Yes, I know it is September now...

I apologize for the large gap that I have left in my blog- departing the Netherlands was harder and busier than I had expected, as was returning home.

I will try my best to sum up those last few weeks in Holland though! They were of course, amazing and bittersweet at the same time.

As summer grew nearer in Holland, the temperature grew warmer every day- I wore shorts to school for the very first time in my life, and was still too hot! I remember that when the sun came out, several of my teachers moved class outside to enjoy the sunshine. Keep in mind that it rains quite a lot in the Netherlands, and people tend to take advantage of good weather when they can. My friends and I spent one of our free days bicycling to the Alexandrium in Rotterdam, grabbing some ice-cream just because the weather was so nice!


In the middle of June, I had my AFS End Camp- and I had a ball, let me tell you. It had been about ten months since I had seen most of the other AFSer's, and the stories and experiences we shared were inspiring. Of course, all seventy of us were in the same boat at this point- sad to be leaving the Netherlands, but at the same time excited to return home. AFS prepared us for our departure from our lives in Holland, as well as for our arrival home- wherever that home may be. On Saturday night they threw a party, in celebration of the year we all just completed. Almost like a last hoo-rah. That weekend spent with a bunch of foreign kids like me, was an adventure within itself.

One of my favorite evenings was one Saturday night spent with the girls from my class. We all cycled to Shivani's house, where we danced and got ready to go out together. The night was unforgettable for many reasons, including the funniest situation I had ever found myself in! We had all walked from her house to the nearest metro-station, when two of us had to use the restroom-really badly! As I've mentioned before, in Europe it is common to have to pay to pee. At this station, rather than public restrooms where a woman awaits by the door to collect, it was an electronic one-person restroom stall, literally a silver room which you had to put a coin in (one euro or something) for the door to slide open. Now, being the intelligent young girls that we are, we thought we'd only pay once and go in together. There was no reason that we should each pay a euro when we could just split the bill and walk in together. And so we did, Nienke first and I followed. After we were in what felt like an aluminum box-the toilet was silver, the sink, the floor, etc- our friend Naomi knocked on the door, asking if she too could come in together and save herself a euro. I opened the door of course, and let her in. At this point, Nienke was using the bathroom first, and Naomi and I stood by the door, waiting our turn. Out of no where, water harshly sprayed out from the walls, in a fanning motion to sterilize the room! We frantically open the metal door as Nienke hiked up her pants, and all three of us sprinted out of the bathroom quicker than imaginable, and laid on the ground in the metro-station laughing and laughing hysterically. My outfit, the carefully chosen black jeans with a nice black blouse to go with it, were drenched and dripping. Our hair, which we had spent so much time perfecting, was now damp with the faint scent of urinal cakes. A layer of mascara was imprinted under my eyes. The night couldn't have started out any funnier, and the best part was that we joined the rest of our friends on the metro, limbs sprawled out over the seats in attempt to dry out a bit before we went out into the city! It turns out that after every use, the electronic bathroom does a deep cleaning of the entire room, and by opening the door once we were in there, the machine thought we had left- who knew?!

Another great memory of my last few days in Holland was the weekend before I left. My host family and I headed up the road to Concert at Sea, a large music festival with very famous (mostly Dutch) artists performing. I saw Will and the People, Nielson, Blof, and many more great bands! We "camped" out nearby, which wasn't the sort of camping that I was used to, coming from Alaska. It was luxurious, including showers, large heated tents (almost the size of a house!) and much more. We stayed two nights, and the first it rained harder than I had ever seen before- and there we were, Tim, Dennis, Sjoerd, Majorie, Richard and I- listening to the last performance at midnight, drenched in water. The next day however, the sun was shining and it was the prettiest day for a concert outside! Not a cloud in the sky. We were located right by the sea (hence the name) and it was wonderful. Great music, great people, great memories.



My last night was full of both tears and joy. My entire class came over to bid me farewell, and Pascale, Maartje, Fiona and Beau spent the night afterwards. I was presented with the most thoughtful gifts that evening- the girls from my class got together and made me a personalized planner, filled with photos and things that I must never forget from Holland. Beau, Maartje, Pascale and Fiona gave me a CD that they made, consisting of 20 Dutch songs that we had made so many memories with. They also gave me a pure silver bracelet with five small beads on it, representing each of us. I never take it off. They gave me a bundle of laminated photos of them, with different quotes on each one. They are hanging up on my wall here at home now. I received more small gifts as well; it was a very special evening. Looking back on it, I don't think I quite realized what leaving was going to mean, until the plane took off from Schipol Airport the following morning.

Pascale, Beau, Maartje, Fiona, Renee, Tim, Dennis, Katharina, Marijke and Rob all took me to the airport to send me on my way. There, I met Marlo, Kyle and Colette (the other American AFS students) who were about to leave with me as well. My four friends and I kept saying that this wasn't a goodbye, but rather a "see you later." I tried to be strong and hold back the tears, but as I threw my backpack over my shoulder, walked toward my gate and waved goodbye, tears flowed down my cheeks like rivers. The jitters of going home paused for just a moment, as my heart hurt leaving my closest friends. I will never forget how I felt walking away from them. Not knowing when you will see such important people to you again, is an unsettling thought.

