Celebrating Our First Married Christmas

For their first Christmas together, many married couples find themselves torn between families, as they attempt to create their own traditions and set boundaries in their relationships. Since both of Mr. Traveler's and my parents live close, we've luckily been able to spend time with both sets of parents in our past holidays as a dating, and then an engaged couple. Still, I didn't expect to be put into a situation where it was a complete non-issue during our first married Christmas. However, as soon as we found out we were moving, we also realized that we would most likely see neither side of the family during the holidays. At first, I found this incredibly romantic. I imagined us cuddled up on a rug, near a fire, playing games and unwrapping gifts, Christmas music playing in the background.

Christmas Gifts!

As Christmas approached, however, my romantic visions dissipated, and I began to worry more about how we would make this Christmas stand out from any other day. We already spend every evening together, and we have no fire or cozy rug. I didn't want to cook an entire Christmas dinner for two, either. I researched restaurants serving Christmas dinner, and Christmas festivals which might offer a sense of the holidays that I couldn't imagine us achieving on our own. None of these options seemed quite right.

By the time Christmas Eve came, we had a couple of tentative options, but no solid plans. And despite all the worrying, we had an amazing Christmas, that I don't think either of us will every forget.


On Friday morning (Christmas Eve), we took a long walk in the park, enjoying the sight of dogs playing in the snow and frustrating their owners by getting as close as possible to the canal without jumping in. We ended up winding back through town, stopping for coffee at CoffeeCompany. While we sipped our coffee, Joel snapped a few pictures and I took in all the sights and sounds of other groups enjoying their drinks. One little girl caught my attention as she bounded back and forth from the railing to her family, hopping and skipping in delight at every sight. At one point, she stood immediately behind me, so still, and I almost forgot she was there. Then, a sudden movement in my peripheral vision reminded me of her presence. She'd been carefully watching a puppy, which was sitting below a table downstairs. When the owners of the puppy, got up to go, she waved feverishly at the dog until the door finally swung shut behind it. This little girl was so excited by everything: the puppy, the sight of her grandmother walking up the stairs, the decision of which piece of cheesecake to select. The unquestioning excitement and joy from that little soul reminded me of what Christmas is all about.

Taken from the Balcony of the CoffeeCompany

Later in the evening, we went to the Christmas Eve service at the local Anglican church. The church is small and cozy, with beautiful stained glass windows. The service was short, as it was geared toward the younger audience in the church. (The other option was to go to the more traditional service at 11pm, which was a little late for us.) My favorite part was the telling of the traditional Christmas story, in both English and Dutch. The woman telling the story spoke in a beautiful and steady voice, giving the feeling that she was quite comfortable with public speaking. While the story telling could definitely be considered a performance, it was extremely tasteful and appropriate for the setting. All eyes stayed glued on her, except during the moments that the small children were asked to carry characters for the manger scene to the front of the church.

For me, attending the church service served as a good reminder of the reason for the holiday; it also created some continuity between traditions, connecting the celebration of this Christmas far from home with the other Christmases in my memory.

After the service, we returned home and plugged in the lights on the Christmas tree. We then connected with my in-laws via Google Video Chat. What an amazing invention! We took turns unwrapping presents in front of the monitor, chatting the whole time. We got to see our dog, Marla, run around and play with their dog, and we got to see Mr. Traveler's mom's brand new Corvette. Spending time with family on Christmas, despite the distance, was truly a blessing.

After we finished unwrapping presents and wrapping up our conversation, I laid out the snacks that we had bought on the table. We enjoyed chips and dip, crackers and spreads, cheese and sausage, fruits and dip, olives, and cookies. After we finished munching, we put away the snacks and played a few rounds of Quiddler.

Christmas Eve Dinner

On Christmas morning, I baked blueberry muffins from scratch. Then, we played a few more rounds of Quiddler, I read, Mr. Traveler played Civilization, and we waited until 3:15 when it was time to leave for the circus!

Blueberry Muffin (and yes, that is a giant slab of butter next to it)

We had spent a while trying to decide on something to get us out of the house on Christmas day. All shops are closed and pretty much all restaurants are, too. Eventually, on Christmas morning, we decided to buy some tickets for  Wintercircus Utrecht.

