On the Road Again…

Hello from 32,000 feet. I am currently en route from AMS to DC for a very quick weekend trip for my niece’s 2^nd birthday! There are some things I am just a sucker for, and that child is one of them. I mean, can you blame me?! Look at this face:

 

While it may seem absurd to some, life is too short to miss out on certain things – plus United was having the ultimate sale. So, here I am. Traveling across the Atlantic for 48 hours to celebrate Alani’s birthday at the National Zoo.

What a perfect opportunity to recount some travel (and visitor) adventures from September…

September Travels

After a summer of adventures, it would only seem logical to…continue the adventures! The first trip of the month was back to the US for the wedding of two good friends - Amanda and Jeff. Before the wedding, I was able to get some good, quality time with my nana. We celebrated her 93rd birthday (one week late). How special is that?

As luck would have it, one of my best friends, Emily, was in town from LA for her sister's wedding. I got to grab some quality Em time over manis and pedis. And while our time together was all too short, I always love our catch ups!

 

Next up on the whirlwind day - dinner with some of my best gals. Nothing like it. These friendships are 29, 24 and 15 years strong! One quick dinner is never enough, but I left so happy with my heart (and belly) full :)

And then came the wedding! A beautiful venue out in New Jersey called Born to Run farms. Fresh air and trees abound, it was nice to escape the city and reunite with family and close family friends. Amanda was absolutely stunning, and you could feel the love radiating off of these two. There are many reasons why I love Jeff and Amanda, and I am so glad I was able to be there to celebrate with them!

 

 

 

 

The next day we have a lovely brunch outdoors at a nearby lake, and I got to spend time with my favorite little munchkin! Alani was a big hit at the park.

In mid-September I joined the Desperados brand team for their unprecedented, epic musical festival in the mountains outside of Barcelona. The event was called Skyfest and it was a festival for 1500+ people that totally remixed the festival rules by placing DJs and VIPs in hot air balloons. It was one of the coolest brand activations I’ve seen, and an awesome environment to host media.

Have no idea what I'm talking about? The video just launched -- check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3A5_ZIuPW0

 

 

 

After the festival I got to enjoy Sunday morning in Barcelona before heading back to Amsterdam. It was a picture-perfect morning – blue skies, temps in the low 70s (~23°C). After a stroll on the beach I grabbed brunch which consisted of all my Spanish favorites: fresh paella and sweet sangria with a side of incredible ocean views.

I absolutely love Spain. It’s a beautiful country, has amazing food and friendly people. Seville and San Sebastian are both high on my list. Hoping to visit these places next year!  

The weekend after Spain I travelled to Maastricht with two girlfriends, Jonelle and Caroline. It was a bit spontaneous, but happy we pulled it together so quickly and got to go. Maastricht is a historic city in the south of the Netherlands. It’s very close to the Belgium border to the south and the German border to the east. Because of this, the city feels like a mix of all cultures instead of being distinctly Dutch. It is also a university town, so the city was buzzing with collegiate energy.

We arrived midday on Saturday and went straight to check out the town. We walked around catching some of the highlights including Hell’s Gates (the original city walls), historic cathedrals, and the many town squares that bring together locals and tourists alike.  

We were super lucky with the weather – a true Indian summer type of a weekend with comfortable temperatures in the low 70s and clear blue skies. Exactly the way you want to explore a city!

Maastricht is also considered to be the gastronomic capital of the Netherlands. We were not disappointed by the two delicious brunches we had in town at Café Zondag on Saturday, and ‘t Wycker Cabinet on Sunday, and our fantastic dinner Saturday night that had us rolling back to the hotel. Thanks to my friend Anouk, who studied there, for the fab recommendations!

On Sunday we walked from one side of the city to the other to the fortress and caves. The fortress was built to protect the city centuries ago mostly from French invaders. The caves were also built in the ~1500s as a way to protect farmers, and most importantly, their livestock, from invaders. We spent the morning exploring the kilometres of caves the sprawl out under the city and are decorated with chalk images that depict the city’s unique history and heritage.

