What brought you to Amsterdam?
I relocated here in May 2017 to start a new job – and to finally live in a city where I’m not always the tallest person in the room ;)
How
long did you stay at Zoku? What was moving to Amsterdam like?
I
stayed at Zoku for six weeks when I first moved over. I explored the local neighbourhood using a 5k running route I found on the Zoku app, and the team put on communal dinners and activities for residents, which made me feel at home instantly. I also met my
best friend Julia there – she was staying in the loft next to mine and was also new to the city, so we bonded straight away!
Concepts like Zoku make you realise the world is your oyster: that it’s not that scary after all to move to a new city and start your life from scratch. I often take visiting friends for a coffee or a drink on the rooftop here, to show them where my Amsterdam story began.
What’s
a life-changing book, song, film or event you’d like to recommend to others?
If
you can catch Four Tet the next time he puts on a live show with his Squidsoup light installation, by all means go! I saw him perform in London in May this year, and it was mesmerising – like dancing in a dream.
What
advice would you give to your 20 year old self?
Worry
less and don’t forget to enjoy the little things in life. Oh, and also: procrastination is rarely worth it. Get shit done and then go to bed!
What
does home mean to you?
I
grew up in Berlin, New York and Belgrade, so ‘home’ has always been less about a specific place and more about the people I’m surrounded by. I love having friends over for dinner, listening to records and talking late into the night – that kind of stuff makes
you feel at home, wherever you are in the world.
Which
book have you gifted the most, and why?
It
has to be What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami. I love the parallels he draws between running and writing. Since it’s a memoir, you also learn more about his personal life and his love for jazz music and whisky.