The circus was interesting. We had opted for the cheap tickets, and we're glad that we didn't spend any more, because when we got there, we were in the 5th row. The venue was pretty small, so it was easy to see everything. There were several acrobatic acts (like a small scale cirque du soleil) and some performances with horses. When we bought some drinks at the concession stand, we even received a free ornament and a blinking hat! We were definitely glad when neither of us was chosen as a volunteer, especially during the rollerskating act, where they held the man from the audience and spun around and around. When they finally set him down, he looked a little green and was very wobbly.

After the circus, we returned home and video chatted with my parents and grandparents. It was really great to be able to see and talk to both sides of the family during Christmas.

Our Christmas celebration wrapped up on Second Christmas (December 26 in Holland), with a bike ride and walk through the woods and a stop at the pancake house.

Theehuis Rhijnauwen

The pancakes were tasty and huge. Mr. Traveler ordered the Fortissimo, which came with pastrami, goat cheese, olives, and sundried tomatoes, pictured below. I had the Krommerijn, which was filled with cheese and bacon on one side and apples on the other side. The side with the apples was extremely sweet, and I couldn't finish all of it! We both had very full tummies for the bike ride home.

The Fortissimo

Over all, we had an amazing first Christmas together. I hope that you all had a great Christmas, too!

Prettige Kerstmis!

Wishing all my readers, friends, and family a very merry Christmas! I'll be sharing all of our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day adventures soon!

On the Bicycle Path (Op Het Fietspad)

I've been meaning to write a post about bicycling for a while. One of the most striking characteristics of the city of Utrecht is the multitude of bicycles that line the streets and canals. According to Rick Steves' Amsterdam, Bruges, and Brussels, "the Netherlands' 16.5 million people own 16.5 million bikes, with many people owning two -- a long distance racing bike and a junky in-city bike." (An interesting article on Cycling in the Netherlands, can be found at Wikipedia.org.) I got a bike a couple weeks after I arrived as a birthday present from my husband.

My Bike, Parked in Front of Our House

Riding a bike on the bike paths (fietspads) and on the streets has given me a new perspective on the way we travel. In my car, I am separated from the outside world with hard plastic, metal, and space. I think this space gives people a sense of entitlement. While car accidents kill many people every year, it is easy to forget about the danger when you have your music blasting and are zipping along on the highway. It's also easy to get upset and yell obscenities when no one can hear them past the windows of your vehicle.

Riding a bicycle, however, seems to automatically connect you with the outside world. Other cyclists slip past you, only inches away. Sometimes you feel the brush of another rider's coat or at least a swoosh of air as one passes. Scooters, which share the bike lanes, zoom by at alarming speeds, reminding bicyclists of the need to be aware of their surroundings. In places, the bike lanes are demarcated only by a dotted line, bringing riders closer to the buses and other traffic.

Yet for all the differences, bicycling has become for me, not only a way to get around, but a commentary on traffic patterns and driving in general. I've noticed that people talk on their cell phones or chow down on a sandwich as they ride, just like drivers of cars. I've seen more than one person fall off their bike, because they were standing up riding or doing something else I'm sure they were warned against when they were children. For the Dutch, bicycling is second nature. Because riding a bike starts at an early age (and training wheels are removed far sooner than in America), good and bad habits are formed quickly and don't go away easily. In cars, we hide our bad habits behind tinted glass for no one else to see, as we answer a quick text message or steer just for a moment with our knees in order to pull off a jacket. With this hidden behavior, however, the short text message, the distracting phone call, or the messy sandwich becomes so much more dangerous than the same behavior on a bicycle. On a bike, others can see when a person is distracted before an incident occurs. In a car, people are almost always caught off guard.

The similarities and differences between driving and bicycling became even clearer to me, today. As I rode from the post office to the gym, my route was largely guided by a narrow path in the snow, which ranged from about 6 inches to a foot wide. When I stopped at a light, I became distracted by the sights around me, and soon found myself the object of a polite ding of a bell letting me know the light had changed. I'm sure most of us have been at the giving or receiving end of such a reminder at some point on the road. Only, it probably came in the form of a loud honk, which may or may not have been accompanied by some angry gestures.

