Introduction
Hi everyone,
First of all, thanks for visiting my website! Before you start reading, I would like to shortly introduce myself. My name is Illona Hartman and I have been writing ever since I got my first diary in elementary school. Besides writing, I have a lot of other passions like field hockey, architecture, structural design, exploring new places, reading (about sustainability), and going out for dinner or lunch with friends and family. I love being outside too, so you often see me running around my two hometowns. You might wonder why I said two hometowns, which is because of the fact I used to be a student athlete in the United States of America. This means I played Division I Field Hockey while studying Civil Engineering at the same university: Ohio University in Athens, Ohio (USA).
Furthermore, I was born in Haarlem (1994) which is located next to the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. So, I am a Dutchie! Although I have a Dutch passport, I usually do not act like one. For example, I used to not like cheese and I abominate fish like the Dutch haring… Nevertheless, I love the Dutch architecture, tulips and windmills so being at home still feels amazing! I have been away from home multiple times since my gap year (2013), which is the main reason I started to write online. It is super convenient to stay in touch with the people at home and to motivate other people to travel the world sustainably. We have a beautiful Earth which must be seen and explored, all in respect to nature and the local culture(s) of course.
Finally, this blog will be divided in three main topics, Travel, Architecture & Engineering, and Lifestyle. The latter will be in Dutch because it literally started as an online journal for my Dutch family and friends to understand more of my American life and to keep in touch with each other while I was abroad. Meanwhile, the first two topics will be in English so my international friends are able to read it too (: handy to stay in touch with them too as I am currently back in the Netherlands after the pandemic.
Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Lots of Love,
Illona.
Ps. You can also follow my personal life on Instagram by tapping on the icons below; pictures show more than a thousand words.
First of all, thanks for visiting my website! Before you start reading, I would like to shortly introduce myself. My name is Illona Hartman and I have been writing ever since I got my first diary in elementary school. Besides writing, I have a lot of other passions like field hockey, architecture, structural design, exploring new places, reading (about sustainability), and going out for dinner or lunch with friends and family. I love being outside too, so you often see me running around my two hometowns. You might wonder why I said two hometowns, which is because of the fact I used to be a student athlete in the United States of America. This means I played Division I Field Hockey while studying Civil Engineering at the same university: Ohio University in Athens, Ohio (USA).
Furthermore, I was born in Haarlem (1994) which is located next to the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam. So, I am a Dutchie! Although I have a Dutch passport, I usually do not act like one. For example, I used to not like cheese and I abominate fish like the Dutch haring… Nevertheless, I love the Dutch architecture, tulips and windmills so being at home still feels amazing! I have been away from home multiple times since my gap year (2013), which is the main reason I started to write online. It is super convenient to stay in touch with the people at home and to motivate other people to travel the world sustainably. We have a beautiful Earth which must be seen and explored, all in respect to nature and the local culture(s) of course.
Finally, this blog will be divided in three main topics, Travel, Architecture & Engineering, and Lifestyle. The latter will be in Dutch because it literally started as an online journal for my Dutch family and friends to understand more of my American life and to keep in touch with each other while I was abroad. Meanwhile, the first two topics will be in English so my international friends are able to read it too (: handy to stay in touch with them too as I am currently back in the Netherlands after the pandemic.
Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Lots of Love,
Illona.
Ps. You can also follow my personal life on Instagram by tapping on the icons below; pictures show more than a thousand words.