The plane ride to New York felt like it lasted for days. The excitement of meeting my mother in North Carolina had kicked in, and it was hard to sleep, read, eat, or focus on anything besides that moment when we were going to see each other in the airport for the first time in a year. I had to spend the night in New York that night first, and fly out to North Carolina the following morning- which made the journey feel even longer.

The day finally came, and there she was in the Wilmington Airport, balloon and flowers in one hand, and my grandma by her side. What a great flashback that will always be. We spent ten days together in Wilmington with my grandma, which was full of dinner parties, swimming in outside pools, shopping, pedicures, and trips to the beach! In other words, it was a fantastic trip consisting of much needed quality time with my mom! Being back in the states felt so weird though- I remember that I was so entertained by walking up and down the isle in the local grocery store, seeing products and food items that I had completely forgotten about while abroad- I was fascinated with the silliest things, like the price of deodorant! I collected a few treats and candies at the store, and sent a care package to the girls back in Bergschenhoek.

Our vacation ended quickly, and before I knew it I was on a plane to ALASKA! The last frontier, the state that I had missed so much while away. My father and sister drove up to Anchorage in the motorhome to pick me up, and we too, had a meaningful, long hug. My dad jokes every day that he has to make up for all of the hugs he missed while I was gone! I laugh, but am thinking the same thing.

This past summer I accomplished a lot, I feel like. When I returned home and got settled (as settled as I could, that is), my sister got me a job as a barista at our local coffee shop- Captain's Coffee. I also got a second job on the spit, selling attire at a fun tourist shop. I registered for three classes at our college, Kachemak Bay Campus: Biology 115, Critical Thinking and Introduction to American Government. I registered for two classes online as well, US History and Language Arts 11. I got my license, which still scares me to death on a daily basis- driving is nerve-racking! I moved into my sisters old room as well, redecorating

it with souvenirs that I had picked up at all of the places I traveled to.

Summer ended quickly, and Maddie went back to Colorado for college. I still cherish every day that I spend with my parents, for I missed them more than I can ever describe while I was gone. We eat dinners together most nights, if I get off work on time. Those dinners are the best part of my day.

Some days I get lonely without Maddie around, but between my job, college classes, online classes and college applications, I've been keeping pretty busy. I believe this to be good though, for if I had too much spare time, I'm afraid that I would dwell on the fact of being so far away from my friends, and my other life.

Often times I get asked the question, "Does it feel weird being back?" Honestly, yes. When I see old friends and acquaintances, I feel like I am living a different life now, looking from the outside in. My life didn't go back to "normal" per se, but rather moved forward, and rather quickly. It is hard to explain, and some times I don't quite understand the feeling myself. There are days when I look to the mountains, and think how fortunate I am to be here and with my parents again- and others, when I scroll through old photos on my phone of the girls and I at Vierkantje, and wish so dearly to be back in the Netherlands. For now, the only thing that I can do is look towards my future, and do everything that I can to make it possible to go back to Europe at some point, whether it be for a visit or to study abroad in college.

How I see this year going, is continuing with my graduation plan and attaining all of my needed credits to graduate on time in May. I am thinking about visiting Maddie in Boulder in the spring, but that is up in the air for now. Within the next few months, I'll be frantically applying for colleges and applications, right and left. Who knows where I'll be next year, I am truly considering all options at this point; volunteer programs abroad, college in the States, Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand, colleges in Ireland and England, etc. etc. I have so many different options and dreams that it will be a challenge to only pick one to start off with.

Stay tuned for now, at least that's my plan anyways.

-Molly

Short update!

Saying goodbye to Maddie at the airport was hard, there's no way to downplay it. But it's comforting to know I will see her in only a matter of weeks! I took the day off from school of course, and Dennis, Marijke and I took her to Schipol. It's weird to think that next time I will be the one getting on a plane there...

Tomorrow I will be going to Maasland with Rob, Marijke, Tim and Renee to go sailing! The sun is supposed to come out, accompanied by a bit of wind. It's been so warm lately, that I've been able to wear shorts to school! Sometimes it's even too warm, like in the 80's...gingerproblems. I have to bring sunscreen to school with me, because we've been having lessons outside.

Can't complain that much, it's better than the rain! After sailing my plans are to bike with the girls to Shivani's. She lives right on the beach (well, a manmade beach), and close to Rotterdam. Many girls from my class will be coming too, so I'm looking forward to it! A girls night is well needed.

-Molly

Amsterdam, Belgium, Pancakes!

The month of May has come and gone, and June is already here! How the time has flown these past few weeks...it's so weird to be able to say, "I'll be home next month!" Home seems like such a relative term these days. I am so used to my life here now, getting up and cycling to school everyday, spending Friday nights at Vierkantje with the girls, being teased by my brothers at home, etc. It feels so normal, but at the same time like a parallel universe that I've been living in, one that will soon just be a memory.

On another note, Maddie and I have continued having the most amazing time together. Saturday we did visit Anne Frank's house, which was well worth the hour long wait in line. The "museum," building of their hiding place, was smaller than I had imagined, yet their area within the building was larger than I had pictured. It was a very emotional visit for us, seeing as we have both read her diary several times and everything we have grown up learning about her life was put into perspective yesterday. Out of all of the museums that I've been to in Europe, this would have been the most eye-opening.

