Since last week, I've been a bit concerned about turning into a hipster. I'm not sure I am, though. There isn't a real hipster scene in the Netherlands, especially not where I live. At the border of so-called civilization, but still in a rural area, being a hipster can be dangerous. Being different can be dangerous.
I have to find out if I'm turning into a hipster, but... I don't realy know what a hipster is. Honestly, until a few months ago, I thought a hipster was a type of underwear...
But there's always the internet to help me out, and Wikihow has some great checklists. Let's see if I've turned into a hipster.

How to become a hipster
Step 1: observe true hipsters
I never observed hipsters. It's hard to observe people who aren't there. We have some weird people in the Krimpenerwaard (the rural area I live in): religious fanatics, overly strict protestants, emo's. The gothics became extinct around the same time I went to high school. Gays and lesbians are an accepted and appreciated part of the community. There are immigrants from all over the world. But no hipsters...

Step 2: find a hobby
So having a hobby you care about makes you a hipster? Then I must be the queen of hipsters with my love for writing.

Step 3: be eco-friendly
Believe it or not, but I grow my own fruits, vegetables and herbs. I've got grapes, blueberries, plums, strawberries, chives, basil, coriander, parsley, thyme, French beans, tomatoes, capsicum (if the snails don't eat the entire plant before it can bloom) and zucchini.
I recycle, I go almost everywhere by bike or bus, so I consider myself quite eco-friendly.
My god, that sounded quite hipstery, didn't it?

Step 4: find obscure bands
Everything that's not in the Dutch top 40 is considered 'obscure' here. Even my favorite band Train was considered obscure until the summer of 2012.
I also love unknown foreign bands (if you know any cool bands, let me know, I love discovering new music). And the real obscure bands? Found them on the playlists of Amy and Roger's Epic Detour. Discovered them in Australian hotel lounges. Stumbled across them on Youtube. If this is what being a hipster is about, I'm going to like it.

Step 5: get the look
Guilty as charged. Though I might be a bit on the geeky side. But hey, no one ever died of some extra Marvel awesomeness.

Is that it? No, there's more. Another checklist :)

Things you'll need
A retro bike or old car: Check. Of course it's a check. I live in freaking Holland. From the moment we don't crap our pants anymore we are put on a bike and we stay on there until the day we die.
Mine's a bright fire truck red :)
Record collection: No vinyl, but I'm the only one in my class with a physical music collection. I'm proud of those 11 CD's I call my 'collection', so... half check?
Obscure bands: Anything country, folk, or foreign (except American music) is considered obscure here, so another check.
Taste for black coffee or lattes: Oh no no no no no no. Don't you ever give me coffee. I can't even handle the caffeine in Mountain Dew (makes me super giggly), so NO.
Liberal views or ironic Republican views: Not sure where I'd stand in the political spectrum. It'd probably be exactly opposite of M.L.  No idea if he's liberal or just stupid, but we never agree on anything.
I'm gonna leave this open, because Dutch politics are way too much of a mess for an American checklist.
Eco-friendly lifestyle: Check! Did I tell you I also have a teeny tiny banana tree/plant/shrub/thingy?
Take on vegetarianism: Never ever will I, Envy Fisher daughter of Ari Fisher, give up the joy of meat, the flavor explosion of bacon, the party inside your mouth when you eat a nice piece of kangaroo steak or the eveyrday deliciousness of a salami sandwich. NEVER.
Clear skin: Well, since the right half of my face decided it wanted to look more like the Himalaya, I'm afraid I won't be able to tick this box.
Moleskin journal: Moleskin? No... Journal? Yes, please. Or notebooks or notepads. I'm rarely seen without pen and paper. My favorite journal is a tiny one I bought in Rome with the Golden Gate Bridge in its cover.
Home made by someone hair and body care products: People make their own hair and body care products? I did not know that. No check. Though I made home made candles once. Still pretty proud of that.
Lots of books on religion and philosophy: I do have a lot of books, but they're not on religion or philosophy. Unless you count Fullmetal Alchemist as philosophy and the Bible I got in 4th grade Bible class as a book on religion (I thought the whole class was about listening to cool stories, it wasn't until I hit puberty that I realized they had tried to convert me- unsuccessfully). If I count the Bible, I should also count my book on Greek mythology, but two books and 17 manga's still isn't a lot...
Good sense of hipster fashion: HA! Envy and fashion, please don't make me laugh! Okay, I wear glasses, but without them I'm almost blind. But real hipster fashion sense? Nope, not one tiny bit.
Pictures of other hipsters: Why would I need pictures of other hipsters? I don't even have pictures of my best friends! I don't get this. Why?!


Sigh... I guess I've turned into a hipster and... Wait, rewind, rewind. Eco-friendly? Since I could walk. Fondness for obscure bands? Ever since I started hating the extreme group oriented opinions of typical high school students. A hobby I'm passionate about? Since 4th grade.
I may be a hipster, but at least I was one before it was cool!