Have love, will travel

I have a three day weekend coming up so the past week or so I've been putting together plans for a little trip to Brussels. Even though I don't have to watch the children on Monday, I'm leaving Saturday morning and returning Sunday evening. It turned out that way simply because train tickets were cheaper at those times. Monday will most likely be another day in Amsterdam.

One of my mottos when it comes to trips like this: have a plan but don't stick to it. Leave room for a few whims and wanderings. When I planned my first trip on my own, without a tour group or school schedule, I researched and planned out every minute detail. But when I got to there (London) I quickly realized that I had much more fun if I just went along with how I was feeling. I had the hours and locations of what I wanted to see, so I just went along with my mood each day. I didn't get to see everything but I felt like if I rushed through with my perfectly organized itinerary I wouldn't have been present in all those places.

Since I know very little about Belgium aside from the fact that it is mainly characterized by good beer and chocolate, it has been slightly overwhelming trying to figure out what I am going to do while there. So far, I have filled a few pages in my small notebook for travel notes. Sections include places of interest such as museums, restaurants/cafes/pubs, and areas ideal for shopping. Really the only thing I am absolutely sure about is the flea market at the Marolles-Place du Jeu de Balle. We'll see what happens.

And so I've collected a few sites and links that I've found helpful for this sort of thing:

36 Hours In...
The New York Times has a running column outlining various things to do, see, and eat in cities throughout the world. There is even one for Athens, Georgia. I found this to be a nice place to start thinking about the possibilities available for a weekend in Brussels.

Accommodations
There are so many sites out there for finding a place to stay. This is usually the hard part of the planning process. Especially if you're on a budget. You want a clean bed in an acceptable location. Location is the first sacrifice to be made, which is fine as long as the hotel is in area connected to public transportation. These are the sites I prefer:
Venere
Booking
Hostel World

Discount Tourism Passes
Most major cities in Europe have cards that allow you free entrance to popular museums and discounts at participating resteraunts, attractions, and shops. However, I have found that the best part about these cards is that most tend to cover public transportation ticket fees as well. This is where it really proves it's worth, especially for larger cities where it is impossible to get around the city entirely on foot. Other possible bonuses include not having to wait in line for entrance to busy museums and a free map.
Amsterdam
Barcelona
Brussels
Dublin
Lisbon
London
Paris
Prague
Rome
Venice

Rick Steve's Europe Through the Back Door
This is the guy when it comes to travel tips and reviews. He has been at it since the 80's, has seen it all, and has written about nearly every crevice in Europe. He has his own TV show, radio show, and line of guide books. My Minnesotan readers would be happy to know that he is a good ol' Lutheran and an upstanding guy, even if a little corny at times. You can't help but like him.

Like-a-Local
I just discovered this site today so I still don't know that much about it. The idea behind it is excellent but I don't know how well it works in reality. Basically, you can search for locals offering to meet-up with tourists and give them a taste of their native surroundings. Depending on what you're looking for there are people offering an afternoon of vintage shopping, a home cooked meal, canal boat tours with the family, or morning coffee near the train station. The activities, durations, and prices vary city-to-city and when you've picked your friend for a day you proceed by making a reservation with them.

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.

Listomania

I've been making a lot of lists lately. I have a list of the little things I need to remember buy. I have a short list of activities I'd like to do with my family before I leave. The most complex list of all is the only one I haven't actually written down. It is a mental list of all the big thoughts and subtle feelings I've had since graduation. I don't want to be overwhelmed by all the changes and keeping lists has helped so far.

The two main purposes behind all these lists are (1) to remember, and (2) to stay organized so I can stay on top of what must be done. The first reason is the most influential. Lately, my conscious has been flooded with memories. I hear a song that reminds me of a roadtrip my family took over five years ago. I find a bus ticket stub valid for a ride to Fiesole. I fall into a five hour long Facebook chat with an old friend where all we do is share memories from our silly teenage years. The resurfacing of these memories and my current obsession with remembering could all be part of coming home or having graduated. It could be my mind's way of sorting through everything.

So, to tell you about the past few days as regards my upcoming departure I will use these tricks of my memory. But we must start in the present moment. Below is a picture of where I am sitting right now. I've labeled certain features and although it looks like an ordinary scene, it really isn't. It is full of meaning and memories.