We also walked through the Red Light District, which if it weren't for all the tourists around, would have been a sketchy place to be alone...in every window was a woman, of almost any age, posing in kinky lingerie. Let's just say you can't un-see a seventy-year-old lady in a thong! It was a great area to wander in and out of the tourist shops of course, with bongs and pipes displayed in the windows and weed leaf designs plastered on the walls. Welcome to Amsterdam!

We ate fresh, delicious poffertjes in the center of the city as well as patats- one thing I know that I'm going to miss are the fries here! We ended our day drinking tea at Starbucks, and then hopping back on the train.

Sunday we took out the family for a pancake lunch in Haarlem, where Rob's sister owns a pancake house. They were, hands down, the best pannenkoeken that I have ever eaten in Holland. Maddie and I shared a pineapple pancake and an apple w/raisins pancake, and I swear I could live off of them my entire life. Mhhmm!


Yesterday, we had one of the best days since she's been here. We went to Antwerp! It's still such a shock to me that you can spend the day in a different country so easily....what did we do in Belgium? Drank lots of beer, ate chocolate, ate fresh waffles, ate patats, and shopped until we dropped. The weather was decent, no rain that is, and the food was killer.


Maddie leaves tomorrow! I don't know what I'm going to do without her. Luckily when we say goodbye, it will only be for five weeks as opposed to ten months. She has helped me so much these past few weeks, and I feel like we've gotten so much closer. I'm so fortunate to have such a strong relationship with my sister, and hope that whatever our futures may bring, we won't ever be too far from each other.

-Molly

Waar is da feestje?! Hier is da feestje!

 Thursday was a hit, Maddie and I danced like we were foreigners and didn't have a care in the world at the school party...it was quite entertaining! Dinner at Hello Pasta was superb, we split a mushroom, creamy pasta and Maddie got to know my friends that I've made here.

Even with the age difference, she seemed to enjoy herself. It was so nice to show her another part of my life here, with all of my classmates!

Unfortunately Maddie caught a cold (probably from me), so we postponed our trip to Belgium until Monday, instead of today, giving her a day to recover before Amsterdam tomorrow! Our plans are to visit Anne Frank's House, see the Red Light District, wander into all of the touristy shops, and just explore the city.

-Molly

Finally, Some Fun in the Sun

For some reason, whenever I take Maddie shopping here in the Netherlands, I end up buying more than she does...well nonetheless, Monday we had a lovely day walking around the Alexandrium (shopping mall) as well as peeking in Primark. Tuesday sky finally started to clear up, and the sun came out! Taking advantage of the weather, we hopped on the metro and headed to Scheveningen, where we hung out at the beach with Fiona, Maartje and Pascale, eating ice cream and walking along the shore. Maddie enjoyed a mojito on one of the terraces along the strand, making the best out of her vacation in Europe!

Yesterday everyone piled in the car and went to an Indonesian Market in The Hague, where we were surrounded by different booths selling all sorts of trinkets, under a large white tent. The food was to die for, we ate dinner at a "restaurant" also located under the tent. We tasted foods such as fried bananas, Spekkoek of course, and other oriental treats. The different booths sold everything, from incense, jewelry and back-scratchers, to dried fruit, cooking utensils and lingerie. You could even get your fortune told! It was quite the spectacle.

Tonight we have the Eind Feest for school! First, the girls from my class will go out to Hello Pasta (a delicious, but relatively cheap italian restaurant), and wine and dine. Afterwards we'll head over to the Oude Haven part of Rotterdam, and find the location of our school party. I'm so anxious to see what Maddie will think of it! Granted she's older than most of the kids that will be there, but I think we'll still have fun. Looking forward to it!

-Molly

Enjoying my time with Maddie still!

Since Paris, Maddie and I have been keeping ourselves quite busy. Dennis showed us around Delft last week, where we grabbed ice cream and lunch. I finally showed her Bergschenhoek as well, going into all of the clothing stores and such.
Friday evening we went to Vierkantje with the girls, and we made Maddie order our drinks in Dutch! We all got a good laugh out of it. The bar was more crowded than normal, due to the fact that many high schooler's had just finished their final exams for school. I'm not sure if Maddie enjoyed it, or was just overwhelmed with the crowd! In any case it was fun to show her where I spend all my Friday nights at.

Yesterday (Saturday) we used our Day Train Tickets, which allowed us to travel all day on the train, only paying 14 euros each! We chose Haarlem and Deventer to visit, because Maddie was interested in seeing Haarlem and I wanted to catch up with Marlo in Deventer. We spent most of the day in Haarlem, where the sun was shining and the weather couldn't have been better. We shopped again until we dropped, buying gifts for friends and family as well. In the evening we ended up in Deventer after all, where we dined with Marlo in a nice restaurant. It was so good to talk to her again, we hadn't seen each other in six or seven months! Of course we are both experiencing many of the same emotions around these last few weeks of our exchange, so being able to relate to someone was comforting.
We headed back home on the train as soon as it started to drizzle, and were back in Bergschenhoek by eleven. On our way home, we stopped and had a drink at Braaf, talking about what we wanted to do in the upcoming week.

