First Vacation!

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I am currently sitting on the train, headed back to France, and conveniently the train doesn’t have any wifi, resulting in me writing a blog entry. Actually, I keep changing spots because on this train there are assigned seats and I can’t find mine and I have too much stuff with me to walk the whole train to find it, and I’m not in the mood to ask around. Anyways, I guess I should fill you in on things that have happened recently, since it’s been a while from my last update, so I will start there:

Things with the family have been great, and every day I feel as if I am becoming more as a sister to the children, rather than their nanny. I have gotten used to the families routine, and things are starting to be really easy to juggle. I’m getting a taste of what it means to be a “stay-at-home mom” and they really don’t get enough credit for what they do. Don’t get me wrong, I love my host kids and they are great and fun to be around, but this is really a great way to make me not want to have children for a very, very long time. I never really understood what you gave up in order to be a mother or a father, and I don’t want to have to do that yet. It’s my time to be selfish, and eventually I will be able to be okay with settling down, but I can’t see that happening for a long time now that I know first hand what its like to take care of kids.

The family dog, Happy, had four puppies! There are three girls, one boy, and two of the girls are white, the other along with the boy, are black and white mixed. I was able to see the birth of two of them, and it was surreal as well as… smelly. When I left for my vacation, they were not even three weeks old, but they had doubled in size! They are so adorable that I catch myself just sitting on the couch watching them try to walk around or sleep, when I should be mopping or ironing! I am very excited to see how big they are when I get home tonight.

Okay, now let me talk about my first exploration in Europe!

