Today I rode the cart bike thinger to pick the kids up from school for lunch. You thought I was uncoordinated on a regular bike.
Luckily Rick was with me to offer parking advice and make sure I didn't get lost. No mishaps. I met our neighbors, one of whom laughed with me (at me?) when I tried to back the cart bike thinger out of where I had parked it. (I parked for easy departure when we dropped them off after lunch, though.)
It was decent running weather this morning. I went out early to see if I remembered where the school was. I didn't. (In my defense, I had only been there once at that point.) But I did see a little more of the town. There are just enough horses to make me feel at home.
The Netherlands is perfect for runners like me. Perfect and FLAT.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Naked people have little or no influence on society.
I made it through my first morning. With Grandpa's help.
You'd think I could get a baby dressed. It took me a good ten minutes. Choosing an outfit was particularly stressful. I think, "Eh, he's a baby, and he's staying home today, so I could dress him in a plaid shirt and striped pants and it matters not." However, Carien wants to cultivate a sense of fashion in the young ones, so I have to choose things that match. This should be easier than dressing myself, but for whatever reason, it is not.
I stared at the piles of baby shirts and pants and suddenly my fashion mind went blank. All the blues looked the same! The winter whites looked like the summer whites!
Disaster struck despite our best efforts. Right now Ed's wearing black socks with white pants.
You'd think I could get a baby dressed. It took me a good ten minutes. Choosing an outfit was particularly stressful. I think, "Eh, he's a baby, and he's staying home today, so I could dress him in a plaid shirt and striped pants and it matters not." However, Carien wants to cultivate a sense of fashion in the young ones, so I have to choose things that match. This should be easier than dressing myself, but for whatever reason, it is not.
I stared at the piles of baby shirts and pants and suddenly my fashion mind went blank. All the blues looked the same! The winter whites looked like the summer whites!
Disaster struck despite our best efforts. Right now Ed's wearing black socks with white pants.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Children see magic because they look for it.
We just had a big birthday party for Pete, age 5. Birthdays are huge. So, there were eight five- and six-year-old Dutch speakers running around for four hours, and I learned the Dutch Word of the Day: ridder.
It was a ridder-themed party, so Carien made eight knight costumes and she drew a castle on the window. Also, I wore a cape and defended the tower. Enough about that.
The best news is not that Carl's birthday party is this coming Saturday, but that for his birthday party they are visiting the fire station.
I'll get to meet some more people this week, I hope. As I said, birthdays are huge, so they have one party on the actual birthday, more for adults as I understand it, and then a kids party whenever there is a four-hour chunk of time, like a Saturday. Carl's actual birthday is Wednesday, so there will be people over then, and I will meet them.
Tomorrow is my first official day of work, and the first day when both Rick and Carien are gone. Luckily, Carien's father is coming over to help me out. Judging by how far-from-smoothly I got the older boys into bed tonight, I'm probably going to need it.
It was a ridder-themed party, so Carien made eight knight costumes and she drew a castle on the window. Also, I wore a cape and defended the tower. Enough about that.
The best news is not that Carl's birthday party is this coming Saturday, but that for his birthday party they are visiting the fire station.
I'll get to meet some more people this week, I hope. As I said, birthdays are huge, so they have one party on the actual birthday, more for adults as I understand it, and then a kids party whenever there is a four-hour chunk of time, like a Saturday. Carl's actual birthday is Wednesday, so there will be people over then, and I will meet them.
Tomorrow is my first official day of work, and the first day when both Rick and Carien are gone. Luckily, Carien's father is coming over to help me out. Judging by how far-from-smoothly I got the older boys into bed tonight, I'm probably going to need it.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Going Dutch
Day Four, and I'm finally catching up.
I arrived at 6:50 a.m. on Wednesday after the most painless flights I've ever taken.
The kids are great. Full of energy. They seem to have accepted me. They sit on my lap a lot, anyway, and they don't listen very well. I'm in.
On the second day I rode along to take the two oldest to school. It wasn't until after I got on the bike that I realized I haven't ridden a bike in....years and years and years. No, you never forget how, but you do look considerably uncoordinated.
Dutch Word of the Day: nee
Actually, I'm thinking it's going to be the word of the year, as evidenced by conversations that go something like this:
Carl: I'm going to repeatedly hit my plate with this piece of bread.
Me: Nee. Drink your milk.
Carl: Nee.
And so on.
