brianaxlynn

Whoa! Introduction Week has come to an end, and I needed to sleep allll weekend in order to recover. Best. Week. Ever. So in Europe they have an organization called the Erasmus Student Network, and the whole goal of this organization is to make international students feel more at home. I feel like we could do something similar at U of L, but we don't have enough exchange students. And honestly, it's pretty similar to all the awesome things that Recruitment and Student Life arranges for new students, like Jump the Line and NSO and then Fresh Fest, organized by the ULSU. It's all those things. Together. Now you know how awesome this is, right? So you can buy an ESN card for 2 Euros and it's good for your whole stay. You get discounted food ... read more

So last Friday, I decided that I would try to find the Ikea. The bedding they're selling here was 52 Euros, and I figured I could find cheaper at Ikea, and then having my own sheets would make me feel a little more at home. I used Google maps to figure out how to take the bus down to Ikea, and it couldn't have been easier - get on bus 71 at the University, take it all the way to Stadscentrum, and Ikea is a little walk from there, but should be visible. I should mention that last Friday was a snowpocalypse in Utrecht. I would estimate that maybe 5cm of snow fell over the course of the entire day. In Canada, this is a normal amount of snow, and in February, we'd probably be thrilled ... read more

So February 1 finally rolled around, and I was finally able to get the keys to my apartment! It was a super hectic day, but it all got worked out in the end, thank goodness, meaning I have my own super beautiful place! The morning of the first, I had to move out of the hostel and take my luggage with me to school, because I couldn't get my keys until 2pm. So I'm rushed, panicking (just a little...) and trying to corral all my things and get out and get to class for 9am. So this is fine, except when I lug all my worldly possessions on this side of the world to the bus stop, we have a problem. In Utrecht, 1/3 citizens is a student. That's right. In this enormous city of 300,000 ... read more

So I left Calgary at 3.35pm Mountain Standard Time. My parents dropped me off - both of them, since they couldn't decided between them who would drop me off (cute, right?). My mom cried at the security check and watched me until she couldn't see me anymore... she's so sweet. :) We arrived in Amsterdam at 8am their time (midnight Calgary time). We all filed off the plane and headed to customs/passport control/baggage check. Can I tell you how efficient Amsterdam Schipol is?! The part that took the longest was waiting for my suitcase. Everything else was a breeze! After I grabbed my bags, I headed to the far end of the airport where the train station is located. Okay, that's a lie. It wasn't really that far. It was pretty much right outside the arrival ... read more