Nature is trying to kill me

Let me set the scene.
We just spent a week floating through the Netherlands like we were starring in our own charming travel documentary. Windmills turning lazily. Storybook towns that look like they were designed by someone who knew Hansel and Gretel personally. And then… the tulips.
Oh, the tulips.

Rows upon rows of color so intense it feels fake. Like someone cranked the saturation slider all the way up and said, “Yeah, that seems reasonable.” We wandered through like happy little idiots, taking photos, breathing deeply, living our best “I’m in Europe and everything is magical” lives.
Which, in hindsight… was a mistake.
Because apparently, those same gorgeous, innocent-looking flowers have been quietly plotting my demise.

We wrapped up the cruise, rolled into Amsterdam, and kept the momentum going. Museums, canals, little side streets that feel like secrets. Big art, weird art, “what am I even looking at?” art. Every night felt like a love letter written in butter and wine.
And then… nature decided I was having too much fun.
No warning. No negotiation. Just a full-scale biological ambush.
Sneezing. Itching. Nose running like it’s training for a marathon. I am, at this moment, a damp, miserable, slightly pathetic version of the man who was confidently strolling through tulip fields last week.
Meanwhile, everyone else?
Out there. Living. Thriving. Probably taking more photos of flowers that are actively trying to assassinate me.
And me?
Sequestered in a hotel room like I’ve been grounded by Mother Nature.

Back home? I’m fine. Totally fine. Pollen and I have an understanding. We coexist. We respect boundaries.
But apparently Dutch pollen looked at my immune system and said, “Oh, you think you’re tough? That’s adorable.”
I don’t know what they’re putting in these flowers. Maybe it’s the soil. Maybe it’s the sea air. Maybe the tulips here are just a little… extra. But whatever it is, my body has officially filed a formal complaint.

So if you’re reading this while sipping your coffee, imagining tulip fields and charming canals, just know…
It’s not all romance and postcard moments.
Sometimes it’s beauty.
Sometimes it’s culture.
Sometimes it’s incredible food and unforgettable experiences.
And sometimes?
It’s you. Alone. In a hotel room.
Armed with tissues.
Questioning every life choice that led you to aggressively inhale a field of flowers.

Still worth it, though.