this and that.

for alex,
they had a little store for macs. it even sort of looked like an apple store inside!!!


love,
your sister.


today when we were shopping there was a wedding that walked by. it was so darling. they were all carrying red and white balloons. i didn't know what was going on, but vivian exclaimed "wedding!" i RAN like a tourist and snapped a picture. so cute.

so many people out and about because of the beautiful, beautiful spring weather.

tonight is queen's eve. it is the birthday of the queen and a huuuge dutch holiday. we are taking a little rest from shopping and will be going out at midnight.

so long, again.
e.

phone mishap.

i bought some coca cola light (just one bottle... not all of these.....)


yesterday i went to school with vivian and hilde. about 200 people in the class and it was taught in ENGLISH. of course that seemed so normal for me, but i was fascinated that everyone else was having to really concentrate. while i didn't pay attention, i noticed the difference between american girls and dutch girls (there were about 6 boys total in the class). barely any dutch girls color their hair. they are so natural and beautiful. their makeup isn't caked on, either. i'm digging that. everyone keeps trying to speak dutch to me and i make this funny face and say "i only speak english." and then when we leave i say "doei" because it's one of the only words i have mastered.

anyway, i tried to get money out of the atm and it said insufficient funds, which was not true. i tried a couple of different atms and then went into two banks. they couldn't help me. i needed to call my bank. but the toll free number could not be called from a cell phone or a pay phone. so we went to vivian's work to use their land line. something very funny happened (by the end of this, you may say "i think you had to be there"). i picked up the phone and dialed the number. a man answered and i said hi i would like to make a call to my bank in the US, i think i am just supposed to give you this number. and he said okay and i tell him and i hear him dialing. then he says "so then what is supposed to happen?" and i say "well, it's supposed to call the bank" and he goes "but you're in holland" and i say "yes, i am. i am using a phone in holland" and he says "no, but you're in my business." i get really confused at this point and think that maybe he picked up the phone to use it as the same time as me. i say "do you know vivian?" and he says yes and i say "i don't know what is going on, sorry!" and i hang up. then a man comes up the stairs (who i thought was the man who let me use the phone in the first place) and he says to me, "i was just downstairs" and i say, "i know because you just came UP the stairs." but then i realize HE was the man i was talking to on the phone. well anyway, it happened to be vivian's boss. he doesn't speak very good english so it was very confusing. last night i almost peed myself in bed laughing about this with vivian. the fact that he started dialing on his cell phone the number that this american girl was telling him.

okay, so it definitely was a had to be there, but if you could follow--it was very funny. they don't see very many americans in this town because it's not a touristy place. they all watch me closely and listen to me talk. vivian said the only americans they have seen are on MTV. what a great impression that must make!!!!! so long story long, i got the debit card worked out later when my dad called vivian's cell phone. i'm no longer stranded without euros.

off to shop more!
happy queen's day eve.

doei,
e.

amsterdam.

i am experiencing some jet lag and cannot sleep. instead of laying in bed for hours tonight starring at the wall, i decided to upload some pictures.

here is everything i packed laid out on my bed. i did quite well, i think. tomorrow i am going shopping to buy more things though :)

last night vivian, vivian's roommate hilde, and i went to the supermarket to get food for dinner. i am in love with the idea that everyone goes to store each night to buy food. we drank some wine and ate some delicious little chocolate candies. then, vivian and i walked down to the water to enjoy the night air.

this morning i went for a jog along the water-- i hope running becomes easier as i do it every day. then vivian and i took the train to amsterdam. we went to the heineken museum. we watched how the beer was made and got to drink a few glasses ourselves. tomorrow i will attempt to download a funny video we made there. i was going to engrave something into a beer bottle, but for 6 euros i decided i could buy a LOT of beers. so i am going to get some tape and just write the message on the bottle :) i wonder if it will make it home.

vivian and erica: great together :). i wore vivian's boots because i only brought these little nike tennies that i just got for walking here. nobody wears tennis shoes here so i was trying to be a little more european. however, by the end of the day my feet hurt so badly that i have decided that i will go for comfort over looks the rest of the trip.

i went to the van gogh museum and the rijkmuseum while vivian went to lunch with an old friend. i absolutely adored the van gogh paintings. i also found some paintings by other artists that i will one day get prints of and decorate rooms in my house after.

the city is so beautiful with the canal. i sat and ate a little snack and people watched. i learned my first lesson in eating today. i need to pack my lunch because i was so into the museums that i did not want to stop and eat. then i sat on a bench to write something in my journal and when i stood up, i was so light headed. then i stopped in a little tiny cafe and had to pay quite a few euros for a little bit of food. although, this thing made of spinach and ricotta cheese was delicious.

i love all the bicycle riders. seems like heaven. everyone rides bikes--men in suits, mothers with babies on the front and children on the back, young people, old people, people walking their dogs.

lastly, i saw this contraption that is so crazy. you put your coins in and get food. like a vending machine, but warm food. how strange it is!!

tomorrow i am going to go to school with vivian. i should really try to get some rest. hopefully my brain will stop running so i can fall asleep.

ik mis je (i miss you).

liefs (love),
e.

