The path of Liesbeth

That she was really leaving. Liesbeth was sitting across from me at the side table at Jefferson, the table where we had experienced so many moments. Mostly awkward moments, because we often sought refuge at ‘Jeffie’ when our office had been the location for a grand and captivating party. And because I always believe that everyone should do what they are good at, I would have preferred Lies to be brooding over pearls for Amayzine in a corner than making false moves with cleaning up. Everyone has their talent, I suppose. Household work was not Liesbeth's forte. Anyway.

Now we were there again. She had emailed me. If we could see each other. And she had also texted me once. If our appointment could really go ahead today. Then you know what time it is. And where Abraham gets his mustard, too.

So there we were. So many trips, adventures, glasses of wine, and especially bizarrely fun posts later. She was nervous. I could really see that. That we shouldn't beat around the bush. She was going to leave the nest.

That she really wanted to do something with traveling. She hadn't completely mapped it out yet, but she felt that this was the direction she needed to go. I picked another saying that has brought me a lot. ‘In order to discover new oceans, you first have to lose sight of the shore.’ That's how it was. That's how she went. She got a column in Elle, which was a beautiful circle, because Liesbeth's mother was the very first editor-in-chief of Elle ever. She started her own site Bag To Reality. She was praised by Aaf Brandt Corstius and shines in RTL Boulevard. And now there is a book. The crown on the work. And you're not even thirty yet. Both editors from the very beginning have a book (Jet even has two with a third on the way) and are of course the prettiest at the Boekenbal.

Moral: I am proud. And happy. From my Italian garden, I will raise a glass early, very early (that was our joke: ‘I haven't had a drink all day, for heaven's sake’ said at moments when it was still far from cocktail time) to Lies. To her book and her happiness. And moral 2: buy it.