Sunday, August 27, 2006

Posted 1 year, 8 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 5 hours, 17 minutes ago

Well, my first week here, and I have gotten sick. It must have been because I was caught in the rain two days in a row while riding my bike! Of course it’s Sunday, and not much is open, but I at least brought cold medicine with me from home. Unfortunately, the way I am going through it, it won’t last long!

It rains here just about everyday, but not like in NC. Here, it rains for most of the day, if it does rain. In NC, it will rain in the afternoon for one to two hours, and then become hot again. It is chilly here and it’s only August! I worry about in the winter time! For those of you who know me, I stay cold, so who knows how I will survive!

Shopping for groceries was a learning experience. Basically, don’t buy the cart for 50 cents, a basket is free! Plus, there are no plastic bags to haul your groceries home with! I had my backpack, but was forced to buy grocery bags because I had bought a lot of cleaning supplies. But I will definitely get my €1.49 out of them during the year! Even though everything is in Dutch, if you walk around the store long enough, you will find what you are looking for. Asking is a fifty-fifty chance, because there are not many people here who speak English. There’s no tax on the groceries, and they don’t have pennies here, so sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

The town central is huge! It has so many places to eat, cafes, and European boutiques! You could spend a lot of money here if you weren’t careful. They say there are about 300+ shops and restaurants. The cathedral in the middle is beautiful. They have speakers around it and play music (sort of jazzy music!) in the evening.

I hear American songs playing on people’s car stereos and the theaters here show American movies, so there is promise of not being totally isolated from America for the year. Plus there’s always MSN! I have eaten at Subway and KFC, and despite the subtle differences, it’s quite the same. (I don’t know about McDonald’s, yet!) But with the exception for my advisor, Brian Godor, I haven’t seen another American since I left Charlotte-Douglas Airport last Thursday! So I am completely immersed in the culture here.

I did buy a really cheap bike, but I believe it will need some work before the winter comes! Dr. Couture would really like it here; they really cater to the bicycle rider. There are special bike lanes and bike stoplights all over the city. And I hope that when I come home in July, I will be good enough to start a trek across America by bike! We’ll see!

Here is a picture of my bike. Amazingly it is purple – one of WCU’s colors!

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Posted 1 year, 8 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, 10 hours, 18 minutes ago

I didn’t have time to post these pictures of the NOC!  My family goes every year with the Skiing Club in Cullowhee.  This is my boyfriend and me going over the last fall where they take your picture:

Posted 1 year, 8 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, 10 hours, 31 minutes ago

I made it all in one piece!  No big problems… got my luggage, got through customs, got to the school on time to pick up my apartment keys, got to my apartment, got up to the fifth floor of my apartment building with my luggage that weighed more than me, and so now here I am!  My flat was a bit startling, but I love the views, and I got used to the rest.  I have a lot of things to take care of (internet/phone/groceries/etc) but I am just glad that the travel is done with.  I wouldn’t have survived if the people I met weren’t so nice!  I am excited to start my year here.  There are many different adventures to have, but I have first been trying to get rid of my jet lag!  And I already had a tiring adventure of trying to get to the school, let’s just say it was a good thing I had the address of the school with me for the treintaxi driver!

Orientation starts next week, and school starts the 28th.  I have emailed my IPS advisors at Western to let them know I made it and my new address.  Other than that, I have just been cleaning my room, unpacking, and sleeping!  The weather is so wonderful here, like autumn without the fall!  It’s cool and there’s always a breeze, but it is so green!

I will leave you with photos of the views from my bedroom window:

This is looking at the center of Breda, where you can see the cathedral, “Grote of O.LV. Kerk” (on the right), where “Grote Markt” is located.  They say if you are ever lost, you will always be able to find your way back to the cathedral because you can see it from anywhere!

And these were just some shots of the beautiful sky!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Posted 1 year, 8 months, 3 weeks, 5 days, 35 minutes ago

I am back, just for a week and a half…

I have been super busy getting my stuff together to leave for the Netherlands!  Between school stuff, my car, packing, and the ever-changing carry-on luggage rules, I am going crazy!  I just hope they don’t change the laptop/electronic regulation again because my luggage is bursting as it is - plus, I would like to be able to take my watch on the 9 hour flight. 

My tuition refund check was ready today, thanks for the heads up, Paula!  I had to turn my license plate in and change my property listing.  Buying Euros was extremely emotional… not a happy type of emotional.  (I wish I were traveling back in the 80’s!) Tax-free weekend made Asheville a frenzy, and just about everything was on sale or I had a coupon.

I have just been trying not to think about missing all of my loved ones here in the US.  It’s hard for me to leave them all, but I know that study abroad is something I have always wanted to do - an academic goal, and now I am reaching it!

I would like to say good bye to all of my friends at the Pentagon and in my Norm Mineta Internship Program!  You were great to me, and I will keep in touch!!  I had a blast at the very end of the madness.  Everyone I met this summer is extremely talented and has a bright future ahead of them!  To all of the A-Team:  Good Luck!!!  Never forget the Summer of 2006!  Once again, sorry I don’t have Facebook!

Bye everyone!  I will miss you all!!!