Sister sister!

----------

I have been abroad for 12.5 weeks now and in that time I have experienced a lot and have wished that I could share those experience, share those places with my family, with my sisters, and with my friends. This week served that purpose. My two sisters (Stephanie and Elizabeth), and Alice (a family friend) came to visit me in the Netherlands for one week! Right away Friday morning, I could barely contain my energy and my excitement as I brought one (host) sister (Aniek) to meet my sisters and Alice. Aniek can attest to how excited I was the entire train ride to Schiphol airport! That excitement lasted the whole we as we traveled across the Netherlands.

Sisters can stand for a lot of different things, but in this acronym Sisters is cap stoned in silliness, with just the right mix of reality in the middle.

S Silly smiles. I have a firm belief that sisterhood is rooted in how many silly smiles you can give each other. Maybe it's even possible to have a whole conversation in smiles.

Steph and I

I  Interesting walks, as a result of our family's new best friend - Rick Steves! Narrating our way around cities we were our own tour guides.
**Tip: follow a city walk in the correct order...

Katie, Stephanie, Alice, Elizabeth (L to R)

S  Silly jokes. "Now you've seen two major artworks in their original form, and in the Delft blue!"

T  Talking... or not. This is something so neat about being with people you are comfortable with, and being with people who have seen you through all phases of life. You can talk non stop one day and then the next all you need is head nods.

E  Exploration. Everyday a new city every day, right?

Ignore the drive time.

R  Relax. Despite being away from my blood family for 3 months, I can relax and know that when I do see them that everything is going to be alright. I can take a deep breath and know that even when I feel that the world around me is changing that family will always remain your family.

S  Silly sisters. A picture can speak louder than words...

I think they missed their true calling to be cats!

The week ended the same way it began. Bringing my two families together, I was so excited, so happy, so full of joy! Two groups of people that I love, finally meeting each other and creating one larger group (if only for dinner time).

------

Lord, Thank you for family. Thank you for the opportunity to share experiences with my sisters. Please continue to guide and protect this time that I have left in the Netherlands. 

#katiespiceurope
#family

Katie interviews Katie

Q and A with Katie

SPICE 2016 group

Are you still alive?
-- Yes

Are you done yet? 
-- No

Are you fluent in Dutch yet? 
-- Nee, Ik spreek Engels. Although I did speak Dutch in my dream the other night... zo, ik spreek Nederlands een beetje

What has been the hardest thing so far? 
-- Not realizing how fast time moves. I mean we are already over halfway! I feel like it was just last week that I was stepping off the plane thinking "Alright... I can work with this... They have peanut butter thats a good sign." Everyone always say that time moves fast, but you don't realize how fast it moves until you reflect, and with SPICE we reflect a lot so its pretty clear how fast time moves.

How have you dealt with homesickness?
-- People interaction!! If I'm alone, I'm left to my own thoughts too much. Getting connected with people here whether that be the SPICE group, my host family, or making new friends at church. But, I am a processor so I also needed to talk things through with people who understand my word salad, so Skype dates are a must for me.

How have you dealt with having everything that is familiar 7 times zones away?
-- It feels so strange to say this but things here feel familiar now. I came back after spring break and realized just how familiar it is to hear dutch in the train station. But, I do miss the familiarity of buying things at and walking around Walmart. Spending Saturday or Sunday grocery shopping at Walmart was familiar and that was part of my weekly routine. Now I make my way around Hema or Jumbo after school and that has become as normal as my Sunday afternoons spent in Walmart

What has been the easiest thing to get used to so far? 
-- Having to do my Dordt homework all online. I spend my Monday's at home finishing almost all my assignments for the week.

What do you wish someone told you about studying abroad?
-- How much it will feel like home. How fast time moves. That you'll hear all this advice before you leave and not actually think its true until you get halfway and then you have your realization moment.

What is your favorite memory? 
-- See Dinner Time (My Study Abroad Recipe) blog post.

What do you still want to do in the next two months? 
-- I want to connect my two families. My sisters are visiting at the end of the month and my mom and dad are visiting at the end of the program. It will be exciting to be able to share this experience first hand with them.
-- I also really want to visit the Scandinavian countries!

Why do you blog? 
-- It's another way for me to process things and to see where things have changed along the way. Also, this way I don't have to overload everyone back at home with 4 hour long summaries of my 4 months abroad when I go home in May.

Has anything changed since you've been here?
-- A lot has changed. I've changed, America has changed, my home has changed. My home church NHLC shut its doors, which was heart breaking for me especially since I could not be there for the last service. Elections are happening so thats a big deal! And, I've changed. I think that I've become more independent. I've traveled all by myself and had to realize just how strong I have to be (to fend off the 80 year old marriage proposals), but I also have had to learn to rely on God more than ever.

