In 28 days I will be home. In 28 days I will leave Maastricht, Netherlands. I spent so much time trying to travel that I have forgotten to explore my own city.
Every day I ride my bike to school. My ride is always the bumpiest because of the cobblestones. These cobblestones represented nothing but a bumpy ride to me when in fact they’re truly significant. At home I never see cobblestones and here they are everywhere. Back home the back pavement roads are universal, same color, same texture but here each street is different. Each road is made up of different rocks, different colors, different shapes, and sizes. There is grass rising from the cobble stones, filling the streets with flowers. It is so beautiful.But the best part is the serenity felt in the air. The streets are always empty because everyone rides bikes so there are very few cars and it is so nice to ride your bicycle without the busy rustling of cars or of people. Its as if in Maastricht life is played in slow motion and it is so peaceful.
But the cobble stones are not the only pretty sights in Maastricht. Maastricht has so much history and so many beautiful sights. This week I decided to finally explore my beautiful city. First, I visited the bookstore. This bookstore isn’t any ordinary bookstore it was once a church. There are many churches in Maastricht that have been transformed into bookstores, hotels, and museums and I finally set time aside to visit them.
Next, I visited the river. I live near a river back home but my river is very run down and not well conserved. However, this river represents so much for Maastricht. The train station is on the other side of the river and the nightlife is centered near the river. Therefore, me and my friends would always use the river as a navigating reference, “before or past the river”.
Lastly, I visited the arches of Maastricht. It is quite humorous that I spent so many weekends seeking beauty in other countries and cities when in fact beauty has been all around me. Exploring Maastricht really made me realize how lucky I was to call this place my home. It has been 4 months and I have failed to realize how much I will miss the greenery, the beauty, and the serenity.