Soon, on the same road, I found myself behind two boys, about 10 years old. They were goofing around on their bikes, which had tires more like mountain bikes and less like the slippery ones on my road bike. They road in and out of the path, leaving no room to pass. While they were being the opposite of careful, pushing each other and trying to see how close they could get, they were not moving very quickly. At one point, their bikes made contact and they almost wiped out. I slammed on my brakes and was hit by the person behind me. I glanced back briefly, hoping to share an understanding glance. Instead, the woman was staring ahead with an expressionless look on her face. I got back on the bike, rode a little further, and was once again forced to stop quickly to avoid the pile of boys in front of me. The same woman's tire again came into contact with mine, only this time a little bit harder. I picked up my bike, plopped it down in front of the boys, and continued on my way. I didn't know whether to be more upset with the young boys or the grown woman, who obviously should have known she was following to close. What I did know was that a familiar feeling was growing inside of me -- road rage. The feeling was further fueled by the boys' decision to speed up, overtake me, and cut me off, and then again by a man riding the wrong way on the bike path. I refused to give up my 12 inch pathway, and we brushed coats as we passed.

The thing is, that after this familiar feeling, I realized there was really nothing I could do about it, but take a deep breath and keep on riding. Unlike in a car, where zooming around someone takes no more physical effort than a slight toe point, on a bicycle, you have to exert significant effort to speed up. The pedaling actually seem to help funnel some of that aggression out of the body. This discovery has made me realize how inefficient automobile drivers are at controlling their emotions. Of course, the stakes are higher in an auto -- you get rear-ended by an uninsured driver, and you could be out quite a bit chunk of money.

I just think it's interesting to consider how too modes of transportation can be so similar and so different at the same time. I hope I haven't bored you too much with my musings!

It's Almost Time for Christmas

The snow that fell on Saturday afternoon and evening kept us bundled up inside for a lazy Sunday. We are definitely thankful that we are not trying to travel with all of the cancellations and delays at the airports. Here are a couple pictures taken from our window yesterday:

Our Tiny Backyard

Car with a Snow Hat

After spending the majority of yesterday inside, I was definitely ready to get out today. I ventured to the post office to send some Christmas Cards and did a little Christmas shopping while I was out. The bike paths were a little slippery, and I found it was important to ride in the ruts created by earlier riders. After I returned home and wrapped up the presents, our tree looks much more ready for Christmas:

Christmas Presents!

I hope that all of you are starting to feel the spirit of the holidays, as well!

Alpine Vacation Part 4: City of the United Nations

On Monday morning, we awoke to giant snowflakes falling outside of our hotel room window. Although they were pretty sight against the slopes, we were a little concerned about how the drive would be back through the mountains. Fortunately, the roads were not too slick, and the only problem we encountered was the difficulty keeping the windshield clear after our car ran out of windshield wiper fluid. 

Realizing that we needed to stop for lunch between the hours of 11 and 1, we pulled off at the McDonald's on the highway. We were surprised to find out that the $12 Big Mac meal (with small fries and a small drink) did not come with ketchup. Instead it was an extra charge! After lunch, we continued on to Geneva and checked into the hotel in the early afternoon.

I picked up a map of the public transportation system, and Mr. Traveler plotted out a plan for the rest of the day. We grabbed some free transportation tickets from the hotel desk and caught a bus to the U.N. building.

Giant Chair w/ Broken Leg in Front of U.N.

U.N. Building

From there, we took a long walk down to the lake and around the city.

Duty Free Shop Just for Diplomats

Swan and Lake

Chess and Checkers Games in the Park

We stopped for coffee, and then later, dinner. Most of the restaurants in the area were pretty nice. (After all, Wikipedia claims that Geneva is the 4th most expensive city in the world.) So, we ended up at another pizza place.

The following morning, when Mr. Traveler flicked on the lights, I couldn't believe it was time to get up. I repacked the suitcases, we had breakfast in the hotel lobby, and then it was time to return our rental car and hop on the plane back home.

It was amazing how much it felt like coming home, returning to our little place in Holland. It's nice to have more of our stuff now (from our shipment), and I think I'm now starting to get more comfortable in my surroundings. It is certainly a nice feeling in this holiday season.


If you missed parts 1-3, check out:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Alpine Vacation Part 3: On the Slopes

On Saturday morning, it was time to pack up and head to the German-speaking side of the mountain. Switzerland has 4 national languages (German, French, Italian, and Rumantsch), and so far on our adventure, we'd only visited the French portion.

