The wind hardly bothering my hair, the bobbing of the water feels gentle, the sun turning my skin darker once again. My little cousin, Sky, checked out of school early, just for this: an afternoon boat ride in his parents boat. Along with us was Oma and my aunt Wendy. Starting off the week this way is ideal, relaxed and full of enjoyment. Two years since I stopped working summers out in the sun, I explained to my family, and instead indoors studying and working had left me without much color on my skin. This six month journey would change all that.
The following day at 1:30pm, Oma and I were waiting outside gate 2 as the doors automatically slid open to reveal a big round face. The bags made him twice his size, but after 17 hours he had arrived in Amsterdam. Those bags made it into Oma’s car, we said good bye to her, and thus began Mark and I’s week together. That day’s adventure began with a ride to Amsterdam and meeting with child-hood friend Emily and her boyfriend Roy for some drinks, in typical European fashion, out on the street patio. Keeping Mark in the dark of plans, we walked to a close by canal where my uncle Jacco and Sky waited for us with the boat. The remainder of the day was spent boating around Amsterdam and back to Vinkeveen. The next two days we spent exploring the Netherlands by walking, biking and train, experiencing the beauty of the Dutch transportation system.
Come Friday, an Intercity rail car was boarded as we headed off to Berlin. On board we met and spoke with a family of Canadians and a German couple. Topics of conversation, as had been typical for the week, included the healthcare systems, the benefits of working in Europe or America comparatively. Gathering this international (although still Western) perspective continues to be a learning experience ( that I would like to discover personally one day if possible).
Arrival in Berlin came at 8:30 pm, the sun slowly setting as we walked into our Hostel for the night. We were unaware at the time but that was only the beginning of a very long but enjoyable night. We started Saturday slowly, but another 50 minute journey brought us to Marks final destination for the time being. Gastehaus 1 at student living of the Freie Universiteit Berlin. Two kitchens, four bathrooms, and about thirty students from around the world coming to study for four weeks in Berlin. Of course, I personally didn’t belong to this group of students, but they didn’t know that. I went about my business meeting everyone and facilitating some welcoming activities for Gastehaus. By Sunday morning we all got to know each other much better. I took advantage of Sunday to explore Berlin a bit more, and wondered around places in Berlin I had not visited four years previous. Berlin has been extremely fun to explore, it’s history is rich, with so many big and little things to see, whether its the Brandenburg Gate, or the bullet holes leaving scars in random Marble statues.
This next week consists of traveling once again, as I fly to Paris to celebrate my 22nd birthday on the 17th, and visit little brother Jesus (our family’s Spanish exchange student) in Bilbao.
An apology for being a day late on my post, there is not yet WiFi in the student living and am now sitting at a Starbucks to publish this on my phone. Thanks to all my readers asking where it was! Cheers!
