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Wait. What?!? Shut the front door!

It’s September already?! What happened?

The summer has come and gone so quickly – time sure flies when you’re having fun! And boy, did I! I took a road trip with Lisa, my oldest friend in the world, and our families. We went through Austria, Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic, which was a trip down memory lane for me. In 1990 someone heard me speaking English on a train in Prague and asked me to be the very first native English speaker to work at the very first privatized English language school in the Czech Republic, founded just after the revolution. How could I refuse? I got 80 cents an hour and trained professionals to communicate in English, something that was forbidden just a few months before. It was an honor and a privilege. I went back to my old institute, tucked away in the Bohemian forest. It’s now a luxury hotel and it opened just 3 weeks before I arrived. The receptionist was so excited to speak English with me because she’s studying to become an English teacher. Full circle moment. Misty eyes and death-grip hugs later, we travelled on. And on. And on…..

I read 11 books in 14 days. Some of them were real game-changers for me. If you don’t know Malcolm Gladwell (I’ve read all his work, and finished ‘What The Dog Saw’ on my trip), you should. He makes very complex ideas very clear and explains complicated theories in such an entertaining way, you’re hooked from the first page. I also read my friend Galadrielle Allman’s book “Please Be With Me”, about her father, the famous musician Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band. It’s her first book and such an amazing read. Grab it if you can. I also read “Success Through Stillness” by one of my heroes, Russell Simmons, together with “Catching The Big Fish” by another one, David Lynch. Through these books, I started meditating on July 28^th – 20 minutes, twice a day, which has had an incredible impact on my life. Who knew I could ever sit still for so long? And feel so blissful all day long, no matter what? Woooow. (All these books are available on Bol.com if you happen to live in the Netherlands.)

Now I’m back in the saddle, so to speak. I worked hard with my client Diana Matroos (from BNR and RTL) for her role in hosting the 200^th anniversary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands celebration, held last weekend in Maastricht. It’s the first time my words were presented to the King and Queen of the Netherlands and Belgium and the German President! So proud of her!

For something completely different, I’m working on the new Mister and Mississippi album, as well as the new Handsome Poets album (your ears are in for such a treat later this year!)  and back to teaching at the Rockacademie, the Design Academy Eindhoven, and Albeda College in Rotterdam. Last week I coached emerging artists from Norway, Germany, and Poland. So much fun helping them raise the bar on their lyrics and pronunciation!

I’m off to twist untwisted minds…but until we meet again, here’s a fantastic video for those of you who speak Dutch. I can’t wrap my head around it….such crazy genius language shizzle.Check it out!

Thank you for letting me slip into your inbox today! Looking forward to seeing you next week again. And, as always, feel free to contact me via Facebook or Le Twitteur

Wit lof from Buffi x