Day 1: Anthony, my host dad, took me to the train station in Arles, and from there I was to take the train to Marseilles, which is the city the airport is in; however, I had never ridden on a train before so I was extremely nervous. He waited with me until the train came, thankfully, because we met a woman who said she would show me where I needed to go to get to the airport! Without her, I would not have made it to Amsterdam, because you had to get off the train and then get on a bus that took you to the airport, but I just assumed that the train dropped you off at the airport!
So I finally get to the airport, and I am told that the terminal my flight is supposed to be in, was closed for construction! So, here I am, new to public transportation, getting off a bus at the first stop it makes just hoping that I was in the correct place, and voila: I made it successfully! The plane ride was short, with no problems, and I actually was able to fall asleep which was nice! Then, the adventure truly began! Like I just said, I have never used public transportation before, so I also assumed that this airport would be a train station as well. It wasn’t. So, I get to the main area of the airport, and see a sign that says “BUS/TRAIN” with an arrow pointing forward. I go outside, and I didn’t see train tracks anywhere, so I went back inside and found a kiosk with “train tickets” written on it. I asked the man “excuse me, but I am having trouble finding the train, could you please help me?” and he just kind of laughed and told me I needed to talk to the person working in the bookstore. So, I go to the bookstore, and ask the guy working “can you help me PLEASEEEE I just need to get to the train, and I have no idea what I’m doing!” He also laughed a little, but explained to me that I have to take a bus to the city center, which is where the train station is! So, I buy a bus ticket, and walk outside to the bus stop, where I see one of the flight attendants from my flight! I walk up to her and started talking to her and I ask if she can help me get to the train station, which she had no problem doing, which was nice because I would have gotten off at the first stop and been lost in the middle of nowhere! At the train station, she took me to a ticket kiosk, and my stupid debit card wouldn’t work, because in Europe they have little chips in their cards and of course mine doesn’t have one. So she took me to the actual people who you can buy tickets from, and then I told her I could handle it from there. Boy was I wrong! The lady at the ticket counter told me what time and platform the train would be, which to any normal person would be easy to understand, but apparently I don’t fit into that category because I got onto the wrong train! Yes, the wrong freaking train… I was at the correct platform, but I didn’t know how fast trains come in and out of each platform, so I just assumed that the train was early! It wasn’t. So, I get on this train, and this lady is explaining to me that I did indeed get on the wrong train, but not to worry because if I got off at the second stop, I could catch another train that would take me to where I was going, but the train was scheduled to leave within three minutes of the arrival of the train we were on. So I messaged Joon to tell her “hey, I got on the wrong train and I might end up in Russia,” and her response was to get off at the first stop and ask someone what to do. Thankfully I didn’t do that, and instead messaged Lotte, to see if she could help me out. While she was helping me, a girl got on the train and spoke English, and was going to the same place I was going, so she told me that I could just follow her wherever she goes. I don’t know what I had done to have such good karma, but that day was just my day for meeting strangers who were okay with helping me, and it was really amazing. So, we make it to the train and messaged Lotte that I was finally headed towards Amsterdam Centraal, where I was supposed to meet Joon so we could go back to her place. But, Joon realized that she wouldn’t have enough time to make it to Centraal, and I also was only able to use my phone when it was connected to wifi, so we decided that I can just meet her at the train station by her house. After telling Lotte this, she told me exactly what train to take, which platform it was on, and the schedule for the next like 15 trains headed to the station I needed to go to after I made it to Centraal, as well as what stop name and the number of stops there would be until I got off. Seriously, without her help I would have just sat on the original train I was on and cried until someone got me to where I needed to be. I definitely owe her big time for that! Anyways, I get on the right train, and make it to the train station me and Joon agreed to meet at, and JOON WASN’T THERE. By that point, I was just so done with that day that I didn’t even care. I told myself that I would wait right there until she managed to find me, and after about 5 minutes of waiting I hear someone running and turn around and here Joon scream “EM!!!!” I didn’t know whether or not to feel angry that she was late or relieved that somehow I actually made it to the place I was supposed to be after all that time.
That night, we biked to the red light district, and if you were like me, you had no idea how serious biking is as a way of transportation in Amsterdam. They even have their own lanes wherever the roads are. And I mean I know how to ride a bike, that’s basically all I did when I was in the third grade, but these people in Amsterdam don’t play around with these things. I would prefer learning how to drive on the interstate during rush hour then learn how to ride a bike in Amsterdam. Enough about the bikes though, it’s probably more exciting to read about my experience in the red light district. Soooo, to begin, that week in Amsterdam was the week for a huge music festival called Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) so the city was PACKED with tourists, so the red light district was very busy. It was really cool to walk through, and I have little regrets on the lack of pictures I took while I was there because I really wanted to take in everything that I could, and stopping to take pictures takes away from that in my opinion. It was really strange walking past windows that were full of prostitutes, and every time I did I just wanted to go in there and help them have a better life. It has to take a lot of confidence to stand in a window wearing nothing but lingerie. I would surely never be able to do it. But it