This week has gone by soooo fast I can't believe that I have been here for a week already. At times it seems that I have been here for so long but on the other hand it feels as if I just got here a day ago. This past week was busy: getting to know everyone, getting to know my way around town, getting use to riding bike again, getting use to the cold weather, getting use to living with a family I just met and getting use to hearing a different language... not to mention the classes and such that I have had this week. Well I made it through the week!! Celebration time!! My host family is out of town this week they are visiting relatives. They left on Friday about 4pm. They told me that I could have a party while they were gone and they also said I could have a friend spend the night so I was just planning on having one friend over and just hanging out. Well Laurie came over and we started watching a movie and about three quarters of the way through the movie 6 other students from our group came by and so the eight of us hung out and watched movies (thankfully my host family has some English movies). This morning I slept in til 10 (which is hard for me to do usually... just ask Jessica) and then we went to the market where we looked around the shops. We had stroopwaffles. (I love the Netherlands!!) Well that is what I have been up to...... until we meet again!

I miss Wednesday Praise and Worship!!!!
Today we had classes and then a dinner with all the host families, teachers, and buddies (dutch students that hang out with us). After the dinner of Stemppot one of the Buddies was playing the piano and three of us Dordt students and a couple of the other Buddies started singing praise and worship songs.... it felt soo right!! Wednesday night and singing praise songs in a student lounge area at school (thats were the dinner was). Currently I am listening to some praise and worship songs because I just miss it sooo much.

Sunday I attended a Dutch church service. We biked to church because there is no parking space near the church so everyone just bikes. It felt a little odd. Once we got there I realized that this was not going to be like at home. The church building itself is large and the outside is beautiful. Everyone brings there own bible (bijble) and songbook to church (usually pocket size so that they can carry it when they bike to church). The whole service was in Dutch and being that I don't speak Dutch I didn't understand any of it but some of the songs we sang I recognized the tune of a hymn that I am use to singing. The service was a little longer than I am use to. It lasted for an hour and a half. After church we biked home and then I had a progressive dinner with the other students that live near me. We traveled from one host family's house to another getting to know the family and students a little better. There are three Romanian girls on the program this year and they happen to live in the same area as I do. It is interesting to get to know them and understand their culture a little bit too.

Yesturday was the first day that I went to school. Mostly introduction to the school and program the day was pretty low key. After school me and some friends went to the city center (downtown area) to shop. I left to go home but got lost. (do you know how hard it is to use a map when the streets are not clearly marked??? and when the streets go by different names??? And when it is dark?? I do!!!!) I was only lost for about 45 min which isn't that bad. Last night we had a birthday party for one of the students who lives about 30min bike ride from where I do. (that is if you don't get lost...which of course we did ...but just a slight detour) I cannot tell you how much my legs hurt last night. I am soo glad that most of the area is flat with only the bridges and such having inclines.

Today we went to Amsterdam. It was a lot of fun. We went to the Anne Frank house and took a boat tour of the city. But let me tell ya it is cold here!!! We also had time to shop and we walked through the Red Light District a bit. Amsterdam has so much history and beautiful buildings and lots of bridges (over 1000) and yet it is mostly known for the coffee houses and the red light district It is sooooooo sad.

I have made it to the Netherlands!! I arrived on Friday the 20th at around 7am local time. After the many many hours of traveling .....(Starting on Thursday morning about 1:50 am Three hours to LA by car.... five hours by plane to Washington DC ... and then Six hours by plane to Amsterdam) We then took a train from Amsterdam to Zwolle (about an hour and 20 min ride) were I met up with my host family and traveled to their home. I proceeded to sleep for six hours to catch up on sleep that I had missed. Today I met up with the rest of the group and we had a walking tour of the main part of the city. We then had a drink in the pub and biked home although it took Bev, Emily and I a bit longer to get home than it should have . We live about a five min bike ride from where we were but Bev and Emily had a difficult time remembering/finding where they had left their bikes so we wondered around trying to find their bikes and when we finally found their bikes we then had to try and find our way home (in the rain, in the dark, on bikes) after just a few misdirections we finally found our way back to our house. We have it easy there are some students who have a 20-30 min bike ride to school each day and we have a five min bike ride.

Well tomorrow I leave for the Netherlands. It still has not sunk in that I am actually going ... even after packing and getting ready to leave. I don't think it will hit me until I am actually there. I am leaving my house about 1:30 am and driving down to LAX from (as if I won't be tired enough from all the travel I will be deprived of sleep from the very beginning also!) It is going to be a very long day but exciting too! I have never flown outside of the US before so that will be interesting for me also. So the next blog I put out will be from the Netherlands!! Good Night!

Today I finally received information about my host family....needless to say I am very excited about this semester! I am leaving in a week from today from LA and flying to Washington DC from there I will fly to Amsterdam!! From there we will be traveling to Zwolle where I will be living and studying for the next four months. My host family consists of parents and two children ( ages 2 and 3 1/2 ) I will have my own room in the attic. It is not far from school only about 2 km which will be nice for bike riding!! I have a lot to do this last week and I don't really know where to start! Well today I am planning on getting a lot of my shopping done.