The drive around the mountains was beautiful. Tiny villages dotted green hillsides, framed by the snow capped mountains in the distance. Around lunch time, we arrived at our destination, Adelboden. We followed the directions from Google Maps up a narrow road through the town. Once we started up, we realized it was probably a bad idea to take such a narrow road, but there was no turning back. At the top of the hill, the tires started spinning, and we couldn't go forward at all. We got out and kicked the snow and ice out from under the front of the car and tried again. (Okay, I admit it... this was mostly my husband. I supervised.) After a few tries, we finally made it onto the next road and to the Bristol Hotel. After checking in, we grabbed a very pretty lunch at a restaurant at a neighboring hotel.

Lunch

After lunch, we decided we didn't have enough daylight left to start skiing, but we could at least start the process of getting our lift tickets and our ski gear. After that was taken care of, we walked through the town and had a cup of hot wine at the festival that was going on for the beginning of the ski season.

Gathering Crowd at the Opening Day Festivities

The next day, we started with a fairly large breakfast at the hotel buffet. It was a good thing, too, because somehow we forgot to bring any cash or credit cards to the lifts, which meant no lunch for us.

There is an interesting system of lifts and gondolas, with the area being relatively large, so we tried to map out a plan. Since Mr. Traveler had never been skiing before, we thought we would start at the "baby slopes", as the man at the hotel so nicely called them. We planned to take a couple gondolas and then a bus to the area with the beginner slopes. However, when we got to the stop on the gondola where we were supposed to get off, the man riding with us told us that it was the wrong stop. We stayed on and the gondola rose further and further into the clouds until we could see nothing around us. When we got off at the top, we saw everyone putting on their skis and heading into the fog. We couldn't even tell where each slope went. Quickly, we got back on the gondola and headed back to our original destination.

When we arrived at Gelis, the location of the baby slopes, however, we couldn't find a small slope anywhere. We hiked up a little hill to see what was on the other side. At the top, I shouted down to Mr. Traveler, "You're not going to want to do this", seeing a ski lift below. Not seeing any other options, though, Mr. Traveler agreed to try the lift. As we got further and further up, however, we could both tell that we'd made a big mistake. We were now even further up in the clouds, had no visibility, and when we finally got to the top, there were only Red (medium) and Black (hard) slopes. Mr. Traveler looked incredibly scared and started backing toward the lift, "No, no. No!" I didn't see any options other than down the slope, but he went and talked to the guy running the lift, and he let us ride back down on the lift. I'm sure everyone at the lift got a kick out of our stupidity, but it was better than ending up with a broken leg.

Back at the bottom, we decided we needed to ask someone where to find an easier slope. The woman at the gondola pointed out a slope that we could ski down from the top of the gondola. It was a Blue (easy) slope, according to the map. We realized by this point, that the baby slopes were actually closed, so we figured this was our only chance to ski. At the top, I tried to tell Mr. Traveler everything I knew about skiing. The slope was a little steep, so I encouraged him to go back and forth instead of straight down. I've only been skiing a few times, myself, however, and I don't think my explanations helped too much. Soon, Mr. Traveler was face down in the snow with his arms and legs sprawled out around him. He picked himself up, and repeated the process over and over. Some of the falls were pretty spectacular, and I'm glad he didn't end up with anything worse than bruises on his body and his ego.

Mr. Traveler Skiing

By the time we made it to the bottom, Mr. Traveler was definitely wishing he had taken the advice of his coworkers, the people at the ski rental shop, and the employees at the hotel, and gone ahead and taken lessons. To be fair, the slope was quite challenging (I would compare it to a harder medium slope in the States), and had I known that the slopes were going to be so much more difficult than those I'd skied before, I probably would have insisted on lessons for both of us. Luckily, I ended the day with only a single fall on the skis (and one more walking with the ski boots down a hill).

Mr. Traveler's Response to Skiing

After a few times down the very long slope, Mr. Traveler decided to sit it out, while I made one last run down the mountain.

Pic from the Top of the Mountain (After the Fog Cleared)

We headed back into town and dropped our rented gear off at the hotel, since the rental place didn't open until 6pm for returns. On our way in, the lady at the hotel asked if we would be interested in having dinner at the hotel. Since we had no other plans (and had eaten pizza for 2 nights in a row), we said, "Sure." She told us that we would get a special price of 25 Swiss Francs a piece (on the way back to our rooms, I noticed the normal price was 50 per person). We thanked her, grabbed some tokens for the jacuzzis, and spent some time warming up in the saunas and hot tubs.

