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Last weekend was the AFS Orientation camp held in a Youth Hostel in Soest. For the first time, I hopped on a train here! From Rotterdam Central Station to Utrecht first, and then I switched to a train headed to Soest. Finding the Hostel from there was quite difficult however, because when I got off the train it was nine o'clock and very dark out! Luckily I ran into a few other lost AFSers, and with the help of a random Dutch man on the street, we found our way...

The camp mainly focused on the Dutch culture, how to adapt, and the language. Socializing with the other AFS students and returnees was really interesting, because there were all kinds of different people from all over the world. We (about 70 kids) all watched "Freedom Writers," which was very inspiring regarding integration of races and ethnicities, as well as how writing affected them.

Seeing Kyle, Colette and Marlo (the other students from the US) was very nice. It was good to see a couple familiar faces! Hearing about their first few weeks was enlightening; some had many complaints while others seemed to have really enjoyed their first experiences here.

Staying in a Youth Hostel was completely different than what I had pictured. Somehow in my mind, "Youth Hostel" sounded...well sketchy. But it wasn't AT ALL, it was like a hotel but with one small room with bunk beds in it, a sink, a room for the toilet and a room for the shower. I was roomed with Colette, and a girl and a boy from Italy.

Being around such a large group of kids my age was eye-opening. There were people from all over the world; Chile, Portugal, Italy, Finland, Belgium, Turkey, Hungary, China, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, etc. One aspect that really stood out to me was how many of them smoked cigarettes. It seemed like one-third of the group smoked during the breaks...kids my age! That was definitely a culture shock (however, not really a Dutch culture shock). They rolled their own or had packs of Marlboro. I think I just haven't ever really been exposed to a large international group of kids my age before...and had never really thought that smoking was more so accepted in other cultures and countries. It seems like the US has tried really hard to make that habit appear disgusting and immoral. In reality, it's normal in other places for teens to do (not saying it's good, just normal).

When introducing myself, I always liked to say, "I'm from Alaska," rather than "I'm from the U.S." The U.S. includes pretty...average (and a bit boring) states, whereas as soon as I said Alaska people's eyes widened. "What language do they speak there?" "You're the first person I've ever met from Alaska!" "Is there even summer there?" "Are there trees where you live?" "Is it cold there?" No, it's always balmy...

All in all, the camp was great. Taking a train there in itself made me feel more independent. Also, with all the talk of our Berlin trip coming up, I got incredibly excited! On the Saturday that I'm there, I will hopefully get to meet up with Lennart! Plus me, Kyle, Marlo and a few other kids roughly planned a trip to Amsterdam during our fall vacation week (right after Berlin)!
Amsterdam + Youth Hostels + exploring + going out + seeing things = HAS TO BE AWESOME!
Plus, my host mom was fine with it as long as a) I wasn't alone, and b) there was at least one guy in our group! Safety reasons.

Today (Friday) I had my first two tests in school...English I know I did fine on (Dutch to English and English to Dutch translations) but with math...well we'll see. I figure, the worst I can do is fail...and from there, I can only do better, right?!

Skyping with Maddie is always a highlight, hearing about her college adventures is entertaining. I miss her more than I thought I would, because it was like always having a best friend around. The girls in my class are very nice...but also very into their studies and schoolwork. Which is fine, but that's not my focus here at all. I want to go out, experience things! Let's just say, they are no Tiyana :( miss her like a sister too.

Tomorrow we are celebrating Dennis's birthday. Family members and close friends are coming over, so that should be fun to meet everyone. Sunday, the AFS potluck for my region is happening here at the house! I am so excited for that, to get to know the kids living close to me - and hopefully plan some outings! We have to make a dish of our culture/country, so I'm doing what Marlo did at hers; banana bread! I'm hoping that's easy enough, because my cooking skills aren't exactly...impressive.

Next Thursday I have an appointment to get my Residence Permit! I get to miss school, which is nice. It's 600 euro's though! Not cheap to stay here I guess. Oh well, I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the end. Like they say, it's not a year in my life, it's a life in a year ;)

I have been trying to go for walks or bike rides every once in a while, when I have spare time and the energy (which can be a rare combination). However, they often are the best parts of my day. This evening for instance after dinner, I wandered through the streets of town until dark...people watching and such. The canals are the prettiest at dawn; only the silhouettes of the ducks (and occasional swans) can be seen. Around eight, small bats will come out as well. This hour of time is a great way to clear my mind, and have the serenity of my own thoughts and nothing more. Constantly being around a new culture and hearing the Dutch language really IS exhausting.

Well, ik ben moe. The tests, along with PE (we have to cycle to another town to use the outdoor facilities), wiped me out today. Plus, it's just been a long week. So being that it's close to one in the morning here...this is it.

I will post another blog within the next week or two, when I have more to say.

-Molly