Update...

My lungs are currently cleaning themselves out from the last few months total accumulation of tar... it's a very pleasant experience and I recommend to anyone who has not yet started smoking to do so, so that you might also have this pleasure.

It's been busy since I got here. I went to Groningen for a few days before coming to Woerdense Verlaat. In Groningen:
Wednesday: stayed up late, drank some good beer, watched "Sea of Love"(Al Pacino).
Thursday: stayed up late with Froukje and her friends for a girls-only-slumber-party (Luuk had to leave the house and find something to do with his friends...teehee!). We watched the entire BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice", drank wine, ate great snacks, and used facial masks. The party was interupted by the biggest non-tarantula spider I have ever seen in my life. It was as big as my hand for sure, and was crawling around on the wall in the living room, only ten feet away!!! Even in the midst of my own panic reactions, I couldn't help but be amused by the reaction of the group of girls. Every time the spider moved it was followed by a chorus of screams and each girl jumping further away from the spider. Eventually we all ended up on some sort of furniture, and yelling that someone should kill it. No one would at first, then one girl tried and only managed to knock it off the wall onto the floor where we couldn't see it any more (which is way worse than actually having it right in front of you). Finally, Froukje called Luuk and his friends (who weren't too far away), and they came to our rescue, laughing at us the entire time. We finished our movie and went to bed, dreaming of spiders and Mr. Darcy...
Friday: I watched my first theatre production in Holland. It was on the roof of a parking building, outdoors. It was a combined production between a British and a Dutch theatre, and was half in English and half in Dutch. Quite perfect for my first...
Saturday: Luuk and I finally made it to the Martinie Tower (which is where he was going to propose to me but couldn't cause it happened to be too windy that day). Climbing up was a bitch and I realized just how out of shape I am. Last year someone commited suicide, or fell off, or was thrown off, depending on who you ask... it's a long drop. On the way down, we got to watch the ringing of the bells. It took six men to play the chorus! That night we watch "Volver", a Spanish film with Penelope Cruz, at a European film theatre...I recommend it.
Sunday: slept in. Then came to Woerdense Verlaat, had coffee with my new aupair family, and went to bed.
Monday: Up at 7:30! And so it will be every week day for the rest of the year... Egh...
Wednesday: Found out that I might as well have worked for four years to earn 30,000 dollars to buy a horses ass with "diploma"stamped on it and showed that to the Free University, for all my bachelor's degree is worth in the Dutch academic world... If I want to do a master's in psychology at the Free University, I will have to do two out of the three-year bachelor program first. I will not suffer you with my reaction to that...

I have been driving alot, so I'm getting much better. Yesterday I think I kinda caused a teeny tiny little accident when I turned a little late and made the motor cycle, which was trying to pass me on the right, slam on the brakes and slide on the wet pavement. We didn't notice right away, and then it was too late to stop.
The kids are cute, but sometimes difficult, and I can't talk in Dutch to them very well, which makes it more difficult. It's only been two days though, so I shouldn't be so impatient. It takes a while to get used to a new person, especially when that person is allowed to tell you what to do...

Anyway, that's an update on my life. Now I have to finish my coffee and pick up the oldest from school. I still haven't learned to use the motorraft thing, so I have to row across the canal, which is humurous, I promise....
So, cheers to you all. Enjoy classes or whatever it is that you happen to be doing this week...
Ciao.

My sleep patterns are so messed up...

I found out that the Dutch word "fokken" means "to breed". So, someone who breeds animals would be called a "fokker". Last night I had to hold back any display of amusement while listening to Luuk's grandmother talk about her cousin, (who happens to share my last name and she thinks might be related to my family, and should definately check on) who is a breeder. Every time she talked about him it started with, "My cousin, Meneer van der Ploeg, the fokker."

I am now very curious about her cousin, the fokker.

Yesterday, to satisfy the curiousity of Luuk's parents (who seemed to be more worried about it than I), we met my aupair family. They seem to be everything I expected - easy going, super nice, relaxed, laidback, good to chat with, etc. Their kids are adorable, all really blonde boys. And their house is cute. It used to be a farmhouse, I think. In the past seven years they've done alot of fixing up, so outside it still looks old and quaint, but the inside it colourful and very modern. Their bathroom is incredible! I can't wait to use the shower! The best part of the whole deal, however, is getting to the house itself. They live on the otherside of a canal. The only way to the house is on a footpath over a small bridge down the road, or on either a rowboat or motorized raft.
Yes.
Everyday, I have to take three little kids across the canal in a little boat to get to the car to take the oldest to school. Crazy.
Oh, another note on the house...It's out in the country, surrounded by pastures, canals, and cows (beautiful), and they have a nice garden behind the house. All along the paths and in the grass are the biggest snails I've ever seen. And, between almost every single bush and tree, gigantic spiderwebs full of incredibly disgusting spiders.
Fuck.

