wheels. One almost took me out. I swear, I need a helmet just to walk around this city.
Finally, I made it back to the Media Park, heart racing. I was late. Of course. I rushed into the meeting room, and everyone was already there, looking at me like I was a total noob. I stammered through my presentation, trying to sound smart. But honestly, I was just praying I didn’t trip over my words. I mean, who knew talking about climate change could be so nerve-wracking?
But then, something amazing happened. My colleague, Janneke, totally backed me up. She’s a genius, by the way. She jumped in with some killer stats about Hilversum’s green initiatives. I was like, “Yes! Go, Janneke!” The room lit up. We were vibing. I felt like a rockstar for a hot minute.
After the meeting, I needed to decompress. So, I strolled down the beautiful, tree-lined streets of the Herenstraat. It’s so picturesque, like a postcard. I stopped by the local market. Fresh veggies, flowers, and all that good stuff. I bought some strawberries, and let me tell you, they were the size of my fist. I mean, what are they feeding these things?
But then, outta nowhere, it started pouring. Like, biblical rain. I ducked into a shop on the Langestraat, and guess what? They had the cutest raincoats. I couldn’t resist. I bought one that was bright yellow. I looked like a walking banana. But hey, at least I was dry!
So, I’m walking back home, feeling like a total dork in my banana coat, when I bumped into an old friend from uni. We hadn’t seen each other in ages! We ended up chatting for like an hour on the corner of the Melkweg. It was so random but so nice. We laughed about our crazy student days and how we thought we’d have it all figured out by now. Spoiler alert: we don’t.
By the time I got home, I was exhausted but happy. I plopped down on my couch, still in my banana coat, and just thought about how wild the day had been. Hilversum, man. It’s a small city, but it’s packed with surprises. I love it here. Even with the rain, the cyclists, and the missing oat milk.
So, yeah, that was my day. Just another rollercoaster in the life of a scientist in Hilversum. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!