Do you follow the news back home? 
-- Did I ever really follow news even when I was home? Lol! I think I follow it more now that I'm across the ocean. It's strange to me, but American news makes it in the Dutch papers and on the TV.

What is your favorite thing about the Dutch culture?
-- Hold the phone! I only get to choose one thing? Hmmm... Well, it's a tie between stroopwafels and Hagel Slag.

What other questions do you have for me?


Lord Jesus, Thank you for this opportunity. Please continue to walk with me and bless my time here in the Netherlands.

#katiespiceurope

42 thoughts on 42 hours Berlin, Germany

42 hours that is all it took for me to fall in love Germany (well, Berlin because thats all we saw, but you get my point). So, what better way to express my adventures in Berlin than 42 thoughts on my 42 hours. Some points are short, some are long. Some are pros, some are cons. Some you'll read, and most you'll gloss over. But, all explain my 42 hours traversing Berlin - 1 girl and 2 guys!

1. Public Transportation day pass cost €7. Use on tram, subway, and buses. 
2. Public Transportation exact change is preferred otherwise you hold up the entire bus.
3. Reichstag Building. A perfect spot to take pictures of other people taking pictures.
4. There is always a lot of people around the Brandenburg Gate, but if you can place yourself just right you can see the Victory Column through the middle of the gate. #PicturePerfect
5. The Victory Column marked a victory of war and also suffered the effects of a different war. 
6. Climb the 294 stairs to the top of the Victory Column for €3.
7. Five main streets form rays of a sun around the roundabout surrounding the Victory column
8. I would feel safe as a single girl walking around, but this trip I was with 2 guys (my body guards as my host family labeled them). 
9. Food! Let's just say Germans have good taste! Sauerkraut, Goulash, Spätzle. 
10. Food part two: Schnitzel! A must-have if you visit Germany. 
11. Berlin Central Station is huge! Know which platform your train leaves from beforehand. 
12. Soviet Memorial, the memorial is in Russian, but there is a portion behind it that has Russian, German, and English. 
13. Street Artists: People juggle in the middle of the road on a red light! What!?
14. Street artists part two: There was a bear (well a man in a bear suit), and a man playing a music box.
15. Credit cards are accepted at most every place except small cafes and restaurants. 
16. Pedestrian buttons: Don't be fooled if the button doesn't depress because in Berlin the "buttons" are sensors.
17. Postcard stamps €0,90
18. T-Mobile Thank You for International Coverage!
19. So many cars! 
20. Be prepared to be jostled in the buses. 
21. One day it's Sunny the next it's snowing! (Reminds me of home)
22. Directions - figure out which direction you are facing and match that up with the map before you start walking. I should have learned this from NYC, yet I still start walking and then realize two blocks later I am going the wrong direction. 
23. You can't see everything. No matter how much you plan, and how much you walk, and how late you stay up. You cannot see everything. Even if you live in an area for 42 years you will never see everything. 
24. I don't look German so most people spoke English to me. 
25. Trash cans are orange. Do not mistake them for post boxes (Post boxes in the Netherlands are orange).
26. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe features 2,711 stelae reinforcing the enormity of this horrific event in history. 
27. It's perfectly okay to play tourist for a day! Just make sure that you find at least one "off the beaten path" place on your trip. 
28. Topography of Terror Museum is Free!
29. German History Museum. Students €4 with ID. 
30. Checkpoint Charlie: 1 of 3 checkpoints along the Berlin Wall. 
31. Berlin Wall. There are pieces all over the city, with graffiti on them. Most famous spots are at Checkpoint Charlie and Topography of Terror Museum. 
32. Beer! My first dark beer since I've been abroad. A true German Beer, now that is the way to go!
33. Coffee shops. Don't worry, in Germany, coffee is not synonymous for pot. 
34. Travel buddies. They make life interesting. You learn a lot about them, especially if you share a room for two nights and spend 54 consecutive hours with them. You learn that one blow dries his hair and the other gets hangry pretty fast. 
35. Hostels are nice if you're on a budget, but if you have some wiggle room go for an apartment or an Air BnB, you won't be disappointed. 
36. When in Europe travel by train. It might take a longer time, but you get fantastic views of different cities, and of the landscape. 
37. Train travel part two: Don't worry about reservations on Bahn (German trains)
38. Walking. Most everything can be reached by walking so be prepared to walk a lot.
39. Good walking shoes. Even if you are planning on only using public transportation, the small distances you'll be walking you will most likely encounter uneven ground. (i.e. brick walk ways). Have a good pair of sturdy shoes because your feet will thank you.
40. I always pack too much!
41. Mail boxes - YELLOW! Need I say more?