(1) This little basket is a fixture of my desktop. The basket was from a bath soap set my aunt gave me for Christmas one year the whole family was all together for the holidays. My parents, brothers, and I have always lived in a different state than the rest of the family you see. So, Christmases together are always remembered. Now, the basket holds little scraps of papers, bookmarks, and my passport. I like having my passport sitting where I can see it. My first time out of the country was for a January term in Bangalore, India. When I went to a post office in Wichita to get my picture taken the family in line before me was from India. I still remember how the little boy squirmed when his dad tried to hold him still for the photo. He was wearing an orange and white striped polo shirt.

(2) I checked out this stack of books from the Cobb Country Library this afternoon after spending a few hours at the pool.
a.Let's Go Europe 2009 While studying in Italy last spring I used this book frequently. One of the previous students had left it in our apartment. I used it to plan most portions of my excursions outside of Italy: London, Bath, Cork, and Paris. Since it is so large I simply copied down the information I needed into a notebook. The only time I ever took the book out of the apartment was for a long afternoon at one of my favorite spots in Florence. I still have that notebook and will probably use it again, but I want to visit cities I did not get to go last year. Hopefully, over the next few day's I'll be able to take down good notes from this book again.
b. Fodor's Essential Europe: The Best of 16 Exceptional Countries
c. Let's Go France 2009 The place I want to visit most again is France. I only spent three days in Paris last spring. I was on my own, which was the best part, but I did not get to see even half of what I wanted, intended, or planned. I know I'll be writing more about this particular adventure and my future plans to pick up where I left off so I'm going to stop myself from sharing my memories of Paris.
d. Fodor's Paris 2009

(3) This is the 55-250mm zoom lense that came with my darling Canon Rebel T1i, which my parents bought it for me as a graduation present. I have yet to familiarize myself with it, even though I've taken some test shots here and there. But expect to see (and probably read more) about it because I will be using it non-stop.

(4) This is one of the said lists. The writing is very small because I'm trying to keep it all on the same notecard. When I spoke to my host parents on Sunday (more on this conversation in a later post) I scribbled notes on the back. The pen I used has purple ink, which instantly reminded me of a certain morning in Florence. We were standing outside Santa Croce listening to the art history professor's lecture on the exterior. It began to rain and the few drops my open notebook managed to catch made the black ink run in pools of deep violet. When I went back to decipher my notes later they were illegible but the color was beautiful.

(5) These are the first official items I purchased for my time in the Netherlands.
a. Moleskine European City Notebook: Amsterdam As soon as my au pair position was for certain I began looking for items to purchase in order to prepare myself and/or be of use while I am there. Moleskine is my notebook of choice and while looking for one to record my adventures I found this. It is a regular Moleskine but it is equipped with city maps and organized tabs for attractions and favorite places for the traveller to fill in according to their tastes.
b. Moleskine Pocket Ruled Notebook When I said that Moleskine is my notebook of choice I actually meant that I'm a Moleskine lover. I bought my first set of Moleskines before I left for Italy. This time I've shrunken down to the pocket version of what I used for my previous travels.
c. Lonely Planet Guide: The Netherlands This was the only travel book Barnes & Noble had on the Netherlands, which is disappointing. Especially for someone like me because I love variety. Since there were no other options I felt pressured to buy it. And then I realized that I still need to see what Borders has to offer. There were, however, plenty of books about Amsterdam which doesn't do me much good. I don't think I should buy a book on Amsterdam because I have the city notebook mentioned above, and my host parents are already very familiar with Amsterdam. I'd much rather depend on them for information than a guide book, but we shall see if I change my mind about that.

(6) Before I started writing this blog entry I spent a good amount of time at apple.com looking at the new iPhone. Of the many things I find so great about it the best one is that it has video calls. It is the first cell phone ever to have that feature. To me, email and Facebook are not good enough for keeping in touch with my friends and family. So I used Skype while I was in Italy. It is free to use on computers but there is also a deal where you can buy Skype Credit on cell phones. Still, it doesn't beat the video call on the new iPhone. But the world isn't perfect. I'm still exploring my options in terms of how to call people in the States from a cell phone in the Netherlands. In fact, my mom and I are going to Verizon this afternoon to see what can be sorted out with our contract. I still plan on using Skype as my main source of face-time but one should always have a back up.

Those are all the labels explained in brief. But the best part of this scene is that before I went to Italy I took the same picture of my desk.


Notice the very basket with my passport, a stack of library books, and a stack of books from Barnes & Noble. It is funny sometimes how things tend to come full circle.


There. Now you can see how all these memories of mine are connected in their own strange way. Or in my mind, at least. I'm going to keep making lists and I'm going to keep remembering. In less than a week, after I step onto that plane destined for Amsterdam, I'll have new memories to share with you. I hope you're ready.