Tomorrow we are headed to Primark in Rotterdam! I'm hopeful that because it's Monday, there won't be as many people...Tuesday we are thinking about going to Scheveningen, because the weather is supposed to warm up a bit. Can't wait!

-Molly

The City of Love

Paris, France- the home of the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre Dame, and much more. Where a crêpe stand is around every corner, or in between a bakery and a hole-in-the-wall cafe. Where couples fill the narrow, stone brick streets, blissfully walking along while sharing a baguette. Where Maddie and I spent what seemed to be, the best five days of our lives together! 

The hotel that we stayed at, Hotel Bonsejour Montmarte, couldn't have been in a more perfect location. The street below us was filled with cafes, bars, and restaurants- where in the evening, were hopping with live jazz music and artsy vibes. If we kept walking down for about five minutes, we would end up at the Moulin Rouge! In this section of town, tourist stands, sex shops and bars surrounded us...which wasn't the best place to end up at night! Luckily, we didn't run into too much trouble or mischief... If we walked ten minutes north from our hotel, we were at the Sacre Coeur! This was an artsier part of Paris, where markets, bakeries, painters, musicians, and quirky/cute stores were located. It was the perfect place to split a sandwich, sit on the side of the street, and watch all of the different kinds of people walk by! 

We got very lucky with the weather the first two days- the sun shone and there was no wind! I thought we were in paradise. Unfortunately, the third day was a bit cloudy, and the last two days it rained. We had a lot of inside activities saved for the rainy days luckily, for example going to museums or churches. 

I'm trying to think of what we didn't do in Paris...but I feel like we packed in everything that was possible in five days! Every morning we'd get up early and go down for breakfast, where we were served bread, a croissant, and hot coffee, by the owner's wife or daughter of the hotel. We'd pick a few things to do on our list that were located in the same district, buy a metro ticket, and head out!

Of course we went to the Eiffel Tower...I mean, who could go to Paris and not see it? We went up to the second floor, where we could see all of Paris. What. A. View. There we sat, on top of the Eiffel Tower, sharing french fries and enjoying what a perfect day and perfect life we had at that moment.

Going to the Love Lock Bridge has to be one of my favorite activities that we did in Paris. It's a bridge located near the Notre Dame, where couples, friends and families lock a padlock to the bridge, and throw one of the keys in the water. We bought a cute lock with the Eiffel Tower etched into it, and fortunately it had three keys- one to throw, and two to keep! Very sentimental, and something that we can always hold onto in remembrance of our time in France together.

The Sacre Coeur was incredible as well. The location made it even better, with the painters and markets surrounding. It overlooks on Paris, which had almost as good of a view as the Eiffel Tower! We went to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Notre Dame Cathedral, The Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Sainte Chapelle, Rodin Museum, Opera National de Paris, and many more! In the evenings we talked over white wine and split an entrée. It was really the perfect vacation, and who better to spend it with than my older sister.

Monday we headed back home on the train, passing again through Belgium. Today we have laid around the house, enjoying being able to relax! I swear I walked more in Paris than I have ever walked in my life...good thing though, we had to burn off all of those crêpe, macaroon and baguette calories somehow! 

Not sure about our plans this week, but I still want to go to Amsterdam and back to Antwerp with Maddie. Stay tuned!

-Molly

On the bus to Paris!

What are the odds that we have Wifi on the bus...well, I'm certainly not complaining! We just left Brussels finally, after a very exciting encounter with the Belgium Police. We stopped by the Eurolines office, where many police officers came on, looking in every cupboard and shelf. Canines were outside as well, and everyone sat in their seat slightly uncomfortable. Being that we were in the French speaking part of Belgium, I understood nothing that was being said. Before we knew it, we were handing over our passports!

They started asking each passenger to get off the bus, one by one. At first only the men were asked to get off, but eventually we were too. It ended up being just a routine border check- which we had no idea until it was over! We were taken into a warehouse, where our bags were searched and we were patted down. The Belgium police were exceedingly attractive however, so we weren't bothered by the experience. After a good fifteen minutes of waiting, we were let back onto the bus! I'm pretty sure the same amount of people got back on that had gotten off, so no one was without legal papers of some sort.

This journey has already started off exciting! Luckily we haven't run into any actual trouble...yet!
Going to go back to sleep for now,  we still have a long time until Paris...

-Molly

Morgen, Parijs!

Luckily the sun shined for us today! The Dierentuin in Blijdorp was a hit- I even went to new exhibits that I hadn't been to before! We spent about two or three hours walking around from one exotic animal to the next, seeing baby gorillas, beautiful butterflies, and much more!

For dinner, we had Gourmet....which is quite possibly my favorite dinner here. It's the one where everyone gets their own small pan, and cooks for themselves. At the end there are pancakes too! Yummmmmy, Maddie thought it was the cutest set-up ever!

Tomorrow we will be on the bus to Paris! I'm not exactly looking forward to the nine hour ride, but I know it will be worth it. Hopefully we'll drive through Antwerpen or Brussels! 

