Hello again!
For this post I’m filling you guys in after just returning from my first vacation! My program includes two vacations that somewhat weirdly last for only four days each and take place one weekend after another. Believe me, I’m not complaining about the vacations themselves – but it would be nice not have to rush through a trip in four days. Speaking of, let me get back on track here!
In an incredible bout of luck and awesomeness, my cousin Rachel is working on her Masters (in linguistics!) at a university in the Netherlands right now. And, because she is wonderful, and one of the sweetest people I know, she agreed to let me and two of my closest friends from my study abroad program stay with her and her boyfriend at their apartment! So for the last four days, my friends Clare, Taylor (yes, both from the camping trip!) and I cuddled up on spare mattresses first in Rachel and Damien (her boyfriend)’s shared room in the student apartment they live in, and second on the floor of their friend’s apartment. Rachel and Damien’s friends (three Dutch boys who are childhood friends of Damien) were out of town for the weekend, and in exchange for watching their cat, we were all able to stay there for a night, giving us some extra room.
My beautiful cousin Rachel… and me!
Once we arrived in Utrecht (the city that Rachel and Damien live, and where Damien studies), we went on two day trips to Amsterdam and Leiden, and walked around Utrecht! We also spend two full days taking three different trains there, and back. Which, after forgetting my passport on the way there, and then subsequently running around Nantes to get it, I almost didn’t successfully make! I however thankfully did because – wow – the cities we went to were beautiful. Before this trip, I don’t think I had ever been rightfully introduced to the breathtaking nature of canals. Did you know they could be picturesque and enchanting? Perhaps it’s because my only previous encounter with them was in the ‘backyard’ of my grandparents old house in Florida, but I’ve never before been too excited about them.
One of the many canals in Utrecht
In addition to being happily re-introduced to canals, I also was newly introduced to some delicious Dutch foods. Not limited to, but including dutch pancakes, or crêpes that you can pile with sweet or savory delicacies such as the International Greek dinner crêpe that I devoured our first night in Utrecht, and stroopwafels, or two delicious waffles glued together with a sugar syrup that – wait for it – you can find freshly made at the local market with Nutella smeared on top.
So needless to say, I happily ate my way through the trip. But, besides the waffles and the breathtaking cities, an unexpected bonus of visiting the Netherlands were the people I spent my time with. Not only did I get to meet my cousin’s boyfriend for the first time, but I also got to see first hand the life she has with him there. It was incredibly surreal to be spending time with her in Europe. Then, on top of that, someone from my family was able to meet some of my closest friends from my program. To see the people I’ve been spending every day with laugh and smile with one of my favorite relatives – now that was a moment I want to mentally savor for quite some time.
My perfect partners for the weekend:
Taylor, Rachel, and Clare