The moment is finally there. Today is the last day I'm officially living in The Netherlands; the country where I was born and raised into the man I am today. Today I will be flying to Indonesia as the first step in migration. I write this blog update at three in the morning while drinking a bottle of Heineken which I took from my parents fridge. For them this won't be an easy task; seeing your oldest son disappear in the distance in a crowd of people somewhere in the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. It's unclear when I will ever return, whether it is for a short holiday or I might decide to go back after many years abroad. I hate airports, it's the location where humans emotions run amok. Happy people reunited again, people deeply in sorrow because they separate from their loved ones. Some people get frustrated by any discomfort at the airport regarding passport, baggage or flight issues. The most important thing I've learned is to enjoy the moment while you're still around people that care about you. Saying goodbye is never easy but taking unconditional love from your parents for granted is. I am my parent very grateful for all these years they've committed themselves for the sake of my growth, education and morals. They will always say that "it is my life and my decision what I am going to do with it". They don't want to force me or deny me anything, the best they can do is give advise from their point of view. These are one of the things I really appreciate.

For them and my brother is this year the start of a new era. My dad will retire from his full-time job at the end of this year and my brother might consider finding his own place near his campus (if he successfully finishes his first year in college). For my mother this will be even more 'awkward' because so many things will change this year, for all the men in her family, and this will also greatly affect her personal life. But I think she will do just fine, although she might deny it herself, she is a strong lady. A proud momma bird seeing her spouse move so far, far away. The younger generation are adults now, how many years to come before she'll see the next generation? Only time will tell.

Luckily, in these digital ages it's much easier to contact people living in a foreign country. We have internet and the development of software to thank for that. We can video chat using Skype every day if we want to. My friends and family back in my fatherland can read my stories through this personal weblog, share pictures on Facebook and even share video's on YouTube.

I will think back to my life in The Netherlands of a time of happiness; growing up in a complete family, going to school, having a dog, going for a visit to grandma's, watching Dutch television (with sometimes very controversial topics), going to college, having wild frat parties.. but these last few weeks it was all about acceptance. The pride and joy I feel for my family, my friends and my country is not describable. Gentle people, I bid farewell to you all and we'll meet again someday!