Hoi uit Nederlands! (Hi from the Netherlands!)

Dear Flour Bloom readers,


I'm safely in Holland and officially settled into my place.   I knew I would have many Aha moments and Ahhhhh... moments throughout my journey.   Here are just a few that have made my first week quite exciting and memorable:

     Aha moment #1:  Dealing with cash.  I went to the supermarket the other day and made sure that I had enough cash with me for my purchase.  Somehow a 2 Euro coin fell into the deep abyss within my purse causing me to not have enough cash for a purchase.  I asked if the store took credit cards.  Nope, of course they'd only take their store card.   Unlike in America you can't tell the cashier to just take something off your transaction.  Believe, I tried and she gave me a strange look. Instead she insisted that I go to the ATM across from her register.  I did and the lady behind me was not pleased with the situation.  I didn't understand the words she said, but I don't need to know Dutch to pick up that she was definitely annoyed by me. 

   Aha moment #2:  Remembering where I put my keys...  Sounds simple right?  Even though I thought that I had placed my keys in my purse; I didn't.  I learned of my mistake after a 16 mile bike ride and with a couple bags of groceries.  When I went to pull my keys out of my purse I realized they were not there.  After dumping out all the contents into my lap I felt not a wave of panic, but I'd like to describe it as a tsunami of panic throughout my body.  Thankfully another guest had found my keys, placed them in a lockbox, and happened to be walking outside just minutes after I made my desperate call to the B&B innkeeper.   

   Aha moment #3: Detoxing from the iPhone BEFORE traveling abroad.  It has been a long time since I had to locate an address without using a navigation system or my iPhone.  I had forgotten what it was like to be lost and not really be able to ask for directions.  Not only did I get lost on my leisurely bike ride to Haarlem, but I got lost again trying to find the bakery.   To make matters more stressful, having another bike rider approach me asking for directions (in Dutch) while I'm also lost didn't make me feel any better.  I'm realizing I really need to invest in a map and possibly a compass.  Yet, knowing myself very well, I'm not so sure having either of those would really help me that much.  

     I'm usually an optimistic person.  So on one hand I've had several aha moments that I can't help but laugh at and on the other hand I've had a fair share of what I like to call ahhhhh... moments.  I define these as moments where I've felt a deep feeling of peace in spite of being in a completely unfamiliar place.

  I've never lived in a town with church bells, but I HEART the sound of church bells.  The one in the center of town rings on the hour and every half.  There is something old world and romantic about hearing them throughout the day.   Unlike in the US where cities are built along a grid, many of the towns and cities in Europe are built around around a church.  Ever since I read Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth, I have had a fascination with old churches and my love for them continues.  

     My first morning in town I woke up right at sunrise and could hear the faint sound of the ocean. I truly believe, nothing...Nothing compares to living next to the beach.  I decided to toss on my running shoes and jog to the shore.  In less than 5 minutes, I couldn't believe I was looking at the North Sea and that England was on the other side.  Listening to the sea gulls caw along with the sounds of the waves hitting the shore was peaceful and a very familiar sound.  The fresh ocean air reminded of how much I missed living in Charleston.    

   On my first day in town, my friend Marit took me to the bakery.  I took one step into Tummers and completely melted. There's no doubt, bakeries simply melt me.  Everything behind the counter was perfect, beautiful, and looked delicious!   With just one look I was in love and the feeling I experienced undoubtedly confirmed I was in the right place.  

     In spite of my somewhat rocky aha moments (which I know won't be my last during this trip), the realization that a goal has become my reality is the best ahhhh moment I've had.  I know that today's achieved goal is bringing me one step closer to fulfilling my dreams.  In this first week, I have truly affirmed that I'm definitely traveling down the sweet road that last year I had hoped to be on.  

Steve Jobs said during the Stanford Commencement speech, "Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.  They already know what you truly want to become..."  So that's what I'm doing the next few months.  I hope that you continue to follow me along this journey because I know it's going to get sweeter.


Love & Hugs,
Evangeline