We had just enough time to shower and return the skis before dinner, which ended up consisting of a 5 course meal. The first course was an appetizer of a pepper-filled puff pastry with a green sauce. Then, we had a salad, followed by a carrot and coconut soup. Our main course consisted of a veal steak with stuffed potatoes and a pouch of green beans and cauliflower wrapped with bacon. Finally, we had a crepe with ice cream and whipped cream for dessert. Even without considering how much our other meals had cost, it was an amazing dinner for a good price.

Next, we head back to Geneva and finish up our trip.

Alpine Vacation Part 2: Taking a Hike

After leaving the castle in Montreux, we made the drive to Sion. When we got there, it was about 2 in the afternoon. We checked into the Ibis Hotel, where Mr. Traveler's company had made our reservation. Part of the reason we took this trip was because he had a business meeting on Friday in Sion at the hospital. Conveniently, this meant that his company paid for his plane ticket and the hotel for the nights we were in Sion.

Unfortunately, the hotel was no longer serving lunch, and by this point, we were getting pretty hungry. We headed into the city centre, where we had to wait for a place in the parking garage. Then, we started walking around and looking for a place to eat. Most of the kitchens at the restaurants were closed, and we found several places that were only serving drinks. Finally, we came upon a pub that had a sign for "non-stop service". We decided to give it a try. After looking at the menu, however, we realized we didn't have enough cash and the place didn't take credit cards. Even though the exchange rate of Swiss Francs to Dollars is almost 1:1, things in Switzerland are much more expensive. While you might pay $7.00 for a burger and fries at a bar in America, the equivalent was about $22.00 in Switzerland. Mr. Traveler ran down the street to the ATM while I examined the menu. We ended up ordering a crepe filled with potatoes, cheese, and ham to share.

After our late lunch, we walked around the city and window shopped at the expensive shops. When it started to get dark, we headed back to the hotel for some R&R before dinner.

View from Sion City Centre

The next day, Mr. Traveler had his meeting, so I decided to take a long walk towards the castle ruins on the hills in the middle of town. I wasn't sure if I could get up the hills or exactly how far away it was, but I figured I would walk for a little while until I got tired. An hour later, I was at the top, enjoying the amazing views.

Overlooking Sion

Castle Tourbillon (taken from Castle Valere)

The hills meet in the middle, and on one side is Château de Valere and on the other side, Château de Tourbillon. I climbed to Valere first, and was greeted by the presence of a history museum. The guide must have been excited to see a vistor during December, because he chatted on and on about the exhibits. The museum was very modern, with motion detectors which switched on the lights when a person came into each room. All of the exhibits had explanations in French, German, and English. It was great to learn a little bit more about the area's history. According to the museum pamphlet, "traces of human presence have been found at sites high in the mountains that were left untouched by the last Ice Age, such as the Paleolithic caves of Tanay in the Chablais (-50,000 to -30,000)." One of my favorite exhibits was a audiovisual presentation that showed how the landscape had changed from about -25,000 to the present.

When I finished viewing the museum, I stopped in for a bite to eat at the cafe. The lady working there was very friendly, and I ran into the guy from the museum who went out of his way to say hello again. Although the area is known for people being a little snooty, every single person we came into contact with on our trip was amazingly kind and helpful.
After lunch, I made one last stop on the same side of the hill, to visit the church. It is home to the world's oldest playable organ, dating from 1390.

World's Oldest Working Organ

I then headed back down to the center and up to the other side. The Tourbillon ruins were closed for the winter, but I was able to walk around the outside and see the views from even a higher vantage point.

From the Ruins of Tourbillon

Right when I was headed down the hill, Mr. Traveler gave me a call to let me know that he was done with work. I headed back to the hotel, and we took off on a mini driving adventure in the mountains. One of the villages we stopped by, Vex, was composed of almost all wooden buildings. It was interesting seeing the different communities in the mountains.

Taken on Our Evening Driving Adventure

When it started to get dark, we headed back into town and stopped at the Giroud winery, where we tasted a couple of local wines. They were both new styles for us, and very tasty. The city of Sion is well known for their wines.

Barrels of Wine at Giroud

Afterwards, we grabbed a couple pizzas at a local pizzeria. We tried to order a pizza to share, but the waiter would have none of it, insisting that the pizzas were not large enough. We ended up both finishing everything on our plates, so I guess he was right.

It was a pretty full day, and I was definitely tired when we got back to the hotel.

