These past days were the highlight of the winter in the Netherlands: a snowstorm hit the country, covering everything in white and bringing much needed joy to all people, young or old. After a few years without seeing snow in this country, the storm felt like a blessing to me. A full week of winter, who would have thought! I almost forgot the unending rain and grey skies. It’s the first winter I enjoy in my new city, Alkmaar, which looks like a fairy tale place now. I went out every day, facing the strong wind, happy to feel its cuts on my face and feel the cold biting through the layers of clothes.

And I certainly wasn’t the only one. The streets were filled with people, the take-away places played music; it was a proper celebration of winter. A street party in Amsterdam went viral, and it received a lot of criticism for not respecting the Corona rules; although I am one for respecting the rules, this time I could only see the joy that party brought to people. We are starving for connection, for celebrating things together, for having shared experiences once more. Street party aside, the snow provided an opportunity to feel as if we’re going to a festival together, even if we had to smile at each other from a bit of distance. It brought a bit of normalcy, even if we could not go out after 9pm to see the snow under the night lights.

Now everyone is waiting to see if the canals will transform into natural ice skating rinks — and there’s hope that it will happen this coming weekend. I can’t skate, but I’ll take my joy from watching others doing it. And maybe I’ll dare to walk on the ice a bit and drink mulled wine. How are you enjoying the winter?

Stay tuned for more and follow Amsterdamian on Instagram and Facebook for daily stories about life in the Netherlands.