Leaving Berlin Hbf

Lord, Thank you for your protection and guidance. May I follow your ways the rest of my days.

#katiespiceurope

#AdventureTime

We have family wherever we travel

So, there is this weird thing called family. Take a look at this definition of family : "people you love and love you back, not necessarily blood or biological, but you trust them and they trust you, and they take care of you and you take care of them." (Source : Urban dictionary... because yes, that is where I do my research!) We have family wherever we travel. We build relationships wherever we go. We will never be alone. 

I just finished up my third week living abroad. It is strange to think that I have become a part of the family de Boer in that short amount of time. There is a saying that time flies when your immersed in new experiences, or is it when you're having fun. Either way that is what the last few week have been experiences and fun! What might normally take months to develop, has taken three weeks. It becomes a necessity when traveling to build a relationship and trust the people who are caring for you. A necessity because of the need for love. We as human beings need love. God, our creator, made us to be loved and to love.  

My host family is very similar to my own family, at least in the number of people. A mom, a dad, an oldest son followed by three daughters. Each one is unique and has their own personality. Maroes is passionate. Romijn is tenacious. Aniek is strong. Yoran is dynamic. Sure, they fight and disagree, but what siblings don't? The moments that strike me the most are when the family feels emotion together. My heart fills with joy when we are sitting around the table smiling and laughing and that language barrier that I mentioned in a previous post, it doesn't seem as large.  

It occurs to me several times a day that this is real! I pause and realize over and over again that I have a family in the Netherlands. My blood-relation family is back in Minnesota, but in the here and now I am part of a family bonded in trust, love, and tranquility (and maybe a little or a lot of noise too). Furthermore, I believe that when traveling that these are the memories that make the most impact. This is what traveling is about for me - relationships. Of course, I absolutely love scenery and finding that perfect spot where you capture the essence of your trip in an Instagram post. However, all of that is mundane unless you build relationships.

God, Creator of the World, with love you made each human in your image. Let us honor your image through the relationships we build. Thank you for the gift of love and the ability to show love. Let our actions be a sweet offering to you. 

Pizza with the family de Boer
photo credit: Wietse's Facebook

Christmas time with the Argo family
photo credit: selfie stick

My two families on two continents

------

See any similarities?

#katiespiceurope
#family

Wat // What // Qué

There are many things that are different from home, not bad ... just different.  Language for one. It is hard enough being 7 time zones away from your family, and then on top of that having a language barrier!!  Here are the thoughts that ramble through my brain.

My host family consists of Esther (the mom), Wietse (the dad), Yoran (the oldest brother), Aniek (the oldest sister), Romijn (the middle sister), and Maroes (the youngest sister). They have been wonderful and very welcoming. They are patient with me and I am with them. Because English is not the family's first language, finding a word is sometimes difficult. I am grateful that they try and communicate in English. And when they do speak Dutch, Esther or Wietse translate for me. For the kids, speaking in English is harder because for some they are just starting to learn English in the school. When they do speak in my native tongue, I am impressed and thankful for a little piece of ... well, peace, knowing that we can communicate. I want to jump for joy when they speak in English.

Despite, this small connection, there are times when I feel completely and utterly lost. When the whole family is at the eating table, everyone is excited and they love to talk. Church was all in Dutch. Random strangers walk up to me and start talking Dutch, asking directions. I feel frustrated that I don't know the language.  I have to focus twice as hard to try and pick up on other non verbal cues to know where the conversation is going.

However, during the 6 days I have been in the Netherlands, I have picked up several words. My peers say the same.  I am amazed at what our brains are capable of. My host family is a huge help (and so is Google translate). I learned numbers by playing games with my host sisters: Een, twee, drie, vier, vijf. They taught me the Dutch alphabet while drawing pictures. I am also working on reading Dutch (even if I can't understand it yet) by reading children's books and reading everything in sight. The family says I am doing "goed." Dank u wel! But, its so hard and I often feel inadequate like I am butchering their language. If at first you don't succeed try again! I keep trying because I want to communicate in their native tongue to show my appreciation for their hospitality. It seems early to be thanking them for their hospitality, but the first few days are critical - the adjustment period - so I guess its not premature. Pretty soon, I hope to jump for joy when I learn more Dutch!

Lord God Almighty, Thank you for your protection and guidance. Thank you for creating each one of us unique and in your image. Thank you for language and the means to communicate. May your name be praised by every tongue and nation.  Amen  //  Revelation 7:9

#katiespiceurope
#languagebarriers