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Travel

Travel

Finding our Feet

by belinda February 21, 2021

I can feel sunshine warming my legs and smell clean washing in the air. The detergents here are delicious smelling, and this latest one I bought is full of coconut and island holidays. I can hear churchbells ringing and the sound of kids playing football in the street.

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February 21, 2021 3 comments
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Travel

Biking, Farting & Lighting: 3 Weeks in The Netherlands

by belinda January 15, 2021

We’ve been here 3 weeks! How guys, how. And it’s been a steep learning curve. Some days have felt like a struggle. The hardest part has actually been trying to manage the home schooling and get some work done ourselves. Lockdown here (and the closure of schools) has meant that our family of four is kept inside in close proximity for around 8 hours each day, as you attempt to get all the schoolwork completed in time.

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January 15, 2021 5 comments
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Travel

A Tale of Two Christmases

by belinda January 3, 2021

We’ve been in The Netherlands for over a week now and I’ve spent much of it decompressing. Undergoing a release from the most intensely stressful few days before we actually arrived here. Remember when I wrote this? Well, that was nothing. Covid yanked the pressure switch up a notch, for everyone around the world really, but the timing was such that the switch got yanked just around our departure date.

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January 3, 2021 5 comments
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Travel

Moving Countries (as a Feeler)

by belinda December 2, 2020

It’s been a whirlwind. A rollercoaster. All those handy cliches. I will also say though, that these past few months have been some of the hardest of my life. I’m hesitant to write about my personal struggles, because it seems so self-absorbed. Everybody is under severe stress this year. My feelings are nothing unique. Plus, it seems that when I see people lately, they always ask about me and I’m tired of talking about myself.

But writing is what I do. It’s how I process my world. So here’s what it’s been like planning this move to Europe from an emotional perspective, in the hope it can help some of you if you’re going to be doing the same.

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December 2, 2020 6 comments
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Landscape Cottage
Travel

Soaking it Up at Gabrielskloof

by belinda September 16, 2020

Sponsored post

Let me tell you a little story.

When I was six I was sent from our farm to boarding school in Grahamstown. There weren’t a lot of girls in my Sub A class, so most of my friends were boys. Every break time we tore around that massive playground playing catches and even though I was pretty fast, I wasn’t a match for some of those boys. But I kept trying. And I have such a specific memory of running through this patch of trees chasing after my friend Grant and feeling this huge well of frustration because I couldn’t catch him – he was too damn fast.

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September 16, 2020 0 comment
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the hague
FamilyTravel

Moving Mountains

by belinda September 13, 2020

Sorry (not sorry)…had to use that title – ’twas inevitable. So, we’re moving to The Netherlands soon. With the debacle that is COVID, our exact timing is difficult to lock down at this point, but we’re planning for late December, so the kids can start school in January. They will be going to an international school that is partly subsidised by the Dutch government, so they’ll be taught in English. These types of schools were established in order to encourage expats like ourselves to settle in The Netherlands for a bit, build businesses and contribute to the economy and society generally.

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September 13, 2020 3 comments
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About Me

About Me

Belinda Mountain

Writer. Blogger. Overthinker.
Likes to eat/read/exercise.
Asks good questions.
Cannot tell a lie.
South African currently in The Netherlands.
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An amazing lightning quick visit to Amsterdam to s An amazing lightning quick visit to Amsterdam to see old friends and meet some new ones. I didn’t take any iconic city pictures because we were on our bikes and it was too terrifying to stop 🤣. The pace in this place is frenetic and everyone is edgy and uber cool. Vondelpark was zinging with an air of Spring and there were rollerbladers, picnics, joggers, dogs and bees and flowers everywhere. Now we just need things to open up so we can return again and see it properly - what a place😍. #amsterdam #vondelpark
I realized the other day that I don’t talk much I realized the other day that I don’t talk much about my day job on here! I’m a copywriter and co-own a content agency called Black Mountain (that I started 8 years ago with Cath Black @a_black_cat ).

Covid has changed all of our worlds - it’s heightened our need to communicate with others. We’re human and this isolation is not normal - we’re all seeking connection, inspiration & hope. 

This doesn’t only apply to our personal lives, it also influences how we want organizations to communicate with us. With this in mind, I wrote about 5 key attributes companies need to incorporate into their communication, in order to reach people during this pandemic (& beyond). 

If you’d like to read, the link is in my bio🤓 #copywriting #communication #blackmountainagency
Happy Valentine’s Day from the land of red bikes Happy Valentine’s Day from the land of red bikes & good doors. Eat something sweet. Take a nap. Tell people you love them❤️ #valentinesday2021
It feels like I’m living in one of those Christm It feels like I’m living in one of those Christmas cards my mother & her friends used to send each other once a year, featuring red-breasted robins & snow covered trees. I want to show her all of this but I can’t, so I post it here instead🤍
We walked to school in the snow this morning, the We walked to school in the snow this morning, the whole neighbourhood out on the streets, pulling kids on sleds and walking with their families. These two ran in without a glance and now I have 6 hours ahead of me without home schooling, snack fixing or squabble mediation. Amazing.
It’s pretty magical out there today ❄️ It’s pretty magical out there today ❄️
Early morning hockey drop off. Something so libera Early morning hockey drop off. Something so liberating about riding my bike back through the silent forest, mist rising from the water, watching duck families setting out and birds waking up in the trees.
Another pretty challenging week but there is light Another pretty challenging week but there is light somewhere in this tunnel✨. Kids are getting into the rhythm of online school and are feeling a lot more settled. They’ve joined a hockey club & started making friends. We’re signing a lease today for the apartment of dreams🤞and we’ve “called the ship” so our furniture/stuff should be here end of February. Oh! And it’s looking highly likely that kids will return to actual school on 8 Feb. Lots of good stuff interwoven with the stress. Thanks for all the kind messages and have wonderful weekends xx
Home schooling & lockdown totally kicked my ass th Home schooling & lockdown totally kicked my ass this week (limping over the finish line here). But the sun is shining and the sky is blue. And the PM here says it is their “highest priority” that primary schools go back on 8 February - so we live in hope.
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  • Grieving Lost Things posted on April 14, 2020
  • Our Age Shouldn’t Limit Us posted on March 4, 2020
  • The Light Years & the ‘Beautiful Awful’ posted on October 9, 2019

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Recent Posts

  • Finding our Feet

    February 21, 2021
  • Rocks, Dinosaurs & Home Schooling Tips

    February 6, 2021
  • Bikini Waxing in the Time of Corona

    February 2, 2021

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