the tiny refrigerator.

i arrived in amsterdam at 8:30am today. the flight wasn't too bad at all-- i tried to sleep, but it was really cold and uncomfortable. i ate some pasta on the plane and a few pieces of lettuce, my tiny little "salad." i didn't stand up the entire eight hours because i was in a window seat and i felt bad making the couple move next to me.

vivian greeted me at the airport. she was walking towards me and i thought to myself, "wow that woman is very pretty" and wah-la!! it was her. we hugged and hugged and got all teary eyed. in the past three years we've grown up to be young women--no longer those babies who lived with our parents. real, live, independent women.

it is so strange to be surrounded by people who don't speak my own language. i think it will take a few days to get used to this. we got some sandwiches in a little supermarket that looked quite delicious. she had to read me what they were because the only one that i could read was "bacon." my chicken sandwich was--interesting.

we got on the train and i put my feet on the seat to relax a moment. i got reprimanded by the train lady. she warned me that a fine for putting your feet on the seat is 50 euros. wowy. that would have been a costly mistake. we giggled about it because she was telling me this in dutch and i just looked at her like a puppy who peed on the carpet. i didn't realize that they don't see very many americans here and so this young girl on the train just kept watching me. vivian said everyone will be so thrilled to meet a real american, especially one who is her friend.

we got to her town, which is called nijmegan. it is about an hour and a half from the airport by train. it is so cute and quaint. brick roads and everyone riding their bikes. (i can't wait to ride a bike here!) it is just as i pictured it.

everything is so much smaller here. the refrigerator is the size of those ones that people put in their bedroom or college dorm room. i love it.

i just awoke from a nap even though i had intended to stay awake until night time. vivian's dad advised to go to sleep right away to help with jetlag. vivian will be out of school in about an hour (i thought she'd be done right now, which is why i woke up but i need to learn how to use a 24 hour clock better).

it is so surreal to be here finally. :)














this will be my motto.

happy monday!

doei,
e.

in the airport.

i am sitting in the philadelphia airport. i had intended in writing a long post in preparation for my trip, however my lay over was very short. the next time i pull open my computer, it will be in holland with vivian. i am so excited.

i hope this ride goes quickly and that i can sleep through it.

i better run to the girls room before i have to board.

love,
e.

anticipation.

this was the last time that vivian and i were together.
three years it has been.















my soul mate of a friend.

false alarm.

well, it looks like my adventure is on hold a week. the airline just called to tell me my flight has been canceled. there is not another flight available until APRIL 25th. unfortunately my bag is sitting here nicely packed. everything was ready to go. i guess i have a week to fill out some applications and explore chicago. if anyone is in need of a babysitter i'm here :).

i have been saying for a month now that my current life lesson is about planning. i think i popped out of my mother's womb with a planner in one hand. i spent so many years having anxiety when my plans got messed up. i cried at birthday parties when my friends didn't do what i wanted. and so now, i just laugh because this is the big sha-bang of the lesson--the test, i would say. i can't stress because it is out of my hands. it is not MY plan and never has been. i let go control and life is much more pleasant.

i think i'll take myself to the movies today and maybe a little date. i'll sit in the library for hours and i'll go for a walk. i'll pump up my bike tires and go for a ride along the lake. i'll clean my house, which is much needed and i'll take a daily nap. i guess i will cherish this little surprise vacation from my vacation. oh the joys of being a college graduate.

until next time,
e.

4 days and counting.

i just got back to chicago this morning from surprising my mom in arizona for her birthday. we all had such a lovely time soaking in the sun and shopping. i am so lucky to have the family and friends that i do. i'm not sure what i did to deserve them.

unfortunately my errands and last minute things for my trip have been a bit slow as i caught the flu yesterday. i am hoping it is just my body cleansing itself so that i stay healthy for my whole trip. however, if you know me at all, you know that i get sick often. crossing my fingers for this one. but as i lay here in bed, i figured i better set up my blog so that everyone can keep track of me.

i guess i would like to start with a little background of my trip. the ten year old version of myself decided that i wanted to go to europe some day. i, unlike my brother who had a permanent hole in his pocket, started saving my money. i babysat almost twice a weekend, every weekend through middle school, and put it all in this special bank account. (thank you to those of you who contributed weekly :) the saving stopped once i went to college as we all know college students are perpetually poor. but luckily, i had a large amount saved that was off limits unless it was for europe.

i couldn't think of a better time to go than now as i just graduated from depaul university a month ago with my degree in sociology. and i have absolutely no plans for my future at this point. so off i go to explore the world and explore myself for six weeks.

i am flying into amsterdam to stay with one of my best friends from high school. she is still going to university so she cannot travel with me the whole time, but we will be going to london and italy together. then i will travel alone (yes, alone. and if you feel worried for me, you can set up a little prayer table for me in your house and pray every day. i'm fairly certain i have some very very good angels watching over me.) to prague, rome, barcelona, madrid, dublin, paris, and vienna.

i will try to keep this updated regularly and please please comment with your favorite places or any advice you have. i will be gone from april 19th to june 3rd. keep me in your prayers-- i may not always be the sharpest crayon in the box.

love,
e.