I was feeling pretty good about my place here after this:
Pete: How long you stay here?
Me: One year.
Pete: No....You stay one thousand years. (Big giggle.)
Two hours later, he put me back in my place:
Me: Stop jumping on the couch.
Pete: Nee. Go home.
Eh, it's a work in progress.
I arrived at 6:50 a.m. on Wednesday after the most painless flights I've ever taken.
The kids are great. Full of energy. They seem to have accepted me. They sit on my lap a lot, anyway, and they don't listen very well. I'm in.
On the second day I rode along to take the two oldest to school. It wasn't until after I got on the bike that I realized I haven't ridden a bike in....years and years and years. No, you never forget how, but you do look considerably uncoordinated.
Dutch Word of the Day: nee
Actually, I'm thinking it's going to be the word of the year, as evidenced by conversations that go something like this:
Carl: I'm going to repeatedly hit my plate with this piece of bread.
Me: Nee. Drink your milk.
Carl: Nee.
And so on.
I was feeling pretty good about my place here after this:
Pete: How long you stay here?
Me: One year.
Pete: No....You stay one thousand years. (Big giggle.)
Two hours later, he put me back in my place:
Me: Stop jumping on the couch.
Pete: Nee. Go home.
Eh, it's a work in progress.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Living for fun and profit.
I keep looking at those two suitcases. Do I really have a whole year's worth of stuff in there?
The play went beautifully. Hopefully I'll have pictures soon. What a great way to end my time in Vermillion. The whole project meant so much to me, and I couldn't have asked for better people to work with. And today the co- made it to the semis of the Irene Ryan competition! Congrats to Ryan and Regina. I'll be waiting by the phone this evening to hear if my superstars are in the finals.
The plane departs tomorrow at 11:50 a.m. After tending to some financial and dental business this morning, I came to Rapid to spend my last day stateside doing American things, like eating Chinese food and killing lots of time on the internet.
Is it possible that I'm moving to the Netherlands tomorrow? This is my reality. It's a beautiful thing.
Passport? Check. For the seventh time.
The play went beautifully. Hopefully I'll have pictures soon. What a great way to end my time in Vermillion. The whole project meant so much to me, and I couldn't have asked for better people to work with. And today the co- made it to the semis of the Irene Ryan competition! Congrats to Ryan and Regina. I'll be waiting by the phone this evening to hear if my superstars are in the finals.
The plane departs tomorrow at 11:50 a.m. After tending to some financial and dental business this morning, I came to Rapid to spend my last day stateside doing American things, like eating Chinese food and killing lots of time on the internet.
Is it possible that I'm moving to the Netherlands tomorrow? This is my reality. It's a beautiful thing.
Passport? Check. For the seventh time.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
The tragedy is that you can't love anything more than something you miss.
We move, and we manage to leave a lot of stuff behind. Stuff for which I would gladly sacrifice dress space in my suitcases, if the stuff could come along with me.
These things I will miss.
1.
2. Working out in the Dome with people I don't actually know, but feel like I know because I see them there every day.
3. Vermillion. I admit it. It's been home for four and a half years. That doesn't go so easily.
4. Theatre; specifically, the Playhouse. Painting.
5. Billy's guitar. My first paycheck is going toward a guitar of my very own.
6. Driving. I don't do very much of it, but I think a year without it is a long time.
7. Subway BLTs.
8. Hours of alone time.
9. Teaching fitness classes.
10. The people I love. Too many. Cat, Gina, my half-boyfriend, Tink, Jacket, Jon, Judi, Ma & Pa, co-"stars", fiance(e)s that aren't mine, the theatre crew, my yoga participants, the poet, Meg, singing Erins, the new roommates, Boy (my to-be bandmate when he actually writes a song and I can play the guitar), the little boy, the little boy's friends, the old baby, the new baby, the old Volanters, a couple of new Volanters, my teachers, anyone to whom I smile and wave, the guy who more often than not runs beside me at the gym and looks like DY will look in about 10 years. You all know who you are. I adore you. I'll miss you. Come visit.
These things I will miss.
1.