Next up, we travel to Adelboden and begin our ski adventure.

If you missed the first part of our adventure, see Part 1.

Alpine Vacation Part 1: Swiss Cheese and Christmas Lights

I know that it's been a little while since my last post. You have probably all been sitting on pins and needles anxiously awaiting for a new blog entry, right? Well, you are in luck! See, for the last week, my husband (from here on out, referred to as Mr. Traveler) and I have been vacationing in Switzerland. The internet situation was a little sketchy (one place had a paid internet kiosk, which was actually a closet with a small window). So, for the next couple days, I'll be playing catch up and posting about our trip.

Last Wednesday, we flew to Geneva, Switzerland. We had previously considered getting a hotel room in the city for the night, but it turned out that there was a large conference going on and "there was no room in the inn". Our plan, then was to fly into the city and then drive to our next stop, Montreux. Our flight was scheduled to land in Geneva at about 3:30. However, a flight delay put us in the city an hour later. We headed straight to the car rental desk, where we were told that the car had actually been rented from the French side and pointed to the other end of the airport. (The airport sits on the border between Switzerland and France.) Once we reached the French Hertz desk, the lady working there told us that the man at the other desk had made a mistake and the reservation was for Switzerland. (I guess there was confusion with the phone and fax numbers on the reservation, as they belonged to opposite sides.) Back across the airport in Switzerland, we successfully obtained the car and headed on our way. Unfortunately, by this time, it was dark, so our drive to Montreux was not as picturesque as we had hoped.

In Montreux, we stayed at a cute hotel (Villa Toscane) near the lake. We were surprised to find that our room actually had two bathrooms, both with a sink, toilet, and shower. It also had an interesting punch card -like key.

Room Key

Once we were checked into the hotel, we ventured out to the Christmas market (Montreux Noel). Most of the non-food vendors were closed, but there were plenty of food and drink stands to light up the place. A large Ferris wheel also brought an air of festivity to the event.

Montreux Noel at Night

After taking a few pictures, we settled on a fondue restaurant in the center of the festival for dinner. The restaurant had a small menu consisting of cheese fondues and a couple other local dishes.

Full of cheese, we headed back outside. By this point, it had started to rain, so we hurried back to the hotel room and settled in for the night.

On Thursday morning, we grabbed breakfast at the partner hotel across the street. Right on Lake Geneva, the breakfast area had some amazing views.

Taken from the Breakfast Area

Reflection with Mr. Traveler

After breakfast, we took a long walk so that we could see the sites in the day light. The combination of the lake and mountains was absolutely breathtaking, as can be seen above.



Home of the Montreux Jazz Festival, the area had a garden dedicated to jazz legends. Here, Mr. Traveler was able to capture this amazing shot:

Jazz Garden

Pretty soon, it was time to head back to the hotel and check out. The plan was to head to Sion, where Mr. Traveler had a meeting for work the following day. We wanted to allow plenty of time to make the trip in the day light, but leafing through the tourist pamphlets at the checkout desk, I soon found one more stop I wanted to make, Chillon Castle. Luckily, it wasn't out of our way, and we were able to make a stop at the castle and still make it to Sion at a reasonable hour.

Chillon Castle

Next up, our adventures in Sion!

Is It Christmas?

Yesterday, our shipment from the U.S. finally arrived. At first it was a little overwhelming. The movers brought in box after box and stacked them in our very small living area. (I actually think this picture makes the room look larger than it is.)

Hubby by the Boxes

We immediately started unpacking. It felt like Christmas because it had been so long since we packed the stuff, we forgot exactly what we had sent. It also felt like we had just been hit by a tornado, considering the amount of packaging that was soon strewn around the room. Nothing was broken, though, and we only had one minor disaster:

Apples to Apples Avalanche

I guess that when the movers were packing, they must have dropped this game. The box for the game was completely sealed shut, and all of these cards were scattered outside of it. This actually took my husband quite a bit of time to sort out because the cards were all mixed together and stuck between the folds in the box. While he did that, I tried to find some room in the kitchen cabinets and found some interesting items left by the landlords or a previous tenant.

Really... why would someone still have a phone this size?

The phone and some similar things found their way into the trash, and we made some room for more relevant items. All of the boxes are empty now, and we just have a few more things to put away. Once it is all in place, it should definitely feel a little more like home. As a mini-celebration, I already used many of the kitchen items (measuring cups, measuring spoons, cookie sheet, mixing bowls) to make Christmas cookies this afternoon.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow Some More

It has been snowing all day, so I brought my camera along for our shopping trip. I thought I'd share a few pictures of the snow with you.

