Awesome Holland

So Holland was really awesome!!!  I loved being there! I arrived Wed night and got picked up by my Dad's cousin (Yvonne) and her daughter (Danique, who is around my age) and went to their place for the night. Then on Thurs. Danique took me to Groingen and showed me her school and where she lives. It's like an apartment building but only for students. So the rooms are dorm sized with a kitchenette and they share a bathroom. And then we went out for lunch and climbed the church tower in the middle of the city. It's a tiny stone spiral staircase the whole way up, it was sweet!!

After that I took the train to Leiden, where Ada (my cousin who is also one of my closest friends) is going to school for a semester. Leiden is such a beautiful city! All the roads are cobble stone and there are canals everywhere so you always know you are in a different country. We walked around the city and listened to this English musician playing in the street. It was a really relaxing and wonderful night. It was really great to catch up with Ada. Friday morning Ada and I took the train to Amsterdam for our second cousin's (Irene) wedding. We had a little bit of time in the morning so we went on a canal tour. It was ok, but we didn't see much of Amsterdam, it was a lot of similar buildings. I think it would have been better to walk around but it was a little rainy so it worked out.

The wedding was really nice. It was supposed to be outside but because it was raining they moved in inside. The decorations were beautiful and so was Irene. It was a little overwhelming because we were meeting so many new people and there was a live band so it was sometimes hard to hear people but I'm really glad I went.

Most of my Grandpa Wassink's siblings were there and it was really great to get to know them better. We drove home with them and stopped part of the way for dinner. It was so much fun to just sit with my great aunts and uncles and get to know them a little better. I think that night and my night with Ada were my two best moments. And on the way home, we heard a version of Umbrella that sounded as if Elvis was singing it! Really weird!

One thing I know I don't like about Holland is the traffic. On our way back from Amsterdam we hit like 7 traffic jams!!  I have never seen so many in my life! But we eventually made it home, so it's all good.

Friday was Danique's Birthday so she had some friends over that night and I hung out with them for awhile when we got back. It was fun to talk to a bunch of people my own age.

Then on Saturday Grandma and Grandpa showed Ada and I around the area. We started at the a Canadian cemetery from WWII. We also saw where my grandparents grew up, the kind of farms they had, my great-great grandma's house, the church my grandparents got married in, and the cemetery my grandma's parents are buried in. It was really amazing to hear my grandparent's stories and to see where they came from.

Farm House

Great-great grandma's house

Arjan (dad's cousin), Ada and I in a tree from Grandpa's old stomping grounds

The cemetery grandma's parents were buried in, and a few other relatives. 

That night Danique had her family over for her birthday so we had some fun conversations with them. Sunday I just packed up and got ready to go. I really like knowing that I can travel on my own now. It was really nerve wracking at first but I figured it out many times. Yay for being more independent!

One thing me and Ada noticed a lot and talked about is the amazing connection that comes with being family. We had so many people we just met that weekend open up to us and take care of us. It's a wonderful thing to know that there are so many people out there that are willing to help me when I need it. It also makes traveling so much better because you have place to belong right away.

And one more thing I like about Holland, the bikes! That was the first thing I noticed! There are soo many bikes there!!

So yea, that was my weekend in Holland. Really great! Now I get to start classes!!