2. Working out in the Dome with people I don't actually know, but feel like I know because I see them there every day.
3. Vermillion. I admit it. It's been home for four and a half years. That doesn't go so easily.
4. Theatre; specifically, the Playhouse. Painting.
5. Billy's guitar. My first paycheck is going toward a guitar of my very own.
6. Driving. I don't do very much of it, but I think a year without it is a long time.
7. Subway BLTs.
8. Hours of alone time.
9. Teaching fitness classes.
10. The people I love. Too many. Cat, Gina, my half-boyfriend, Tink, Jacket, Jon, Judi, Ma & Pa, co-"stars", fiance(e)s that aren't mine, the theatre crew, my yoga participants, the poet, Meg, singing Erins, the new roommates, Boy (my to-be bandmate when he actually writes a song and I can play the guitar), the little boy, the little boy's friends, the old baby, the new baby, the old Volanters, a couple of new Volanters, my teachers, anyone to whom I smile and wave, the guy who more often than not runs beside me at the gym and looks like DY will look in about 10 years. You all know who you are. I adore you. I'll miss you. Come visit.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Uncoordinated and enthusiastic, a lethal combination.
Last week I said my first good-bye, and the whole thing started to sink in a little bit.
A couple of days later I was on a long run, past the early discomfort and into the zone where the mind is relaxed enough to wander. Thoughts shot around in there, but there was a moment of stillness right before, "Why am I doing this?"
The trip, not the run.
Why indeed? I had to go through the whole thing, as if I had to convince myself that it really is a great idea. Which it is.
But there I was, faced with the reality of leaving these people I love for at least a year. And that's bound to happen as I live on, over and over again, but it doesn't make it any easier. So the pitch started running.
I've always wanted to live in another country, always wanted the opportunity to travel around Europe. I need something to do, and now's a great time for something like this; I have no roots, no furniture, even. Plus, I already have my plane ticket. Is that enough?
Not quite.
Life is a collection of experiences. That's what this is about. That's why. That's enough.
The world is so accessible. When I was little, I remember hoping I would be able to visit another country just once in my lifetime. Now I'm going to live in one, years after my first visit. It awes me still.
Everything is there. You just have to go.
A couple of days later I was on a long run, past the early discomfort and into the zone where the mind is relaxed enough to wander. Thoughts shot around in there, but there was a moment of stillness right before, "Why am I doing this?"
The trip, not the run.
Why indeed? I had to go through the whole thing, as if I had to convince myself that it really is a great idea. Which it is.
But there I was, faced with the reality of leaving these people I love for at least a year. And that's bound to happen as I live on, over and over again, but it doesn't make it any easier. So the pitch started running.
I've always wanted to live in another country, always wanted the opportunity to travel around Europe. I need something to do, and now's a great time for something like this; I have no roots, no furniture, even. Plus, I already have my plane ticket. Is that enough?
Not quite.
Life is a collection of experiences. That's what this is about. That's why. That's enough.
The world is so accessible. When I was little, I remember hoping I would be able to visit another country just once in my lifetime. Now I'm going to live in one, years after my first visit. It awes me still.
Everything is there. You just have to go.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
I'm no fool on a bicycle.
You can check that out at the library.
Speaking of fools, the play is going, going great. It's taxing and emotionally exhausting in the best of ways. We have our first full run-through today at noon. I'm excited. Just wish I didn't have so much to do between now and then.
Don't forget. Fool for Love. January 19, 20, 21 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) at 8:00 pm in Farber Hall. You can reserve tickets in the CSC next week.
Speaking of bicycles, I leave two weeks from today.
Speaking of fools, the play is going, going great. It's taxing and emotionally exhausting in the best of ways. We have our first full run-through today at noon. I'm excited. Just wish I didn't have so much to do between now and then.
Don't forget. Fool for Love. January 19, 20, 21 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) at 8:00 pm in Farber Hall. You can reserve tickets in the CSC next week.
Speaking of bicycles, I leave two weeks from today.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Packing light is for girls.
My week at home went something like this:
I would like to think it really didn't take me quite that long. But it pretty much did. And I'm not so much done. It's hard, trying to put a whole year into a suitcase. You have to dig deep inside yourself and ask, "Am I really going to wear that?" The answer is probably no.
Whatever I forget, I can pick up over there, right? That's what I remind myself. But what if I happened to forget my new three-dollar white dress? Tragic. I haven't even worn it yet.
I would like to think it really didn't take me quite that long. But it pretty much did. And I'm not so much done. It's hard, trying to put a whole year into a suitcase. You have to dig deep inside yourself and ask, "Am I really going to wear that?" The answer is probably no.
Whatever I forget, I can pick up over there, right? That's what I remind myself. But what if I happened to forget my new three-dollar white dress? Tragic. I haven't even worn it yet.
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