All in all a fantastic weekend in Maastricht, and a wonderful weekend with friends! I highly recommend any visitors or locals take a trip here. It’s a quick ~2.5 hour train ride from Amsterdam, and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

September Visitors

The first weekend in September I was excited to host my sister and brother-in-law in Amsterdam! They came after an action-packed trip to Iceland. It was so nice to show them around my ‘hood, and always a great time when we’re together.

 

One of the highlights of the visit was going to Librije’s Zusje in the Waldorf Astoria for dinner. I was lucky they let me crash their 4^th anniversary dinner J It’s a 2-star Michelin restaurant and was a truly incredible culinary experience. The food was exquisite. Course after course of delicate masterpieces that looked too good to eat. But, eat (and drink) we did. And we enjoyed every bite.

 

After a fun weekend it was sad to see them go. I hope my convincing to return to Amsterdam with Alani next year was strong! I hear there’s a great zoo here in Amsterdam, too. Just saying…

The last weekend in September I was so happy to host my family friends, the Gruskin’s! Matt and Lara went to Oktoberfest prior to coming to AMS to celebrate Lara’s 30^th bday. Lara’s best friend Sydney and her boyfriend met up with them there, and then they all came to Amsterdam!

It’s always such a fun time with this crew. A weekend of good food, good drinks, and lots of laughs. I had a great time showing them around the city…and also trying to convince them all to move here.

Since I moved, I have been looking forward to October for several reasons. Now that it’s almost over, I can happily say this month did not disappoint. But, more on that soon!

Until next time…

Six Things I HATE About the Netherlands

Six months ago today I zipped up the last of my suitcases, watched the Tar Heels win in the Elite 8 game, savored my last bites of New York Italian food (chicken parm!), used my TSA pre-check and went through security at JFK as a NYC resident for the last time. I will never forget settling in my seat (on Delta, of course). Nervously fidgeting with the buckle. A lot of thoughts ran through my head. Not sure knowing what to expect. Not knowing when I would return.

I landed in the Netherlands on an unseasonably warm March day. The sun was shining, the tulips almost in full bloom. The city was bustling. My drive into the city was nothing short of magical. And 6 months later that’s how it has remained: magical.

It was exciting at first to keep track of the milestones: 1 week in the Netherlands, 2 weeks, 1 month and then 2! At a party early on someone told me one day I would lose count, and sure enough, I did. It wasn't until last week when someone asked how long I’ve been here, I realized I had to stop and think. I couldn’t believe how fast 6 months have gone by.

So, to celebrate my 6 month mark, I did what any normal American (or New Yorker) would do. I tried to think of all the things I hated about my life in the Netherlands. At first I thought I’d make a list of 10. But I could only get to 6. Ironic, I guess. Here are the 6 things I HATE about living in the Netherlands…one for each month I’ve been here:

1.       The Pizza

I was warned about the Dutch cuisine before moving. I was told it’s nothing to write home about. I disagree with that. Both the native Dutch food (bitterballen, anyone?!), the types of international cuisines, and sheer # of Michelin Star restaurants in the city way exceeded my expectations. But my one qualm is the lack of ability to grab a slice of pizza. Sure there are restaurants that specialize in pizza – real, Italian-style Napolitano pizza. But who wants that? Some days I just want a delicious slice of NY-style pizza from Luigi’s on the Upper East Side. I miss that. A lot.

2.       The Bread

Sticking with the food theme…the bread in the Netherlands is so DAM good. So why is this on my list of things I hate? I am convinced it has contributed a significant amount of any weight gain. I never used to eat bread so much in the States. I don’t know what they do to it, but it is unreal. As is the bread in every European country.

 

I start each week telling myself this is the week I give up bread. For example, yesterday, on Monday morning, I woke up and said “today’s the day.” And then I got to work. And had a lunch meeting. And at noon when the sandwiches arrived I was hungry. Promise broken. Again. This is actually becoming a serious problem. #FirstWorldProblems

3.       The Hours of Operation

The Dutch are fantastic when it comes to work-life balance. People leave at 5*. I’ve never seen anything like it. It is truly admirable. But, there’s nothing special about leaving work at 5pm when everything else around you closes at 5pm. Stores, dry cleaning, drug stores. I’ve also never seen anything like that. I’ve yet to figure out when you’re supposed to pick up a prescription, stamps to mail letters (yes, I still snail mail things), and the millions of other things that come up in life. If you’ve figured this out, please let me know.

