What Is It Like to Work in A Beautiful City Where Tourists Flock All Day Long

The perks of living and working in a beautiful place

A beautiful city on the West Coast

Many years ago, I had a chance to work and live in California for a while. It was for a very short time.

The city I stayed in was a beautiful city surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, distant hills, and the lagoon. I could not have asked for a more beautiful place.

Every morning I walked from my temporary rental accommodation by the lagoon to my workplace. It was a lovely walk beside the lagoon and filled me with so much joy. The warm morning sun glistened in the water as if they were pieces of sparkling diamonds. It would create such a sense of peace and harmony as if nothing else in the world mattered.

At night, you could look up at the starry night and count the billion stars. On a full moon night, you could see the reflection of the moon on the water as if you were observing a dance in the moonlight.

It wasn’t a very touristy city. But it looked like a picture postcard.

I would see people walking, jogging, or exercising by the lagoon. In the evening. when I took the same path to come back to my rental, people would be playing, having fun with their children, or just sitting on one of the many benches and reading a book.

Life revolved around the lagoon or the bay.

I envied them. And I despised my life.

I was not a tourist there, I was for work. And I was there for a short while. So I had to get up very early in the morning, get ready quickly, and run to work while I saw other people just casually walking by or relaxing.

I was overworked. Most evenings, after a full day of work, I would barely get the time to get some groceries, make a quick and unhealthy dinner, and get ready for the meetings with my Indian team, because they were in another part of the world where the working day has just begun.

I had no time to sit there and take in the beauty of the moment.

How I wished I could swap my life with the residents.

A few years later, God did listen to my prayers (or rants) and granted my wish of living and working in a beautiful city. I moved to the Netherlands and started working in Amsterdam.

Discovering a delightful city in Europe

I now work in Amsterdam and my office is right in the heart of the city. While it’s very different from the life in California that I witnessed and so desperately longed for, Amsterdam is a beautiful city too in its own right.

I see tourists hand in hand posing for pictures, cameras dangling around their necks, leisurely strolling, or sitting by the cafe.

I see them looking perplexed, trying to find a museum or a restaurant.

I see them hauling their luggage to a nearby hotel. I see them waiting patiently by the canals, for the next cruise.

I see their bewildered faces when they first land in the Central Station trying to absorb so much beauty in art, history, and architecture in such a short span of time.

I see their curious faces when looking at the colorful Dutch rowhouses by the canals, maps in their hands, exploring the city, and trying to navigate the public transport.

I see their proud faces which gives away that landing in Amsterdam itself is ticking off a bucket list. I can see their relaxed and smiling faces, which tells me that they are enjoying the vibes and relaxed atmosphere of Amsterdam and having a great time.

But sadly, I have no time.

Because I am not a tourist here. I remind myself that I have work to do, a child to take care of, a boss to please, heaps of laundry to be done, loads of dishes to be washed, and food to cook, and also be social and attend events irrespective of the fact if I like them or not.

I have a life to live and that life doesn’t involve doing the regular touristy things — I tell that to myself.

Life is a lot more than you give credit to

Recently, I had a wake-up call. When I thought about my short stint in California, I missed my walk by the lagoon. I envied the people who lived in such a beautiful place. I kept thinking how unfortunate I was.

But now that I have an option to live in an equally beautiful place, do I even feel grateful for that?

A big fat NO.

I thought about how to change this mindset and take advantage of the situation. I like to mostly work from home, but the times I do get to work, the spontaneity of this city engulfs me.

That’s why, instead of taking a long lunch break sitting inside the office, I started stepping outside and going for a short walk. And it works like a charm.

The small alleys are full of mystery ready to be uncovered. The flower-decked bridges on the canals are quintessentially European (hey, wasn’t this my dream after all?). The smell of the freshly brewed coffee from the cafes nearby fills me with energy, even though I am not a coffee drinker.

Sometimes I go shopping with some of my colleagues for perfumes, hand balm, or trinkets. The other day I went out with a Brazilian colleague of mine to a small Brazilian food store and got to taste Bolo de Fubá — a Brazilian cornmeal cake, and Brigadeiro (Chocolate truffles), an absolute delight.

Another day, a Dutch colleague, born and brought up in this city, showed me some sights nearby and shared some of his pleasant memories associated with these places.

Some days, I just go out alone, for a fresh breath of air and watch the sunshine on the waters of the canal or wave at those people boarding the huge cruise ships on the river. That gives me so much joy and peace.

Once a traveler, always a traveler

When I was a child, I dreamt of visiting these far-flung places. I didn’t really demand toys. Instead, I grew up with an atlas and a globe and imagined myself in these exotic locations. That gave me the most happiness.

So I realized that living the life of a traveler is what gives me the most happiness. The perks of living in a beautiful touristy place is that I get to be a tourist in my city and look at it every day with a new angle.

I know I can’t live a life waiting for one weekend to another, one vacation to another. With a deep sense of gratitude, I accept that I am living my dream life without knowing it.

Thank you for reading my story.

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