(Dr. Wasser, this post is for the week of April 15 – April 21)
I didn’t realize how much I missed my family until I saw my aunt’s face smiling at me from across the table at the restaurant last weekend. Before this semester had even begun, I had arranged
to meet my Aunt in The Netherlands sometime in the spring to visit the flower markets
and have a belated birthday celebration.
Originally the weekend of the 14th was going to end up being
a 3-day weekend for me (since I am not taking all of the offered classes) but
of course by the time it actually rolled around the schedule was shifted and I
ended up with class until 5pm. I made
the best of it though and took the train all by myself up to Den Haag to meet
my aunt.
It was strange not having friends to sit and talk with on
the train ride, but being able to see even this small part of my family made
the long ride worth it. The weekend was
a TON of fun. My aunt treated me the
entire weekend, from my very first set of ribs (yeah I know, I can’t believe I haven’t
had them before either), to the entrance into Keukenhof, to the dutch
poffertjies and stroop waffles that we snacked on. Having access to a hair straightner was just
an added bonus.
I have been to the Netherlands before, once this semester
and twice when I was 14, but I had never been in the spring. This was definitely a plus because not only
was there nice weather, but the flowers were in bloom and alongside the roads
were just fields of tulips as far as the eye could see. The first day we visited Keukenhof, the big
outdoor flower market, a cheese farm, my aunt’s old house in Wassenar, the
candy shop on the langstraat, and the Scheveningen beach. It was a packed day, but I got to spend it
all with my aunt and cross some things off of my trip bucket list.
The next day we slept in (my aunt was still jet lagged) and
then went shopping for the various food items that we have been hooked on for
the last 6 years that you can’t find in the states. This included things such as dutch peanut
butter, chocolate and candies, some sort of peanut soy sauce, and striped socks
for my uncle. So yes, in addition to
sightseeing I got to find out what type of socks my uncle wears.
All too soon of course it was time to head back to
Bonn. Thankfully my suitcase was lighter
going than it was coming, despite the souvenirs I had bought (my aunt agreed to
bring some of stuff home for me). It was
sad to say goodbye to my aunt and it made me really miss home, but I know soon
enough I will be back home and missing Germany.
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