Street Near Our House

Interesting Artwork in Front of the Opera House

Snow and Lights ... Really Makes it Feel Like Christmas

Taken at the Park Along the Canal

Other than that, we put up our own little Christmas tree to get ourselves in the holiday spirit.

Small Christmas Tree

I hope you are having a great holiday season so far!

Beauty in Different Places

The nice round of snow that we had for the past 2 days has started to melt and refreeze. This made my ~5 mile round trip bike ride to the gym a little interesting. (I chose this gym because an entire year costs the same as 2 months at any of the other gyms.) While most of the bike paths are completely dry, the streets and paths near our home and near the gym are still covered with a combination of ice and snow. Luckily, I managed to control my bike even when it slipped a couple of times and still have no falls to report (hopefully I'm not jinxing myself)!

Since the ride to and from the gym wasn't too interesting besides that, I thought I'd share a few photos that we've taken recently.

The other day, I took a walk in the park and played around with our SLR camera a bit. The result was a  bunch of pictures of ducks and other birds, varying in quality. Here are a couple of the better ones:

Taken at Wilhelmina Park

Another Duck at Wilhelmina

In contrast, the following pictures are from a more urban setting. During my hunt to find the disc golf course a few weeks ago, I had ridden through a tunnel of graffiti. The images on the wall were so amazing and colorful, that when my husband and I were in the area again, I insisted that we stop to ride through the tunnel again. We were on our way back from a long bike ride (to a canceled rugby game) and were freezing cold. I think it was worth the small, detour however. My favorite part about the tunnel is that the bright colors contrast so much with the so often gray skies.

Graffiti Tunnel

Image from Tunnel

I love how different the duck images are from those of the tunnel filled with graffiti but how they both, in their own way, represent beauty and the city of Utrecht.

A Novel Adventure

I apologize for the lack of pictures. I promise I'll make up for it in future posts!

This weekend, we were watching TV, and a show came on about stinging/biting creatures. (I'm pretty sure it was "Bite Me" on the National Geographic Channel.) In the intro, spiders, scorpions, and wasps filled the screen, and my husband said, "Oh, look, all the things I'm afraid of in one spot!" While some people have a natural fear of these things, my husband is terrified of them. If a wasp flies at him, he will run and scream like a little girl. (Sorry, sweetie, now the whole Internet knows!) Don't worry, we quickly changed the channel so he wouldn't have to be subjected to the terrifying images for long.

In response, I tried to think of irrational fears that I have, and really couldn't come up with much. I don't particularly care for scorpions, but as long as one's far enough away that I can walk around it, I probably won't freak out. Now that I'm writing this, I have realized that I do have one irrational, uncontrollable phobia-like reaction, and that is my reaction to cockroaches. I will admit that it is completely illogical and that I do get goosebumps just thinking of the creatures, but I think it is more of an intense disgust rather than an actual fear.

That aside, my husband pointed out that my main fear is failure, and I realized that he was right. My fear of failing is so strong, that at one point I had to seek medical help for my anxiety. (There may be some of you wondering why I'm admitting this. Well, first of all, I think that most of you who know me well, probably already know this tidbit about me. Second, I feel like it is very important to create an awareness in the world regarding mental health, especially anxiety and depression. No matter what challenges that someone faces, it is important that they feel that they can seek the care that they need. Okay, my little rant is over.)

Despite my intense fear of failure, I don't feel like I've backed away from too many challenges. Instead, I've created built in excuses for myself. "It's okay if I don't get an A in this class, because I'm taking 20 hours this semester," for example. So, I set my expectations high, inevitably disappoint myself, and then work on building myself back up by explaining to everyone that I really didn't expect to succeed in the first place, or that some other factor out of my control has prevented my success. It's really a classic example of a defense mechanism. (For those of you who are feeling sorry for me at this point, there are plenty of things in which I do feel like I've had complete success. On most days, I have pretty high self confidence and feel like I'm capable of success in most things I do.)

