Leve de Koningin!!!

Hoi!
I am finally attempting to write and read and get all my school work done before I head off to Espana for the weekend. So naturally I will try and find other things to occupy my time with...ie this blog. AHH and so much has happened within the last month or so I really don't know where to begin.

Firstly, my mother and sister came to visit. My German friend, Juliane, and her fiancé, Mario, came for a weekend. It was a great week and I got to show them around this city that I love. I also got to indulge myself is the touristy activities I have avoided since coming here. After everyone left, I finally felt a swarm of homesickness. I think it made me realize how grounded I am in Ohio and it is where I really feel at home. Yeah, I know I complain out being from there, but I feel like I am attempting to try and hide the fact that I fucking love being from Akron, Ohio. Don't get me wrong kids, Europe is so great and so much different from the States, but I definitely know where home is. With this realization, I think is helps me stay grounded. I also know that this trip is almost over and I need to continue and try to experience everything possible.

With that said, I have yet to leave the Netherlands since Berlin. I planned on going to Italy for the weekend with a few friends, but of course it was during the whole Iceland volcano incident. It was a real let down, but I had a great weekend in Amsterdam instead; full of hours and hours of hanging out in Oosterpark (the park closest to my dorm) and visiting the Hague. The Hauge is the political capital of the Netherlands. Yeah, I know it sounds weird but this country has two capitals. Amsterdam, which is considered the cultural capital, and The Hauge, where all the politics n shit happens. It was much for spread out than A'dam, but I like it. While there also checked out the some painting by Vermeer and Rembrandt, took the wrong tram into the middle of no where, and ate some bagels and beans. Classic trip to a dutch city.

Although I haven't left the country in a month, I did go on a weekend trip put on my the program I'm in to the island of Schiermonnikoog. (try and say that 5 times fast!) Its the island that is all the way in the North of the country. I think its actually the most north I have ever been. It was neat, we all rented bike and took adventures just biking, mud flat hiking, seeing the north sea and what not. We also got to have a dumpster fire..on a beach and made stroopwafels smores. (whats up diabetes) It was a great weekend, refreshing if anything, and we all def got a dose of Dutch nature. (something that bonny wassing claims doesn't exist.)

Finally, the show, the big event, KONINGINNEDAG!! or queen's day. It is a national holiday here. Everyone wears orange, drinks all day, and parties in the streets. It just sounded like my kind of rage. It actually is to celebrate the birthday of the queen (whose actually birthday is in January) but her mother's birthday is april 30th. So, Beatrix decided the weather in april is more suitable to party then lets say january. so true. The night before is also a big deal known as King's night. Its like what you would call a pre-game to the BIG DAY. In a nut shell drank all day n night, wore orange, beat my fear a heights and rode a ferris wheel, ate thai food, danced around...but I DID NOT GET TO SEE TIESTO! yeah some stuff happened and we couldn't make it down to the park to see him. oh well. We went out and drank on a bridge for a little while before finding a DJ playing in the street (FAKE TIESTO) and danced around for a little bit. So, it turned out to a great day, just because everyone in the city was so happy and excited. It lived up to its hype and I am really glad I got to experience it.

So, now I sit here in the Amsterdam Public library staring at the word docs that soons need to be turned into essays and the books that need to be read. I don't have classes on Wednesday either because its liberation day. SO PROST TO BEATING THE NAZIS! Probably going to take a trip to Haarlem to celebrate! And then Barcelona on Friday...TO SEE GINA KUZMICK. so excited, just hope homework doesn't get the best of me!

TOT ZIENS