arranging bits of food in my bento box the night before work is such a meditative activity. from the moment i put the box in my bag, bike to the office, place it in the fridge, and finally eat it—it’s all i can think about. the feeling of pride and accomplishment just sets me up for a great day (and makes me feel super smug too).
i think it might be because growing up in estonia, we never had to do this. it was considered odd if you did. school meals were free and all offices had a cafeteria where lunch attendance was pretty much mandatory with the repercussions of social suicide.
10 years ago i moved to the netherlands where lunch is just a bag of sliced bread and a packet of gouda or salami you get from the closest grocery store. and that’s every. single. day. wat de boer niet kent, dat vreet hij niet—what the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't eat. i’m not dutch, nor a farmer, and i like to be in the know about food so this way of thinking just ain’t my jam (hehe wink wink).
don‘t get me wrong, i was and still am so appreciative of our school lunches and simultaneously think of everyone who had no other choice but to plan and pack their meals on the daily. if you did, i’m super curious to know how you feel about it now. do you still do it? does it bring you as much joy as it does for me?? do you even think about it? lmk :))))