I am curious to what our Hotel will be like...and of course a bit nervous for the traveling. Although I always get nervous when riding on busses or trains! Marijke printed many maps out for us, of where to go and how to get there...she's the best! I'm sure they'll help tremendously. 

For now though, it's time to pack and get ready for the journey.

Trembling with excitement, and so thankful of my parents for making this trip happen for us!

-Molly

Reunited and it feels so good!

Finally I am reunited with the most important person in my life...my sister, as well as best friend. She flew in Sunday, where Marijke, Tim, Renee and I awaited her arrival. Tim and Marijke snuck away and bought her a bouquet of tulips to surprise her with, which was so sweet! I watched her through the window as she got her bags, trying to hold back the tears that were swelling in my eyes. Of course I was unsuccessful when we hugged, but at that moment I couldn't have cared less. I was with Maddie once again!

Once home and acquainted with everyone, I began to unpack for her. I swear that she brought more stuff with her than I did! I was hoping that she would bring a suitcase half empty, so that I could send her home with all of my winter clothes. Helaas, it looks like we will have to look into buying a second suitcase! I did enjoy looking through all of her new clothes that I had never seen, all of which I hope to borrow at some point!

The rest of the day was spent mostly at home, eating dinner with everyone and talking. At one point we walked to het dorp (Bergschenhoek), but of course, being that it was Sunday, all of the stores were closed. Braaf was open, and Maddie was eager to buy her first legal drink! She said that she would buy, so of course I went along, and enjoyed a glass of wine. We shared stories and photos for an hour, and for a moment I felt just like I was home again.

Monday she came to school with me! I was so excited to show her my school, to meet my friends, and sit in on my lessons. I'm sure she thought it was a bit boring due to the language barrier, but I was still glad that she came! Afterwards we went to Rotterdam, to go shopping...Surprisingly we both only ended up buying one thing each- I think that I have become too Dutch when it comes to spending money! That's probably a good thing though...

After enjoying a nice sandwich for lunch in Bergschenhoek, we went back to Rotterdam for more of an educational/cultural experience. We visited the Boijman van Beuningen museum, as well as the large outside market. Unfortunately the rain got the best of us, as we ended up running from tent to tent in the market until finally giving in and buying an umbrella. Welcome to the weather in the Netherlands Maddie! She had even curled her hair that morning...poor girl!


The museum was nice as always, but then again doing anything with her would have been nice! I think she was impressed though....I hope so!

Around nine this evening, Maddie wanted to go do something- like walk around town. I hesitated, but agreed of course. To her surprise, Bergschenhoek was empty once again; everything was closed and not a person was in sight. Coming from Boulder I could see how this would be a shock, but I guess I had gotten so used to it that I never thought closing times were weird here....luckily, one Pizza Shop was open, where we grabbed a Ben&Jerry's Ice cream to go. Tomorrow Marijke, Renee, Dennis, Maddie and I will be headed to the zoo! Although I have only been once, the zoo in Rotterdam is still one of my favorite places that I've been...hopefully the weather will be nice!

-Molly

Tent Feest!

I spent the last night in Pijnacker with my friends, at a music party called "Tent Feest." This Feest, or mini-music festival, had famous Dutch musicians such as Van Velzen, Memphis Maniacs, and  other known artists. My friends and I cycled to the Feest in Pijnacker, where we spent the evening enjoying the music, company and atmosphere.
The Memphis Maniacs were probably the most bizarre band that I have seen perform. Clad in cheetah print attire, they covered songs like, "Sexy and I know it," while dancing around the stage like Elvis! They were geweldig nonetheless, quite the entertainment!
In an hour we will be on our way to Amsterdam, to pick up Maddie in the airport! I woke up at eight this morning because I couldn't sleep!

-Molly

Mei Vakantie!

What a wonderful two weeks that I have had! Since Koninginnedag, I have just continued doing very cool things, making sure every day of my last vacation here counts! We had very nice weather for a few days here, so my friends and I did many things outside, like bike to the Alexandrium in Rotterdam, or bike to the Rotte (small, beach-like area) and enjoy a picnic. I also went to Delft with Tim and Dennis one day, where we went birthday shopping for Marijke, ate ice-cream and walked around the city. Unfortunately I wasn't careful enough, and got extremely sun burnt!

On the 5th of May was Bevrijdingsfestival, which is Liberation Day here, in celebration of freedom after World War II. In every  big city in the Netherlands, free music festivals are held. Beau, Pascale, Maartje and I traveled to Haarlem for Bevrijdingsdag, because it had one of the best artist line-up's; Ilse de Lange, Asaf Avidan, Van Velzen, Skip&Die, Kensington, and many other famous artists performed. The weather couldn't have been better for a festival, and we had a blast! We stayed until eleven, and then hopped back on the train and headed home. 

Marijke's birthday was on the 6th, where we spent the day playing games and sitting outside, enjoying the sunshine. Wednesday, my friends and I had first planned on going for a run in the evening (which we haven't been doing often enough during this vacation...), but unfortunately the hard rain, booming thunder and lightning flashes scared us off....so instead after dinner, we went to the Bioscoop (movie theatre) in Zoetermeer, to watch Safe Haven. I would really recommend any girl to watch this movie! We laughed, we cried, we cringed....it was a great love story, written by Nicholas Sparks of course.

