20 things I've done before turning 20.

Hello inhabitants of the world!

Today is the day I've turned 20. No big party planned (that was yesterday), so just a nice day to spend with my family, the sun and to hang by the pool. As turning 20 isn't something to take lightly, you're suddenly not a teen anymore!!!!! So hereby, I would like to share with you, 20 things I've done before turning 20.  

1. Teaching myself to read. 
Before turning four and starting kindergarten I had already taught myself to read. probably where my love for books started. 

2. Graduating from high school.
Since I know a few 20 year-olds who haven't graduated high school yet I think this kind of counts as an achievement so yeah here it is.  

3. Taking Anglia as an extra class.
Oh how I've complained about this extra class during the five years I took it. Now, looking back on it, however I'm pretty glad I took that class as it helped me improve my English even further and it made my high school time a bit more challenging, study-wise. 

4. MSN.
When you're around my age you will know this as the most amazing early forms of social media there was and ever will be. MSN was our way of messaging friends, to stay in touch. Together with MySpace this was the start of social media and where we started to get lost in the digital world.

5. Attending my first actual festival.
This happened only recently when I visited PinkPop, a pretty cool festival in the South of Holland. I really recommend you go there once if you're able to, that is. 

6. Getting my drivers license. 
Quite a milestone in every persons life. I failed twice before finally passing my drivers test and I was in tears when I finally passed. It was amazing and being able to drive by myself has given me a new form of freedom.

7. Started university.
Two years ago I officially started university. Now I'm two years in my nursing course and after summer I'll proceed to the third year of this course. My next internship will be in the same hospital I'm being treated for my diabetes so that will be fun!

8. Getting my first kiss.
Not really a very great one but hey, it's something that should be on here right?! Let's not go into this any deeper.

9. Went on a vacation without my parents.
My first vacation without my parents was when I went to South Africa for two weeks to volunteer. This was with Worldmapping, whom I would 100% recommend if you're under 18 and want to volunteer abroad! The year after South Africa I went to Brasil, also with Worldmapping.

10. Go outside of Europe.
My parents never took us outside of Europe, they're not much for travelling far and wide so if I wanted to explore the world I would have to do it myself. This I did together with 20 other people aged between 14 and 18 years old. The two trips I've taken outside of Europe, both with Worldmapping, changed my life for the better and I am so grateful I got to take these chances. 

Okay halfway there. Let me think of some more amazing things I've done before turning 20.

11. Getting diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes.
Not a very happy or amazing thing but still a very important one. My diabetes changed my life for ever. I now have to truly take care of my own body. To get diagnosed with something like Diabetes when you're 15 is one of the worst things that can happen to you. It basically cuts of the rest of your childhood as you have to become completely responsible for yourself, your behaviour and your health. Pretty insane but I'm also pretty grateful for my Diabetes as it changed me as a person and without my Diabetes I wouldn't have done the amazing things I have done now. So as a wise Dutchman once said: "Every disadvantage has it's advantage."

12. Going on holidays with my friends.
Something I started doing since my gap year. That year I visited London with a good friend of mine, then came my trip to Brighton with a different friend and during New years I visited Disneyland Paris with yet another friend of mine. I treasure all these trips, they all were amazing in their own way and they made me fall in love with city-tripping and visiting new places that aren't too far away as well. 

13. Having a great imagination.
Ever since I was a child I could get lost in my own imagination, in the worlds I created for myself. World so much better and happier than the world we live in. In these worlds I convinced myself I was Chinese, able to play Galactic Football (amazing series from my childhood), one of the Totally Spies (another TV-show), living in a cloud castle, and so much more. As I grew up, a lot of my imaginary worlds faded and eventually disappeared. However not all of my imagination is gone and I'm going to keep it that way for the rest of my life. Life is way too boring without a good bit of imagination. 

14. Beating depression.
For over 6 years I went from psychologist to hypnotherapist, back to a psychologist and on to a psychiatrist. After those six years I had gotten the diagnosis depression and learned to deal with it. This long process was one of the biggest challenges of my life but also one of the biggest victories as my last visit to the psychiatrist ended. It meant I was done and officially able to manage myself. Looking back on it I've come very far and nobody can take one bit of that progress away from me. 

15. Turning 18.
The age I officially, theoretically, became an adult. Reaching the age of 18 in Holland means you can drive by yourself, are legally allowed to consume alcohol and you get to vote. FunFunFun.

