It had already been my plan for a while to come back to the Netherlands this fall. Usually, my trips to the Netherlands are a net positive, both in terms of happiness and finances. Yes, it’s expensive, but in the Netherlands I’m also able to give talks and trainings, do shoots, and promote my books more effectively, which pays itself back in the long run. A few weeks ago I had already looked at tickets, but when I checked again on Saturday, they had suddenly become a lot more expensive…

I should probably book something quickly, I thought. Otherwise it might get even more expensive, or maybe even sell out completely. And I also need to slowly start planning and selling things, because people usually don’t book a lecture just a few weeks in advance. These things take months, and there’s also a summer holiday period in between when many organizations are basically inactive. In short: time for action!

I booked my ticket for a painful 1,600 euros. And yes, of course, it could have been cheaper. I could have chosen to fly with China Eastern, for example. But a tight transfer in Shanghai and an airline that doesn’t exactly have the most trustworthy reputation… Hmm, no. So I chose KLM. Economy Comfort, because my legs need to go somewhere. And yes, that apparently gets you to 1,600 euros pretty quickly these days. Yikes.

Then I started looking at accommodations, and help?! The same hotel where I stayed for seven weeks last time now cost the same amount for just four weeks?! So instead of having seven weeks to earn those costs back, I’d now have to make it happen in four? I immediately started sweating. For a moment I felt the urge to cancel everything right away, but I do need to go to the Netherlands for at least one new project, so realistically, that’s not really an option.

I decided not to book accommodation just yet. The “advantage” of these ridiculous prices is that it basically doesn’t matter what I do right now. A standard hotel costs the same anyway. And technically I could still book that a week beforehand. In the meantime, I’m hoping someone might sublet their apartment or something. Or maybe friends/acquaintances have a spare room. Who knows. Although having a fixed home base last time was ideal, especially with all the books I had to ship, that’s slightly less important this time around. Dragging my suitcase around still isn’t great, but then again, paying 3,500 euros for a month in a worn-down hotel isn’t exactly fantastic either.

So, two questions for you all:

1. Who has – or knows of – accommodation where I could stay between September 14 and October 19, even if only for part of that period? I should probably mention in advance that I’m picky, because if I become chronically overstimulated or have to travel long distances all the time, I simply won’t be able to cope, and I’d really like to avoid that.
2. Who would like to book me for a lecture, or works at an organization I could approach for a lecture, between September 15 and October 18? I’m hoping to book as many talks as possible at various organizations. Think government organizations, healthcare and support services, education, large companies with a diversity and inclusion mission… More information about my talks can be found on this page.

Please let me know if you have any tips or leads, and otherwise you’d also really help me by sharing this post. Thanks in advance!