But, why am I going on and on about this? Well, because recently I embarked on a challenge that I felt was probably unattainable. Each year, a non-profit organization known as The Office of Letters and Light sponsors a month long event called NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month). People from all over the world spend a month writing a 50,000 word novel. Some of my friends have participated in the past, but I've never known anyone who has finished a novel as part of this program. (Friends, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.) The goal is not to have a flawless, publishable work at the end, but to put the effort in to write every single day. So, with few excuses not to succeed (I have no job and plenty of coffee), I started my novel on Day 8. Yes, that's right, I jumped on board with a full week of writing opportunities already lost.

Back to my fear of failure, I only told a couple of people that I was participating. I didn't want that failure out there for everyone to see, even if those closest to me and most familiar with the challenges of writing insisted that even a strong effort wasn't a failure. To me, success meant reaching the 50,000 word mark. And, I'm proud to announce that a day early, after 22 days, I have exceeded the mark and turned in my novel. It's not perfect, and I didn't expect it to be. It has problems with tense, some of the details conflict, and at one point I realized I had given 3 unrelated characters the same last name!

By the way, it was sure nice to finish with a cup of hot tea in my hand and the beautiful snow outside. Here is a pic of our first major snow, taken this evening (we've had flakes, but this is the first time it has stuck):

Before you ask, I'm not ready to share my novel with anyone. I suspect I will let it breathe, and then come back to it later with a fresh set of eyes. Perhaps after several rounds of self-editing, it will make it into somebody else's hands. I'm just glad that I made it over the mark (I ended at 50176 words) and now have more time for blogging! Sometimes, I guess, that fear of failure which often drives me mad, actually can be the key to success.

A Little Piece of Turkey

Yesterday was my third Thanksgiving to spend out of the country. The first was in 2001 during my semester abroad in London. My parents and brother came out for the week, and we spent Thanksgiving Day enjoying the sites while the rest of the group ate a turkey dinner at a hotel restaurant. The second was a few years later when my brother was studying abroad. My parents and I flew over to Hungary during the break. We grabbed a rotisserie chicken from a stand down the road and celebrated Thanksgiving in my brother's apartment.

It's always a little weird being out of the country for major American holidays. (We also missed the 4th of July this year while we were on our honeymoon.) Thanksgiving away really makes me appreciate what I have back home: my amazing family, including my new inlaws; my close friends that have become part of my family over the years; my puppy dogs; and the little things like my mom's pumpkin pie. I'm so thankful also the opportunity to travel and to experience a different culture.


This year, my husband and I didn't make any big plans for Thanksgiving. He had to work, so I looked online to see if any restaurants in the area were offering an American Thanksgiving feast. The closest was the Hard Rock Cafe in Amsterdam, which seemed like a bit of a trip for an evening meal. Next, I scoured the internet for places that sell cooked turkeys in Utrecht. A couple options popped up, but most of them only cook turkeys for Christmas day or with a larger notice than I'd allotted. Most of the turkeys are also meant to feed a large gathering of people, which didn't seem like such a good idea for the two of us.

Finally, I decided I would make do with a rotisserie chicken and prepare some pseudo-traditional Thanksgiving sides. I looked up recipes for homemade stuffing and pecan pie. On my grocery list, I also wrote down ingredients for green bean casserole and mashed potatoes. At the store, I was surprised to see cranberry sauce, so I added that to the menu. I had gone to the larger grocery store, which is a couple blocks down from the one nearest to our place. The store also had turkey breasts!

Thanksgiving Feast

I was pretty excited about my finds at the store, and went back to prepare the meal. Since we only have one dish that can go in the oven, I started with the pecan pie. Our kitchen has textured metal counter tops, so rolling out the dough was a bit of a problem. I ended up mashing it into the edges of the dish. That combined with me forgetting that we only had self rising flour and having to substitute butter for shortening, resulted in a pie that was a little more like cobbler. I also couldn't find corn syrup at the grocery store (I think I just didn't know where to look), so I substituted honey. Regardless of the texture, it turned out tasting pretty good.

Once the pie was in the oven, I made the mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and stuffing on the stove top. All went in the fridge to be microwaved when it was time to eat.

About 30 minutes before my husband got home, I covered the turkey breasts with butter, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. I wrapped them in foil and cooked them in the oven. I think it was probably the least dry turkey I've ever had.

The Turkey

When my husband got home, he was definitely surprised that we were having a real Thanksgiving meal. It was nice to have something to remind us of home and make us feel less separated from those celebrating back in the states.

Our Thanksgiving Decoration (Yes, I Traced It)

I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving!