I have confidence.

Lately I am more and more convinced that the Netherlands is the place for me. When I first began exploring au pair opportunities I was certain that I wanted to live in Italy (again). I was in contact with various families throughout – Milan, Rome, Florence, and Verona. But at some point I realized that if I wanted to be an au pair to be part of a family from a different culture, then I should probably explore families outside of the one place abroad I've already lived. It was incredibly difficult for me to come to that understanding, and to tell the Italian families that I did not feel qualified to be one of their potential au pairs.

I've already told the story of how I “met” my future host family. It really was one of those instances where everything fell into place almost perfectly. (Which seemed to happen much more in my life after this first instance with the au pair thing.) Although all the facts and details lined up, it really was about that gut feeling. Knowing that we were right for each other. I started emailing back and forth with their current au pair, Caroline, from the very beginning. Just after the first phone conversation, I believe. She said that for her as well it was that same instinct with this family. At first our emails were more to get an idea of what life was like in their household and what not. It turns out, however, that her and I have quiet a few things in common as regards our love of culture, languages, and travel. Aside from the good vibes I got from the host parents, Robin and Anna, the information that Caroline passed onto me about how she felt about them and her time there solidified my feelings. She taught English in southern Spain for several months before joining the family in January. Her and I exchanged quips about how different the Spanish and the Italians are from the Dutch. From my experience, the Italians are very warm and enthusiastic people. They feel everything very intensely, which is one of the things I love most about them. Their love for life is their greatest love and I never felt more alive than when I was living in Italy, trying the Italian way of life. I still try to carry that with me. According to Caroline, the Dutch are very friendly, open, and honest. Holland, she said, is very unique. And I love, love unique. I even like the word. Unique. I also really like the word Holland.

Before my conversations with Robin and Anna and emails with Caroline, I knew very little about the country. There are many tourist clichés about Amsterdam, which I will likely address in the future, but I have not paid much attention to them so far. In my Italian class in Florence there was a girl from Amsterdam. Veerle. She introduced herself to me on the first day and I quickly discovered that her personality was magnetic. She was very friendly. Very open. Very honest. And always fun to be around. I want to try and avoid stereotyping, even though I did it above with the Italians, but if the Dutch really are as unique as Veerle then by definition it will be impossible to stereotype the Dutch.

My other source of information is my father. He spent a week in Amsterdam during the summer of 2006 when the company he was working for was in negotiations to buy a Dutch mining company. His hotel was in the city but all the meetings were a train ride away in some town he doesn't remember the name of now. The one time they actually went anywhere in Amsterdam was for dinner. They went to a resteraunt that served Mexican food. They went out for Mexican while they were in Amsterdam! When I asked him earlier today what he remembers about it all he replied with two things.
1) "They don't put ice in Coke." My dad is an avid Coke drinker. And he likes his Coke with ice. Lots and lots of ice. When he asked for ice in the Netherlands they put in three cubes.
2)“They were all going mental about this soccer thing. The World Cup? It was uncalled for. Who cares about soccer? No one. They were wearing their jerseys and waving these flags. They were all like 'Woooooooo.'” That is my dad and his brand of humor. It is something along the lines of sarcasm. He doesn't mean it, really. And he was a football player so to him soccer, and the fact that it is called football outside of the US, is unnecessary.

I like the fact that the only place my dad has visited in Europe is Amsterdam. Even if he didn't really get to experience it. (Mexican food does not count.) I also really like the fact that he went four years ago at the same time of year as me. And that the World Cup was going on. I have a great passion for the World Cup. Again, another topic you will be reading more of sometime in the future.

So, to get a better idea of my future home I've spent a significant amount of time perusing a few blogs written by Americans living in the Netherlands. My favorites of these are:

Clogs and Tulips: An American in Holland
Tiffany Jansen
This blog is well organized, well written, and full of information! I love her post 10 Things to Have in Your Purse in the Netherlands. Carrie Bradshaw has a thing for shoes. I have a thing for purses and bags. And maybe that will include umbrellas after a few months over there.

Life Abroad by Heather
She moved to Amsterdam after undergrad with her boyfriend for his job. She just recently moved back to Toronto to go back to school but I'm addicted to her posts and photos. Amsterdam Treasures has me itching to get over there to see what sorts of little loves I will find.

I've added these blogs and others to the links in the sidebar. I know I won't have the time or the attention span to thouroghly comb through all the blogs and all the posts but so far they have contributed to this growing feeling that the Netherlands being the perfect place for me. By the time I land I'll be lugging my suitcases and singing “Confidence in Me” just like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.