didn’t even affect them; some of them were standing there on their phones, like they weren’t even there. Something I noticed though was most of the people we saw stopping to ask how much it cost or going inside, were tourists, and they were so disrespectful. Like yeah, they are sex workers, but they are also human too, and to talk to them and mess around with them the way these guys were just made me sick. Another thing the red light district is famous for are the coffee shops, and surprisingly, there weren’t as many as I thought there would be, but almost all of the bars let you smoke there, you just couldn’t buy it. Here’s a fun fact: did you know that weed isn’t even legal in Amsterdam any more? In the EU it is against the law, but since it was allowed there before they joined the EU, the police won’t arrest you for having some on you. Anyways, throughout the night I may or may not have had a little to drink (aka I definitely drank but I don’t want to say it upright because I don’t know who reads this and I don’t want to be looked down upon or whatever) and we decided it was time to go back home. Which normally, would have been great news to hear because I was absolutely exhausted from traveling all day and all I wanted to do was sleep; however, I forgot about the bike. My first night in Amsterdam I had to bike around 25 minutes, in the dark, intoxicated. Before you ask, yes, I did fall off. But no worries! I survived, made it out without a scratch! 😉 And to make things even more embarrassing, I fell off right in front of someone’s house and they came out to see if I was okay, which was very nice, but the last thing I needed to help boost my confidence.
Day 2: Joon had to go a few classes that she had to go to so Lotte was my tour guide of the city. We shopped a little bit, saw the flower market, and ate food in a restaurant that was on the top floor of the building and the view was phenomenal. You could see the top of the whole city center, and with the architecture in Amsterdam, words can’t even begin to describe it. I kept staring out the window when Lotte was talking to me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the view. That evening, we met up with Joon and then all went to Lottes house for dinner with her mom and brother, who I had never met before but they were both very nice! Friday night, we went out with some of Joons friends from school to a warehouse rave that was being put on for ADE and it was so much fun. To get there, we took the train to Centraal, and then had to take the ferry across the water. Normally doing so would be easy (from what I was told) but since it was ADE there were so many people that we got packed in like sardines. At the event, I met a ton of really cool people, and was assured that even though the average Dutch guy is about a foot and a half taller than me, I do not look like a 7th grader! Seriously though, they are gigantic. I couldn’t see anything the whole night because everywhere I looked I only saw people’s torsos. Not even their shoulders, that’s how tall they are! We stayed out super late, and I’m not going to tell you the exact time but it was late/early enough that we saw the sunrise on the ferry ride home, and because of this we didn’t wake up early enough to explore more. I didn’t feel tired all night, but I must have been exhausted because as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out cold.
Day 3: Like I just mentioned, we didn’t do anything exciting Saturday during the day, but Saturday night we went out again for ADE, this time meeting with Lotte, her boyfriend Ruben, and his two friends. It was very interesting seeing what clubs are like outside of Tampa/Ybor City, and as similar as they are, they are also very different. For example, people actually dance instead of grind the whole time! The bar was totally overpriced of course, which was something that’s similar to the clubs back home! Joon and I met a few nice guys, and at the end of the night I talked them into buying us food and it was like they won their way into my heart because of feeding me. That’s pathetic, right? I know. But, at the same time, who got free food out of it? Oh yeah, me! Just like the night before, we stayed out pretty late, but in case you were wondering, I didn’t fall off my bike so I would claim that night a success!
Day 4: Sunday, it was very relaxing. We woke up late again (surprise!) and Joon had to study for a test she had that week, so I walked around the part of town Joon lives in for a little. After that, we relaxed and watched a scary movie, and I had such a hard time sleeping after that stupid movie. I could have sworn that there were ghosts in her room and it kept me up late. So much for catching up on my sleep… :P
Day 5: Joon showed me around the city today. Our first stop was this really big library, and after that we went to the Skye Lounge and had very overly priced drinks! After only one drink (neither of us could handle paying that much for anther one) we left and got onto the tram to take us to a side of the city that I hadn’t seen yet. It was absolutely beautiful! We walked around a lot of the canals, and with the leaves changing colors and falling, I didn’t want to leave.
Day 6: Joon had her test today, so Lotte and I met up and went to the Rijksmuseum, which was super cool! The weather was horrible all day, with rain, cold temperatures, wind, and at one point it even hailed, so it was a great day for the museum. Florida definitely did not prepare me for that type of weather though, so the whole time I thought I was turning into a human popsicle. You know those days where you think to yourself “I wish my mom and dad would have taught me this” or “why didn’t I ever learn this as a child?” Well, it was one of those times that I wish my mom and dad hadn’t spoiled me with Florida weather, and had introduced me to the real meaning of “cold.” On this day, I also rode the tram and the metro for the first time in my life, and the metro smells so horrible I don’t understand why anyone would take it in the first place. That night, Joon and I slept over at Lottes, and we all watched a movie together.
Day 7: Lotte and I went to Harlaam, which is a city not too far from Amsterdam, and walked around. It was similar to Amsterdam, but it wasn’t full of tourists, and things weren’t as flashy as they are in Amsterdam. I also bought my first ever winter coat! As good of a deal I got on it, I couldn’t say no, but now I’m regretting it because I have to carry it around everywhere since it is too big to fit in my bags, and it’s a real hassle. Then, that night we went to an all you can eat sushi restaurant! I was so excited to finally be eating some sushi since I haven’t had any the whole time I have been in Europe, and I was sort of disappointed. The idea was really cool, and you could order more than just sushi, but I didn’t think the quality of it was very good. The place was really nice though, and sushi is sushi, so it wasn’t life ruining!