Yesterday, Maartje, Beau and Pascale (Fiona is in France) came over to watch The Ugly Truth. It was fun to show them my room and how I live! Today is Marijke and Rob's Anniversary, so I'm not quite sure what our plans are. Tomorrow though, is the Tent Feest in Pijnacker, where famous Dutch musicians will also be performing, such as Memphis Maniacs and Van Velzen. For my last day of vacation, Sunday, MADDIE COMES! I swear, I have never been so excited for anything in my life. I just want to hug her, cry, laugh, and never let her go. This year has been so hard without her, and I can't wait to share my life here with her. My friends are also very excited to meet her! Thursday we will head to Paris, the tickets are finally booked! It doesn't even seem real that I will see her in two days, after not seeing her for almost nine months... honestly, I don't think that I can ever go that long without her again.

For now, it's time to start working on my homework! 

-Molly

Koninginnenach&dag!

Monday night was the beginning of a fun filled 24-hours! Around eight in the evening, Fiona had a spur-of-the-moment idea that we should spend "Koninginnenach" in The Hague! So after getting permission from our parents of course, we all hopped on our bikes and headed to the metro station.

The Hague was very crowded, with music blasting in the main central square of the city. Thousands of people clad in bright orange attire and relatively drunk filled the streets. Everyone was in celebration mode; so happy! We spent the evening dancing, walking around, singing along to songs that we barely knew, and ended up meeting some pretty interesting people. By twelve o'clock we were running back to the station, just in time to catch the last metro home!

The next morning we met up in Bergschenhoek, which was so crowded that I couldn't even bike through the streets! On both sides of the main street, families and friends were selling their belongings- sort of like ongoing garage sales, one after the other. Kids with orange paint on their faces, or the red-white-and-bllue flag painted on their cheeks, ran around looking to buy new toys. Live music was played in the center of town, and everyone was wearing something orange. French-fry stands, waffle, and even cotton candy stands were also mixed in the chaos! We walked around for an hour or two, discussing our plans for the day.

We ended up hopping on the bus to Leiden, which is a really student-filled city. The bus we rode was so full that eventually the driver had to just close the door and drive off, leaving fifty more people waiting at the bus stop. All students of course, most of whom weren't sober. Queens Day is the experience of a lifetime, if not to just people watch!

I had never been to Leiden before, and I'm glad I did. It was so much fun celebrating Queens Day there! We happened to also run into a few guys that we had met in The Hague, which is one of the most coincidental things that can ever happen in the Netherlands! What are the chances.

Once again, thousands of people filled the streets. I saw people kayaking and even swimming in the canals! I also heard lots of english-speaking people; I guess it's a popular tourist attraction. I can see why! It's literally just twenty-four hours of celebration, music, drinking, eating, dancing, festivals, etc.

We ended up going to the Tent Feest in Pijnacker around eight, which was a party under a big white tent with live music and once again, full of people dancing. For once, I ran into many people I knew, mostly from school. I will be going to the same type of Feest on the 11th of May, where famous Dutch artists will be performing such as Roel van Velzen (from The Voice of Holland), and Memphis Maniacs.

Today, Pascale, Beau and I made pannenkoeken, painted our nails, and watched Muriel's Wedding. Tim had a Lord of the Rings Marathon at home with some classmates (as in 10 hours of Lord of the Rings....) and I thought nail polish and pancakes sounded better for my taste.

Beau and I went running again this evening, which is always gezellig en lekker gezond! Tomorrow we all might go shopping, or just do something fun together. Maddie comes in less than ten days! I am so excited.

-Molly

Fashion shows, City Golf, Tulips and more!

What a busy weekend! Friday night Katharina invited me to go to a fashion show on the beach in The Hague with a friend of hers. It was pretty neat, although very cold. Good music, and fun fashion nonetheless.

Haarlem might possibly be one of my favorite cities here. It looks very similar to Amsterdam, but smaller, with less people, and more cozy! This past weekend we had the Alders Family Weekend, that happens every three years. Extended family from Rob's side all get together for two days, and catches up with each other! We stayed in the Stayokay Hostel, and on Saturday played "City Golf" through Haarlem. What is City Golf? It's where in teams, you literally play golf through Haarlem, using a soccer ball and a handmade golf club, as you can see below...the hard part was trying not to hit pedestrians!

We ended the day at the carnival, where I went on the scariest ride ever with Dennis and Tim! I knew I would regret it though if I didn't go, so I took a chance...closed my eyes and screamed the entire time! It was one of those rides with the long arm, that holds you upside down, looking over the entire city. Not funny! 

In the evening we barbecued and I got to know a few family members. The next morning we all headed to the beach, and drank coffee on a terrace outside. Heerlijk weather!

 

We also drove through a town full of rows and rows of brightly colored tulips, and other flower types. It was beautiful, really what you see in cheesy tourist-postcards from Holland.

This past week was also my last week of school before the May Vacation, and I got my math retake grade back! I was so nervous I almost didn't look. Good thing I did, not only did I pass...I got a 6.9! Brought up my grade, and now I am passing math...in a foreign country!

