I remember the evening strolls through these quiet streets. The warm lights glistening off of the canals, illuminating the path. In every window you saw life. A small dinner gathering here and a book being unfolded there. But the quietness didn’t seem to come from an absence. There was a substance to the stillness. A contentment of sorts. It kind of felt like sinking into the couch after a hearty meal. Perhaps the best way to describe it - gezellig.

Gezellig is a Dutch word that doesn’t have a direct English equivalent. It is often translated as coziness, but also has connotations of togetherness, the warmth of belonging and the idea of individual well-being that overflows to others (paraphrased from wikipedia).

It’s always a pleasant surprise, to find family in all sorts of places. And I’m reminded that home was never tied to a single place. But rather, in every place we find that we belong.

[ BACK TO LIFESTYLE ]