I Love My Happiness: My new baby!

It's been a bit quiet here the past few weeks. To be honest, I've been incredibly busy with my fulltime job all of a sudden. When I get home I'm often too tired to do anything, let alone take pictures and write a new blog post.

So today there's two updates!

As you might know, Amsterdam is a city famous for its bikes. As I am a bred (not born unfortunately) Amsterdammer, naturally the bike is my usual way of transportation. I'm 23, I don't have a drivers license because I don't need one, and I get around the city by bike. For longer travels I usually take the train. Much cheaper and better for the environment!

(Small bike park near Amsterdam Central Station, source: Best of European Union)

My bike is my baby and I'm usually very attached to it. I like to decorate it with flowers and even though it's usually rusty and rattling somewhere I really like it. My bike is an extension of me! My lovely old rusty flower hippy bike!

I parked it on a bridge in the Amsterdam center yesterday - to the fence. When I came back half an hour later it was completely total loss. Looking at the amount of damage I think a big truck hit it, although I don't know how or why. However, they were gone without leaving a note. Apart from feeling really immobile I was heartbroken and have been sad all day yesterday. Poor bike.. and how am I supposed to get around now?

I got a little bit of money from my parents for passing the year at uni. It was actually meant for a holiday but since I love my bike so much I wanted to go on a biking tour in Belgium I'd thought I'd use it for a new bike! It's still investing in my holiday, right? ;) As I had a day off today I immediately went to buy a new one. I fell in love with a white second hand bike at a bike shop and I am so happy with it! I got wonderful bags for it from my mom and I (of course) decorated it with flowers. Now I have a new baby; it's not rusty and old but pretty and shiney and new and it rides like a dream! I love it. And the best part: the lights work! That's a rare thing considering it's an Amsterdam bike. ;)

Here are some pictures of it:

I don't know how the model is called in English. In Dutch it's 'omafiets', which translates to Granny Bike. It's a bit of an old fashioned but still much used type of ladies bike, especially in Amsterdam. I usually have an omafiets! I like their look and they usually ride pretty well.