Monday evening is Koninginnenach, and Tuesday is QUEENS DAY! I am so excited, it's the last Koninginnedag for who knows when...I have heard about it since the day that I got here, so I cannot wait. Don't know what me and my friends will do yet, but I'm sure it will be fun!

-Molly

Maasland, Feestje, Girls Night!

Last weekend was very busy, but exciting! I spent the day in Utrecht with other AFS students from my region, walking through the city and catching up. We also went to the Dick Bruna Museum, and afterwards ate appetizers and had a few drinks together. I had to take the train home rather early though, because I had Nienke and Ella's birthday party to go to in Pijnacker!
The feest in Pijnacker was erg gezellig, full of dancing and socializing. Biking there of course is a pain, due to the fact that it's about 45 minutes away! The party was well worth it though. We all spent the night at Fiona's afterwards.


Yesterday I spent the day in Delft with Marijke, Tim and Rob,
and we sailed the
sailboat to Maasland. Well, more like I sat on the boat and enjoyed the ride. The sun was shining, and it was so gorgeous outside. We passed by baby ducks, sheep, windmills, etc. etc., typical Dutch things! In the evening, Katharina, Renee, Sanne, Roos,

Marijke and I had a girls night together at Roos's. We did our nails, watched Magic Mike (with the b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l Channing Tatum), and ate so much chocolate until we thought we would die! Great fun though, and an evening very much needed. Roos's husband and son stayed the night at our house back in Bergschenhoek; I'm sure they spent their "Guys Night" drinking beer and watching (or talking about) soccer or something like that with Rob, Tim and Dennis!

Tomorrow I have my math retake (for the test that I failed), and I am so nervous! I have studied so much though, so I better pass it... right now I have a 5.0 average, and I need a 5.5 to pass!

Wish me luck,
-Molly

Feestje!

Last weekend my friends and I threw a "Cowboys & Indians" themed party, to celebrate our seventeenth, and Pascale's&Maartje's sixteenth birthdays! Both VWO classes came, Pascale's friends from swimming, Beau's friends from Scouting, etc. etc., in total there were about seventy people there! Most of whom dressed up, some even went all out with the theme. All in all, I think that everyone had a blast. Next weekend, my friends Nienke and Ella will also be having a birthday party, but in Pijnacker- two towns over.

Tomorrow evening Marijke and I will go to Den Hague for an AFS get together; it'll will be nice to catch up with everyone from my region. Next Saturday I will go to Utrecht to walk around and explore the city, also with other AFS students from my region. Busy busy busy! Not to mention, Maddie comes next month- I am so excited, I can't believe how long it's been since I've seen her...since August! Wow, time flies.

Well, nothing else is new...the weather is FINALLY starting to warm up a bit here- maybe even nice enough to wear shorts in a few weeks. One can only hope.

-Molly

Belgium, Reusel, en Pasen!

Distance seemed unreal here in the Netherlands this past weekend- Friday I hopped on the train to Tilburg to visit my friend Marlie, Saturday we spent the day in Antwerp, and Sunday I came back home to Bergschenhoek. 

Who knew that for three euros and only a few minutes in the bus, you could be in Belgium? It still seems crazy to me! Marlie, who is a former AFS student, lives in Reusel, a small town outisde of Tilburg. This part of the Netherlands is more farm-like, has more open spaces and trees. In contrast to Rotterdam, you could even say it was full of nature! Friday I ate dinner with her family, who is also hosting an AFS student, Laura, from Brazil. 

Reusel is in the south province of the Netherlands, called "Brabant." Wherever you travel in the Netherlands, people's accents will differ. Here, people pronounce the "g" softer than in Rotterdam for example. For me, it took a bit more concentration to understand what was being said at the dinner table due to this difference in pronunciation. 

Saturday morning, we met up with another AFS student, Caetano, who is from Mexico. He had been to Antwerp many times before, which made him a great tour guide! After two buses and literally three euros, we were in the heart of Antwerp, Belgium. The first thing we did was eat Belgian waffles of course! It was the best waffle I have ever eaten, and that I will probably ever eat in my life! Mhmm, and drizzled with rich Belgian chocolate...to die for. I'm glad I didn't choose Belgium for a host country, because I'm sure I'd eat one of these every day!

The rest of the day was spent walking through the streets of Antwerp, and of course shopping. The country itself doesn't look too different from Holland, because the buildings are very similar in structural design; tall, skinny, quirky roof architecture. 

We walked passed incredible musicians on the main shopping street, famous statues, and of course went into Antwerp Central Station- where the well-known, huge flash mob took place about a year ago. 

Caetano then took us to a cafe, that had the best hot chocolate (and other chocolate drinks) I have ever tasted! I really don't think chocolate gets much better than in Belgium. De-licious. 

Before I knew it, the day was over and we were on the bus headed back home. Well, to Reusel that is. Sunday morning, I enjoyed an "gezellig" Easter brunch with her family- mother, father, sister, Laura and grandmother. We also hunted for chocolate Easter eggs outside! 

Afterwards, her dad- who owns a construction machine that lifts people up very high- let us go up on it! I could see most of Reusel, and the Tilburg tower. It was like their own personal Euromast!

