February turned out to be a bit of a lazy hazy month. I simply couldn’t stop basking in the sunshine on the beautiful weekends we had these past four weeks. This shows on my blog, because I have published (almost) no new articles. Still, a few noteworthy things have happened and most importantly I read a few great books (on my balcony in the sunshine). I will keep this wrap up short.

What did I do in February 2019?

This month, I managed to spend a lot of quality time with my friends, which always weighs in heavily when I judge the successfulness of a month. Travelling only reaches so far, right? I even spent a few weekends chilling outside at the beach (did I mention the weather in February was crazy this year?).

I made a new group of friends. Jessica from Corners of the World  organised a travel blogger/aficionado photography walk in Den Bosch. I had never visited the city before, so I figured it would be a perfect chance to both meet some new people and to explore a new town. I’m happy to report that both the city and the people I met were nice and interesting and have left me wanting more. I hope another walk will be organised in a different city and I want to make my way back to Den Bosch to eat an infamous Bossche Bol (a supposedly delicious sweet). I will write more about the tour in a future blog post.

(Thanks for the photo Piet!)

I’m one step closer to achieving one of my goals this year, because my Spanish classes started this month. Learning a new language is so incredibly difficult but I can’t wait to practice it on my travels.

Travel Content which inspired me

I didn’t read as many blogs as I normally do.

I did get to know a lot of interesting travel writers and photographers during the photography tour in Den Bosch, who are worth mentioning. I really enjoy browsing their Instagram accounts and websites. I met Kim from Ontdek Je Bestemming, Elizabeth from Elizabeth on the Road, Kayleigh who doesn’t blog but loves to travel, Sanne who doesn’t blog but loves to travel and the aforementioned Jessica and Piet.

I also dove into some old content written by Rachel from Hippie in Heels. Her blog posts about Karnataka come in handy for my future trip.

What did I read?

I didn’t read as much as I did in January, but I would say 6 books still aren’t bad. Most importantly, I actually loved most of them. The books are sorted based on date read.

• Catherine Steadman – Something in the Water (2018)
  • 4 out of 5 stars because I like how I was expecting a typical mystery-thriller, but instead it turned out to be a bit more of a gangster/crime-noir book. In my mind I’m comparing it a bit to Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane. I enjoy this type of book. I also enjoyed how the main (female) protagonist jumps to the challenge. Sure, it could’ve have been better and certain plot lines are left in the air and some feel a tiny bit convenient, but this is an excellent first novel.
• Robert T. Kiyosaki – Rich Dad, Poor Dad (1997)
  • 3 out of 5 stars because this book was advised to me so many times, and I can understand why. Robert Kiyosaki makes becoming rich sound very straight forward. He actually does so without giving actual practical tips, because the book is more about mindset. It’s a fast read, and his message is motivational. Of course it is, otherwise it wouldn’t have been picked up twenty or so years after publication. Kiyosaki teaches his readers what his rich dad and poor dad taught him. His poor dad is his highly educated dad who has a safe secure job. He’s classified as poor dad because he lives from paycheck to paycheck. His rich dad (actually his friend’s dad) lives from his assets rather than paychecks . Thus Kiyosaki gives a good overview how both the middle class & the upper class live and how you as reader could also become a rich person.
• John Carreyrou – Bad Blood (2018)
  • 4 out of 5 stars because this book fits well in my craze of deceitful young CEO’s. I also recently watched the documentary about the Fyre Festival. I have to admit that documentary drove me much more insane than this book did. I managed to stay calm while Elizabeth Holmes was weaving her web. This book has been written by an investigative reporter of the Wall Street Journal. As such, it’s based mainly on facts. I don’t want to call it boring, but it isn’t always interesting, especially since we all know that things won’t end well for Holmes’ revolutionary blood-testing company Theranos. It’s an interesting read though, and it goes to show it’s not all glitter-and-glamour in the world of Silicon Valley.
• Angie Thomas – On the Come Up (2019)
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars because I was looking forward to this book as I adored reading Angie Thomas’ debut The Hate U Give. I didn’t find this book as hard-hitting as her previous one, and I guess that’s OK. This book touches the same themes but has inherently different characters. Characters which are a bit harder to like than the previous ones.
• Sylvain Neuvel – The Test (2019)
  • 4 out of 5 stars because this book is a fast and compelling read. This is Sylvain Neuvel’s fourth book, and I’ve read and loved all four. This one is different than its predecessors though. Here he focuses on a British Citizenship test. A man wants his family to stay in the UK. In order for this to happen he has to take a test. However, things unfold differently than he had expected and suddenly he has been handed the power of life and death. It’s a hard-hitting book because it exemplifies the ridiculous hoops immigrants are made to jump through to become citizens of another country. It also shows the possible after-effects of these hoops. Neuvel can’t publish another novel fast enough!
• Lee Child – Worth Dying For (2010)
  • 5 out of 5 stars because I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of reading Lee Child’s books featuring Jack Reacher. Even though some of them are not my favourite, they all pull me into the story like no other author consistently can. This novel is about a small town in the middle of nowhere. Reacher overhears a doctor in a bar denying to see a woman who has been beaten up by her husband. Reacher presses the doctor to go visit her, and he finds out that all is not what it seems in the town. This book is so much fun! It actually has a comedy-noir tone to it, which I love in a thriller. At some point there are henchmen of different criminals in a chain in the same town and the conjecture and conclusions they reach are often hilarious. I really liked this book and I hope the next one will continue in the same vein!

I also bought some new books this month. I love it when a new batch of books comes in and I can’t wait to read them!

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What did I watch?

If I would have to put a theme on my month in regards to the movies and TV series I watched this month, I would dub it the month of the charismatic serial killer.

Why?

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)

First of all, I watched and loved the Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix. The most remarkable part of this documentary aren’t actually the tapes from the title, but instead I was absolutely fascinated by the court scenes.

American Crime Story – Seizoen 2 (2018)

Then I watched the second season of American Crime Story on Netflix. I didn’t know anything about the murder of Gianni Versace (I have to be honest here and admit that I didn’t even know he was murdered). So even though this series is fiction, it was interesting to learn more about it. Darren Criss plays the role of the killer extremely well.

You – Seizoen 1 (2018)

Last but certainly not least, I watched You. I have already read the books by Caroline Kepnes, but it’s interesting to see it all played out. It’s dark, it’s grim, but it’s also very good. This series can be watched on Netflix.

What’s next for March 2019?

I have my first trip of the year planned in March. I will actually be travelling for work to Mysore, India. Since I’ll be staying for two weeks I’ll have plenty of time to explore some of the nearby sights. It looks like I will visit (among others) palaces, temples, national parks & massive statues. I’ll update you in my wrap up of March and in future blog posts! If you have any tips for the region, please let me know.

Did you have a good February?