Day 8: My last day in Amsterdam! We started our day off biking to a brewery not too far from Joons place, but it ended up being closed, so instead we went to the Heineken museum! At first, it was super boring. You walked around and there were things in cases and a sentence or two talking about the history, and it was just putting us to sleep. If you go to a museum of beer, you would expect it to be entertaining from start to finish, right? So did we, and at one point Joon whispered to me “if this is it, then I’m asking for my money back at the end.” But we trekked on, and made it to this guy who taught us about how beer is made, and he was really entertaining to watch because he would throw in some sarcasm here and there, and a lot of the people didn’t really pick up on it because of the language barrier, but Joon and I did so we would be the only ones laughing, and he would try to keep himself from laughing during his presentation, which made things even more funny. After that, we took a shot of grain water, which was disgusting. If you ever get the chance to go to the Heineken museum, don’t try it. The workers will lie and say it’s not bad, but it is. Trust me; I am doing you a favor! The next part of the museum was a stimulation movie that showed you the actual process of beer making, and the guy in the video was so cheesy, it was great. After that, we went to a bar area, where we were taught what makes the beer good, and why you can’t be lady like when you drink a beer! We were also given a sample of Heineken. After this, we went around in different rooms that showed you how Heineken has advertised and the differences between the bottles of the years etc. Last but not least, we were taught how to properly pour a glass of Heineken! They are very precise with how much foam you have to have in the glass, so if you had a little too much, or not enough, they made you try again! Once you poured the beer, you got to drink it, and you also got a certificate saying you were an “expert pourer!” With the cost of the tour, you get two free beers and a souvenir, so I personally think the cost was worth it! After the museum, we biked to the center and ate some food, then went to a bar. We went home, and then I went out for drinks with this really nice guy that I met, which was nice but at the same time I was so tired, and I felt sick, and all I could think about was having to wake up early the next morning to catch my train to Germany, so I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I could.
Days 9 and 10: I left Amsterdam and took the train to Germany. 7 hour long train ride and I didn’t even sleep because I was too afraid that someone would either steal my stuff or that I would miss my stop. I didn’t get to my friends until around 7pm, and that night we all just hung out and drank in their rooms. It was really nice seeing them all again, and strange seeing them in a different environment than I was used to. The next day we went into downtown Wiesbaden and walked around to sightsee. The cathedral there is unreal: it’s the highest building in the city (I am not 100%s sure about that so don’t quote me) and it is absolutely beautiful. We ate some food, and I got a sparkling water on accident, because that’s more popular to drink in Germany than regular water, and it was disgusting. How do people get hydrated from that??? We went back to watch football, which is code for me to take a nap since I was so tired. Then, that night we went to this bar in Wiesbaden that had this huge sign up on the wall with all these different names, but that was it. Turns out, it was a sign that had the names of all the shots you can get for 2 euro, but they don’t tell you what kind of alcohol is in it or what the flavor will be. Aka it’s a wonderful death trap! Then they got bored of that place, so we left and went to another club, but most of us stayed outside because we knew if we went in we would be tempted to drink more, which would have been a horrible time. Then we left and went home! I didn’t do as much in Germany as I wanted to, but I’m sort of glad because I was so exhausted from Amsterdam that I probably wouldn’t have survived if we did anything more.
Today: Today I woke up and left for the train, since I had to take a taxi to the train station, then take a 40 minute long train ride in order to get to Frankfurt, which is where my train to France was scheduled to depart from. HOWEVER THE TRAIN GOT CANCELLED! How does that even happen?? So everyone who was scheduled to ride that train got crammed onto a different train, and when I say crammed I mean we were standing in the aisles and the areas where the doors are, and then they dropped us off at another station where we had to get on a different train that took us to a station where the train to france was supposed to get us but when we got there that train wasn’t there so for like an hour we all were just standing at this train station with no idea if the train was actually going to come or not. Today has not been a good one, and I am super tired and all I want to do is sleep for a month, but its back to work tomorrow for me!

So, that was my first vacation in Europe. I absolutely loved Amsterdam, and I want to go back as soon as I get the chance to, but I am glad to be going back home to my host family. Its weird, because I was so excited for this trip, but the day I left I wasn’t very excited since I knew that I would miss them, and while I was gone I had so much fun and I kept telling myself that I didn’t want to go back to France, but now that I am on the train home, I am looking forward to going back “home.” I’m really glad that I chose to take the year off to au pair. I know my father thinks that I make stupid flash decisions, and maybe I do, but that’s a part of growing up, and some of the decisions I make I regret, but some turn out to be really good ones, especially this one.

I’m way too tired to proof read this, so if there are any mistakes, I apologize, but it has been a long day, and thankfully it is coming to an end! Oh! And I will add pictures as soon as I get the chance to upload them!

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