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.