I wake early, just after the sun has risen in anticipation for the day. Isla is awake as well but we get her to sleep for a almost an hour more after a quick feed. When we are all awake we let her play in her crib while him and I connect body and soul. We finally separate sweaty and breathless, but so in love.

I catch the tram easily with her in the pram towards my destination. I walk over canals and through the familiar streets of the affluent neighbourhood of Jordaan where I finally see a friend standing on the corner waving at me. My heart skips a beat and a smile is wide on my face thrilled to see her after two years. We hug, no kisses, as it is true friendship and a hug is much needed. We slip into a café where Isla quickly becomes the centre of attention while we pick up where we left off. Conversation flows easily, with no need to rush words or push silence aside to fill the space. It is easy and comfortable. We walk the streets of Amsterdam feeling like tourists and expats at the same time. We remember moments of spending time together two years before while also filling each other in on the finer details of our lives that we’ve missed that can’t be conveyed through iMessage or Skype. We talk of business, big dreams for the future, fame and what it is like to be ‘known’, having our feelings hurt by our peers, what it means to be inspired and how it feels when inspiration seems to be missing, how living abroad is one of the best things we could have done for our relationships with our loves, how we miss living in another country but love being surrounded by family, and how life is just wonderful even with hardships and hurt.

Before we know it the time has slipped by all too quickly and we’re hugging each other tightly, saying see you soon. As I see her descend the escalator a lump catching in my throat as I miss her already. When I get back on the tram to head to our apartment I feel exhausted, physically and emotionally and wish I could just crawl into bed. When I make it home I find strength to keep going on to prepare Isla for bed, have a conversation with Adam, and also write a newsletter and emails that have been sitting in my inbox for days.

We wake early again the next morning, jet lag finally behind us. We prepare for the day and before 9am we’re out the door and on our way to a café for our morning coffee. We sit and enjoy the smooth taste before heading out into the rain, capturing a few images along the way and just enjoying the time for us. We walk towards the centre and before noon we decide to head home for lunch. As we enter the apartment the rain turns to showers, which by the afternoon turns into a thunderstorm. I decide to stay indoors for the day with Isla where we play on the carpet, have an afternoon nap together, and watch Winnie the Pooh before she heads to bed.

Then sadly it was time to pack our belongings back into our suitcases and prepare for another journey. Our time in Amsterdam was too short and we thrived having our own space, but soon…oh so soon we will be in London and will settle in once again.

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