Nostalgic Dutch Traditions: A Taste of Home

Somedays I miss my home country “The Netherlands.” I breathe in and out and remember going to the bakery with my parents getting all the traditional Dutch pastries and cookies. My mom cooking traditional cabbage recipes and vegetable dishes I’ve never seen in America.  I follow my breath and close my eyes for a moment. Breathing in and out I use my memories as a child and go back in time in my mind’s eye. It makes me feel nostalgic and longing for my family traditions. I feel happy and calm. I feel  thankful for my country, it’s traditions and beautiful flat country side with cows, tulips and lush forests. As a mother of two now and having my own family I love bringing back some of those traditions. So yesterday  I visited the international store in town and got some Dutch cookies and bought some vegetables to make a traditional dutch cabbage dish with our meat. One bite at a time I enjoyed my home-made Dutch dinner, the smells, the tastes and the warmth of the food brought me back in time.  Breathing in and out I am thankful for my heritage and all the memories that go along with it. Breathing in:”I am happy when I think about my country: The Netherlands,” breathing out:”I am thankful for the transportation system to be able to buy some goods from home in America,”breathing in:”I love eating my traditional Dutch dishes with my family,” breathing out:” I feel peaceful.”