Soon after, I hopped back on the train and headed to Rotterdam Central Station, took the metro to Rodenrijs, the bus to Bergschenhoek, and walked home from there. For dinner, we had "gourmet," where everyone gets their own mini-frying pan, and cooks whatever small slices of meat, fish, shrimp, vegetables, or anything that they want! Not to mention, mini-pancakes for dessert. Soooooo good! 

This week, I'm off from school (done with my tests). Friday is "Mentordag," which means every class will do something together outside of school.  Tim's class is participating in a pain-ball war I think, and mine is taking a Cocktail Workshop in Scheveningen and eating sushi afterwards! I can't wait- the school even pays for it! 

Still loving it over here, as always.

-Molly

Verjaardag!

Last week was indeed, my 17th birthday. Saturday the 16th, extended family and a few close family friends came over to celebrate the birthdays of Rob, Katharina, Tim, Roos (family friend), and I. It was very nice, delicious food, fun people, and leuke cadeautijes! There must have been at least thirty people over! Uncles, aunts, cousins, grandfathers, neighbors, dogs, and more. The night prior, we all spent cleaning and cooking in preparation- making cupcakes, quiches, you name it! The party was a success, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I got the movie, "500 Days of Summer," nail polish, hand cremes, money, jewelry, stroopwafels, and socks! After the party, I went to Vierkantje with the girls, because Sunday just happened to be Beau's birthday! 

 Monday was the Daltonloop- a 5km run that most of the school is required to participate in. I got a 29.02, which considering my exercise level here is little to nothing....a pretty respectable time. Not to mention, 18 seconds faster than Tim! 

On Tuesday, we celebrated my birthday and Kat's as well- ate pannenkoeken for dinner, and exchanged gifts afterwards. I got DVD's, hair clips, cake-pop maker w/book, Dutch book called "Matchbook," makeup, and tickets to MAROON 5's CONCERT! It's in July, three days before I leave.

Beau, Maartje, Pascale and Fiona had wanted to throw a birthday party together at some point- and said that I could join in. So in two weeks, we will be giving a party! The theme is Cowboys and Indians (stole it from one of my high school's dance themes). Seems easy enough to dress up for! 

This week is test week, and this morning I took my math exam. It was very hard...I had thought I was so prepared for it, but now I'm doubting. We'll see. My next exam is Thursday, and then Friday I will be going to Tilburg to visit my friend Marlie. Saturday we'll spend the day in Antwerp! 

Yesterday I got an email from AFS with my travel itinerary for my return home...a bit sad and startling, but hey, I still have three months left! 

-Molly

Berlin again!

I never thought I'd get the chance to go back to Berlin this year, but as luck had it, I did! I had the choice between Cambridge and Berlin, but chose Berlin because most of my good friends were going. I did see many of the same monumental buildings, but the trip itself was completely different. I won't go through it day by day, but rather highlight a few things....

One thing I hate about Berlin (although it's not just in this city), and I may have mentioned it before, you have to pay to use the bathroom. Gas stations, train stations, McDonalds, you name it- from fifty cents to sometimes even a euro! And if you really have to go, taking the time to find the exact change, or make change, is not appreciated. I miss free public restrooms!

Well, my class and the class below us, stayed in a very nice hostel/hotel, however, it was located slightly out of the city. Therefore, if we had an activity in the city, transportation would take about an extra thirty minutes or so. Not the end of the world, seeing as the hostel/hotel we stayed at was pretty high end for a school trip!

On the trip we went to the Berlin Zoo, to the top of the TV Tower, to The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, to the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum, did some amazing shopping, and ate pretty good chocolate! Everything in Berlin is cheaper in the supermarkets, so many people loaded up on their fair share of German snacks. 

Going to the top of the TV Tower was pretty cool, the elevator went six meters per second! We went at night, so you could see all of the lights of Berlin. 

The Zoo was pretty nice, although I find the Zoo in Rotterdam better, due to the fact that the animals have a lot more space. However, the monkey section was very cool, as well as the nocturnal, underground part! Unfortunately, the weather was cold and grey that day, so spending five hours walking around outside was not ideal. Nonetheless, my friends and I had a good time looking at the lions, tigers, bears, baboons, and more. 

We also visited the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum, which had some really incredible modern art pieces, like nothing I'd seen before. Fiona, Beau and Pascale were required to go because they have Kunst (art class), and Maartje and I just went along for fun. It turned out to be pretty interesting, and I was glad that I went!

I also saw the President of Indonesia! We were walking by a hotel, and there were police cars, security, and a whole crowd surrounding the entrance. We waited for about thirty minutes, and saw him for about two seconds! 

We took a boat ride on the water one day, which passed many historical buildings. The sun was out that day, and the weather was perfect. It couldn't have been better! You could even see the back side of The Berlin Wall, completely plastered with graffiti.  

The trip was pretty great, the best part was spending time with my friends, and getting to know other people from my class. Shopping was also a plus, did I mention that it was amazing?! We went to Primark and spent hoooours in that store alone. H&M Divided is also my new favorite store now, because Berlin had such a cool one! 

The next thing that's coming up for me is...my birthday! Seventeen already....sounds a bit older, right?

Well, for now- more school work. Test week is the week after next, and I have to pass my math test! So I'll spend many afternoons making the homework and studying...

-Molly