Well, I figured I'd jump on the band wagon..

Let's face it.. we live in a world of technology, thank god, considering I am currently miles and miles away from everything I know. Originally, I thought I would write in a journal, which I still am- thanks to going away presents from loved ones- but I thought with all the things going on in my life, people might be interested in following day to day routine, hilarious dutch encounters, and juicy au pair gossip. Not that I think my life is overly interesting, or that I am convinced that I will have dedicated followers (unless you count my mother, Hi Mom!), but I think anytime you can get a perspective from someone you know that is living an entirely different life than the one previously lived exactly 3 months and 7 days ago, you should.

Therefore, here I am.. blogging about my life in Bentveld, Holland..It's hard to believe that I've managed to survive  the past 3 months without my friends and family.. and even more amazingly, I am really enjoying my time in Europe and learning a lot about what I am capable of handling independently. Everyday is a new opportunity, something new I learn, and hopefully things I will take and carry with me the rest of my life. With the sacrifices I've made to be here, the payoff seems to be overexceeding my expectations. I am so happy I can share these things with you all.

So, as I end this blog for today.. I'd like to sign off by sharing with you some Dutch fun facts..
1. Wooden clogs are not at all trendy, nor do you EVER see them. I tried my first pair on 3 weeks ago. Fashion don't.
2. I have seen in the past 3 months, exactly 3 windmills.. So far, every possible stereotype of the Dutch I had crashes and burns.
3. Majority of the people here, don't smoke the herb. At all. And very much in Dutch fashion, there is a double standard that says- yes it is legal to sell in small quanity, but no, it's illegal to sell in large quantities to the small coffee shops that sell small quantities to tourists and locals. What the F?
4. Street shops: A drug shop that sells anything that you want.. Apparently, they are trying to shut down these stores because of lot of internationals come to Amsterdam, go to the street shop- buy mushrooms or other hallucinogenic drugs and jump off the bridges into the dirty, dirty canals. This can prove to be fatal.
5. The Red Light District is not at all what you would think.. for such a popular area, you'd think there would be at least attractive girls. I'd say that it is the Latino D squad, talking on their cell phones. Walking by, I question who in the hell is paying these women to take off their clothes.. I'd like to give them euros to put more clothes on. And get a real job, even at McDonalds. (Which I refuse to ever eat at, because they charge .50euro for a packet of ketchup, and no refills on drinks.. ever. Kiss it European Ronald)

Finally, Americans are viewed as very friendly, but narrow minded and often lazy. The Dutch want to know about Miley Cyrus, and Lady GaGa. Why are children so obese? How come there are so many fast food restaurants? But one thing remains universal.. American or Dutch, everyone loves Michael J's music. :)