Nature is everywhere; you just have to embrace it
In our outdoor playgroup in Toronto, we explore urban nature. I was lucky to get to know Christie, and her two kids. Even though Christie lives in very urban Amsterdam, she probably lives more in touch with nature than most because she lives on a houseboat in the city. For me this illustrates how close nature can be wherever we are, even in a big urban environment.
This is the beauty with fresh air living. Nature is everywhere; you just have to embrace it.
Kari
Living on a houseboat
Fresh air living in Amsterdam
By Christie de Wit
Amsterdam is well known for its beautiful, but small houses, with steep staircases. If you are lucky you get a tiny little shady balcony at the back. Our situation is different and we feel very fortunate about it.
We have the best of both worlds: we enjoy the bustling city and at the same time we feel like we are living outside.
That’s because we live on a houseboat.
Toddlers on a boat
People have asked me a thousand times,
“What is it like to live on a houseboat with two toddlers?”
Personally I think it’s great. And I think it is very nice for our boys as well. One of their first words was ‘boat’. From anywhere in the boat they can see thewater, swans and ducks through the portholes.
They love watching the drawbridge going up and down to let the freighters pass from the open deck. Very soon they learned the names of the different freight boats that pass regularly, like Deo, Volente and Atalante.
We had to take a few precautions, for instance tightening a net to the side of the deck and making a gate to the gangway. But now we can have a little sandbox on the deck and the boys love playing there.
From a very young age we have taught them how to take the steps carefully that lead to the quay and to always hold on to the rail of the stairs. They don’t wear life jackets when they are on the deck. Yet they do when we are going for a ride on our little motorboat through the canals.
Into nature
Living in a metropolitan city can shut you off from nature and the elements. On a houseboat it will never happen. Wind and rain are major events in our home. Hearing the rain on the wooden shutters is a beautiful experience and going up and down in a storm is pretty exciting too. When the weather is bad we check the ropes and the roof windows to make sure that we will be safe. All this gives us the sense of being in touch with the outdoor life continuously.
Christie de Wit is living in Toronto for three months with her partner and two sons, In Amsterdam she works in PR and communication.
Email: chdewit@planet.nl.