*Disclaimer: Not everyone leaves work at 5 and not every day. This also doesn't mean the Dutch aren't hard working. They are just WAY more efficient at getting things done within working hours from my observations.

 

Also within this bucket, my gym hours. During the week, the gym opens at 7am and closes at 11pm. I was a 6am gym go-er in NY, so 7am is not that convenient as it means shorter workouts that just allow enough to time to rush home, shower, change and run to work to get there by 9. It’s annoying, but not the end of the world. However, on the weekend, the gym opens at 9am and closes at 4pm. 4pm! What is that? So on a Sunday if I wanted to sleep in, then actually do something during the day, there’s 0 opportunity to go to the gym at night. That really irks me. Especially after eating so much bread.

 

4.       The Dutch Obsession with Dairy Products

Back to the food. The Dutch are OBSESSED with cheese and milk. Two things I loathe. When I was 11 one of my friends accidentally spilled milk on me at the breakfast table at summer camp. It sent my disdain for milk through the roof and scarred me for life. I have yet to recover. The Dutch drink milk with everything and every meal. It totally grosses me out.

As far as the cheese thing goes, they love their cheese. If you know me, you know I only will eat cheese under the following circumstances: 1. It is mozzarella cheese that is fully baked/melted on pizza or a pasta and accompanied by tomato sauce OR 2. it is orange/yellow cheddar cheese that is pre-grated and completely melted on a macaroni noodle. There is an occasional #3 which includes melted [orange/yellow] cheddar on an omelet, but that is absolutely it.

 

In the Netherlands, there are two kinds of cheese: old or young cheese. I don’t know what that means, nor do I particularly care to find out. What I do know is there are a lot of cheese shops and they smell when you walk by. I live on a street with an apparently very famous shop. I suppose that’s nice for someone who likes cheese. For me, it’s just becoming a nuisance to hold my breath or dodge the cyclists to get to the other side of the road when I pass by.

5.       The Weather

The Netherlands is not Spain. No one moves here for the weather. I knew that from day 1. I started this post by saying I arrived on an unseasonable warm day, but it never really got warmer than that. Summer in the Netherlands is like autumn in New York for frame of reference. Absolutely beautiful weather to be outside with a light sweater or light jacket. And while that is extremely comfortable to spend a day outside and walk around a city, it's a bit of a let-down for sun worshippers like me. Luckily, there are some incredible beach destinations just a hop, skip and a jump away. And if you're following my adventures, you know I managed to find the beach a handful of times this summer.

One of the positives of being so high north is the insane amount of daylight during the summer months. The sun rises at 5:30am and doesn't fully set until close to 11pm. This was an incredible discovery. On the flip side, I'm still trying to prepare myself for what's to come in winter when I hear the sun doesn't fully rise until 10am and sets around 4pm. Wish me luck!

 

One last note on the weather: the rain. It rains A LOT in the Netherlands. And it's not the put on your raincoat, pop open your umbrella and you're fine kind of rain. It's the coming at you sideways, no matter what you do you will get wet kind of rain. I am not a fan.

6.       Not Being…Dutch

While I fully understand you cannot generalize an entire population, overall I have noticed there’s something about the Dutch that is so admirable. They are direct, which I am learning to love. They are practical. They work to live instead of live to work. The latter point is what fascinates me the most. I find that the Dutch have a zest for life. They know how to enjoy every moment of every day, particularly the moments when they are not working. There’s a contagious energy that I can’t help but envy.

In 6 short months I have learned so much from the Dutch. Except for the language. I have not yet picked up the language, and while I plan to start Dutch lessons in about a month, I do not have high hopes for much success. It’s tough! I can still barely pronounce the name of my street correctly without getting an eyebrow raise, and it’s not a difficult name to say. Baby steps.

 

So there you have it. My list of why I HATE the Netherlands. It’s pretty laughable. I hope you had as good of a time reading this as I did writing it...and I hope in 6 more months I will have some equally as ridiculous items to add to the list J