I’m a 20-year-old girl from the Netherlands, and I’ve lived my entire life in a city. I was even born there. But despite being a city girl through and through, I’ve realized I feel so much more at home in the mountains than anywhere else. I do enjoy beach vacations and city trips they’re fun and exciting in their own way. But when it comes to where I truly feel at home, it’s the mountains every time.

I come from a region shaped by rolling hills, the gentle foothills of the Ardennes. It’s not flat like most of the Netherlands, and though I live in the city, when dusk falls and I’m driving through those hills, I always think how beautiful my region is and how lucky I am to live in that region. But it still can’t compare to the real mountains.

About 10 years ago, I discovered my love for Switzerland during a short trip. When I returned home to my hometown back then, I missed the high mountains and I still do now. 

This summer, I stood on Monte Lema in southern Switzerland, watching the Monte Rosa massif’s snowy peaks bathed in a dreamy dawn. The magic of that moment made my eyes fill with tears. 

What truly captivates me is the mountains’ immense, timeless presence. These giants have stood for millions of years silent witnesses to the world’s endless change. And here we are, tiny humans so small beneath their grandeur but with voices loud enough to shake the very earth. It’s strange and a little terrifying to realize how such small beings can shape the world in such huge ways. The mountains remind me of how vast and old the world is and how fragile we truly are.

People often ask, “But what do you do up there?”
I do very little. I simply sit, watch, breathe, and let the mountains work their quiet magic on my soul.

I already miss it deeply.


Why I’ll Always Choose the Mountains Over the Beach or City Trips