Bittersweet

Goodbyes are over. The flight was long. I cried for five seconds on the way to the airport, then distracted myself with the business of traveling. Dane and I got a massage at the airport in Chicago, to pass time. It was amazing. American Airlines has ridiculously small seats, which makes an 8hr flight seems twice as long. I started to feel sad again at some point on that flight, and cried again. Dane was nice enough to pretend not to notice. I looked out the window and watched the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen. There was no land to be seen, only sky, clouds, and water. The clouds changed from purple to red to gold...each phase just as wonderful as the last...I just wanted to jump out of the plane and float around in them. Now I am in Holland. Luuk's family is trying very hard to make me feel welcome and part of the family, a gesture that is greatly appreciated. Seeing Luuk again was somewhat strange, actually, but very good. I think the idea that this time it's not just a visit is affecting the way I see things here. Hugs are amazingly comforting. And I'm getting enough hugs to make up for the past 8 months... It's good to be here. I can't wait till it feels like home...

past midnight...

i don't want to go to bed because that means the morning will come alot sooner and i'm not quite ready for it yet...

the other day i took a short nap. i was in that happy state between asleep and awake, where you are still aware of where you are but you aren't quite conscious. then i realized that i was walking on some dark street. i came upon a squished animal that looked like a raccoon, plastered to the road. i stood over it, looking at it. suddenly it lifted its head and looked at me with large, black, shiny eyes and snarled at me. then i woke up, my heart practically popping out of my chest.

i'm listening to the flaming lips...i like them.

dane is writing a song about a dead squirrel found on the road...

still don't want to go to bed...

Life is life...

One more day in this country.
Holy shit.
The past two weeks have been filled with late nights, lots of alcohol, too much smoking, and making memories. (Hehe, I almost wrote mamories...nice...)
Tomorrow I will spend most of my day packing, and probably doing alot of swearing when it doesn't all fit...
Four years ago, roughly around this time of year, I was coming to Dordt for the first time. Now, I'm leaving. I am not entirely sure the magnitude of this move has quite registered.

Camping was fun. It rained both nights...we didn't all have a tent, but since it was warm enough we figured sleeping under the stars would work just fine. Waking up at 4 or 5 each morning to move to the van was...interesting. Usually it consisted of me not noticing that I was soaking wet, and finally waking up to someone poking me and telling me to move... We swam in the river on Saturday, and our clothes smelled like ass, but it was worth it.

I realized tonight that I do actually like some margaritas. And the coconut shrimp I ate was divine. It was a good night.

Josh, I bought a Tom Waits cd, and thought of you. The picture of him on the cover actually looks alot like you. Crazy.

Cancer stick time.
:)

Fun!

To all who are still in the area (and those who might want to come down for a visit):

-next week Wednesday, 6pm, at "The House of General Debauchery", potluck (aka: bring your own food and beer)

- August 11, 12, possibly 13th, camping at Palisades; same house, 6pm; bring any tents, food, drinks you have...

My nose tickles...

As I near the end of my time here, I find myself freaking out a little bit and becoming less comfortable with the idea of moving while at the same time becoming more excited about going... does that make sense?
I am glad that Dane is going, and that some of you will be coming later...I don't have to leave my Dordt life behind quite yet... However, I do believe that never will I find a place where people will show up at all hours of the night to sit in our garage or living room talking for hours about the meaning of "calling" or whether "Death Cab for Cutie" sold out...or decide randomly to take an hour long trip some where just to eat at a nice restaurant.
Phil, Dane, and I had a great roommate-bonding-moment a few days ago, when we went to Sioux City and each got a piercing... Dane needs a slightly larger earring and he'd look like a pirate. Phil worries too much about what his parents will think of his cartilege piercing... and my nose piercing tickles and makes me have to sneeze all the time. It's fun though. The guy that did it for us was from Calgary. And the girl that started up the shop is from Progreso, which is less than 30min from where I lived in Mexico. Small world...
I have over five bruises, big painful ones, all over my legs... and I can't help but poke at them compulsively just to see if they still hurt. Of course, they still do, and I each time I do it I yelp and swear, yet I continue to do it... Why is that?