This past weekend, I did not travel, but rather, stayed at the castle in order to prepare for midterms. And to prepare for midterms, I mean do anything but, however that is beside the point. On weekends, the castle shuts down, which means we are forced to fend for ourselves when it comes to food. This also means though that I had to get out of my tower and explore a bit more of the town I’m living in.
Well is small, but there are still enough options here that we could eat at a different place for lunch and dinner every day. Friday afternoon, we headed to a local bakery. I have to say, they do not do sandwiches in America like they do here, as every sandwich I’ve had here has left me delightfully full and satisfied. I could not tell you what was in it, but there was some avocado which I was not brave enough to leave included in the sandwich. Later that night, for dinner, we ordered personal pizzas. I was really missing American pizza up until then, but where we ordered from had some of the cheesiest pizza I’ve ever eaten. It was nice to have a relaxing Friday night, ordering in and getting to know new people. Since a lot of the people I normally spend time with weren’t at the castle, the rest of us banded together, making for a nice weekend.
Saturday, we headed out again, this time to a family restaurant. I like to imagine I’m getting the hang of menus in Dutch and while I still need the menu translated, I managed to order my meal in Dutch and was quite proud of myself. It was funny to see how surprised the waiters were though, at some of our more American requests, like a side of fries. Clearly, you can take a girl out of America, but you cannot take the American out of the girl. For dinner, we went to another local restaurant down the street. I finally tried schnitzel and in the middle of our meal, a bunch of men in jester hats and suits came in and took over the bar. I’m starting to feel very Dutch, even though I don’t 100% understand what all of these things mean.
While my food experiences really gave me a new sense of Well, it was my History of Photography assignment that truly made me realize how much I love my new home. I was assigned a Dutch family and I had to go into their house to take their portrait. I walked to their house, feeling incredibly nervous, as I needed a translator when I called to schedule our appointment since they didn’t seem to speak English. However, despite the fact that this is the umpteenth time I’ve been in one, I couldn’t help but admire the Dutch neighborhood. Te houses always struck me as uniform, since they’re all brick. Walking through them, I saw how different they really are, all through the owner’s personal touches.
Carnival, which is a bit like Mardi Gras, is approaching so there are a lot of fun decorations, like this balloon wreath, around town.
When I arrived at my family’s house, I found my worries were for nothing. Mike and Angela were incredibly kind and spoke English very well. They had a six month old son, so it was great to photograph them all and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to be welcomed into their home.
The brick houses that seem to be traditional of the Netherlands
As I walked back to the castle, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with feelings of home. Despite the fact that I am thousands of miles away from what I’ve know, the people here are so welcoming. Everywhere we went this weekend, there were people willing to translate and talk to us. Slowly, but surely, I’m coming to love this new culture that I’ve found myself in. Well, I love ya. Despite not being where I’ve from, thanks for making me feel at home.
Erin Kayata 