16. Voted for the first time.
After turning 18, the local elections came around. Being 18 it meant I was allowed to vote and my vote is one I find very important and I personally think that once you're allowed to vote you should vote. As you vote you vote for your future which I think, is pretty amazing and you want to shape your own future don't you?!

17. Being alive during the change of the millenniums.
Yes I am one of those annoying millennials people are always talking about. I was born in 1996 so I don't remember much from New years eve 1999/ 2000. What I do know of it are mostly things that I got told afterwards, when I got older but yeah hey I was there when it happened!!!

18. Auditioned for a movie.
This didn't really work out and it was a bit of an impulsive move. When I was 14 I decided it was a good idea to audition for a movie. The audition was on the other side of Holland and it was this pretty big event. It was an amazing day and I had a lot of fun though. Maybe in the future???? I did have a small part in a Swedish children's series though, by the way. Recording that series was a lot of fun even though I don't speak a word Swedish.

19. Taking a gap-year. 
After graduating from High School I took a gap year. This mostly due to my depression but it became an amazing year. I worked in a toy shop, pretty cool eh, got my drivers license, went to London (twice) and beat my depression. So yeah an amazing year with a lot of cool stuff. 

20. Making fun of other people turning 20.
I'm one of the youngest among my friends so most of them have already turned 20. This led teasing them about being old and so adult. Now the jokes on me as my time to turn 20 has come. I'm a bit scared for the payback some friends have prepared for me but I'll give another update on that after my birthday party!

So that's it. 20 things I've done before turning 20. I hope you liked this very very long blogpost! If you've made it all the way down, congratulations! If you haven't, very understandable!

Anyway I hope you all passed your exams, proceeded to your next year of school and will have an amazing holiday!
ThatDutchGirl96

My dearest Vincent.

Dear Vincent,

Last saturday I visited your legacy. A museum, named after and devoted to you, founded by your nephew. It was a four floor building and your work was everywhere. Your work, your life, everything about you hung on those walls, visible for whoever walked past. It was incredible and it only made me love you and that incredibly complex mind of you even more. 

I've always admired your work but even more the story of your life. Your life is one of the more inspiring life stories I've heard so far. It holds happines, sadness, madness, magnificent friendships, and more importantly one of the strongest bonds between brothers I know of. Your brother Theo was a magnificent man, just like you were and the bond the two of you shared is one many siblings can look up to. You were, brothers, friends, and business partners, where most siblings have a relationship that goes no further than the brother part. Sad, if I may say so. 

Let me compliment your work, Vincent. I've grown up with your work, you are one of Hollands, of the worlds, finest painters. Your artwork changed the future of art but still, you my Vincent, are one of a kind. Ever since I was a little girl I loved your artwork, the circular shapes, the endless little dots, they made your artwork come to live. Your artwork was and still is the most magical artwork I know. To see your work from up close for once, it gave me so much more insight in the way you worked, the colours you used and how you made the artwork come to life. Something that has been a mystery to me for the biggest part of my life. Oh Vincent, I love your work, like so many others in this world. A few of my favourites are Sunflowers and Starry night. Oh how I love those. The contrasts, the use of colour, the different dimensions and emotions you managed to put in the 'simple' 2d canvasses. 

Vincent, the day in your museum, it thaught me a lot about you. Not only about your artwork and the way you paint, how you saw the world, and how you used your pain and managed to put it in your artwork. No that day I learned so much more, about you as a person, your relationships with other artists and of course your family and Theo, your brother. It thaught me your life story as I never heard it before. I read letters, saw some photographs of you, found out more about the institute you went to when life got bad. Vincent, you have no idea how much respect I have for you. I wish I had known you in real life, I wish you were still alive. The way you saw the world was a way I wanted to know more about and now I do. Now I know how you saw the world and how it reflects in your paintings. I know about it now and can't wait to start seeing the world the same way. You Vincent, you and your paintings and your intruiging life story, you brought back some of the magic I had lost. 

Vincent, if you were still alive, I would probably shake your hand, give you a hug and wish you all the best. But Vincent, you're not alive anymore, all there is left of you is your artwork, the letters you wrote, your drawings and your life story. So now I'm left with thanking you, and being forever grateful for the fact you once were alive and the magic and meaning your life has brought me!

Yours faithfully,
ThatDutchGirl96