Qui audet adipiscitur (She who dares, wins): Two Fifths. Forty Percent. Zero Point Four.

Two months. It was two months ago today, well almost today, that I moved here. It is actually after midnight here now so two months ago yesterday but considering that due to the time difference I arrived a full 24 hours after I left (the evening of the 27th) I'll count this as 2 months of me being in the Netherlands. That means I'm two months down, three to go and I'm certain that April will disappear before it arrives because I'll be gone for all but four days of it.

I wrote a much longer blog update today about all sorts of things but I don't know if I really liked it. I talked about how I found it odd that I find it so normal to be here and how I think that it is because I know that I'm not here for very long so I don't really get lonesome for home. I still think this is mostly true, life is pretty normal, I go to school, buy groceries, do homework, watch tv, etc., I just happen to do these things here. It all seems so normal sometimes. So here I was, not feeling homesick, then I went on to make a list of things that I miss from home and well, it made me miss home. Ha, good job right? What was I thinking.

I think I'm a little overwhelmed with all the plans I have. Tomorrow I'm headed to a giant tulip garden, then off to Den Haag - the capital and centre of politics and the royal family here in the Netherlands - for the night, then starting April I will be so busy that I think my head might explode and my body will give out. I mean, yes I'm excited and I know it'll be amazing but I always feel like right before I'm on the cusp of an adventure my head catches up with my heart and a little pang of "Is this too much for me to handle" creeps up and I get stressed.

It would be unreasonable for this to not happen. If I could just go traveling for a whole month without a little stress I wouldn't be normal. And besides after its done and I come back here, the stress'll be worth it and I'll be able to say "if I can do that I can do anything." The good thing is most of my next trips involve others so I won't be going solo, at least not for all of it. And I will have plenty of time to be lazy when I get home - family campout is going to be divine - so I just push those, "I'd rather be lazy" thoughts out of my head. I'm pretty sure it is just fear masked in stress playing as a desire to be lazy and to that I say, "Oh hells no!"

Well either way traveling is amazing and stressful. Its just part and parcel. "Traveling tends to magnify all human emotions" - Peter Hoeg

Below is the list I was making about what I miss, I left out family and friends because that is a given. I miss you guys tons. Nothing replaces a great friend or the comfort I have in the company of my family.

Things that I miss from home:

An extensive cereal aisle - I love all the options at home, here there is hardly a cereal section at all
Jemaine, as much as I wouldn't need a car here I do love having one at home - I will be excited to drive again, I do love driving
My kitchen at home - no matter how dirty we ever let it get it was never every not even close to as much of a disaster as the one I have to use on a daily basis
Knowing what you are buying in the grocery store, it takes so long to figure out what everything is and what brands to buy
The rest of my wardrobe - packing light sucks
Lazy nights in front of the tv
Saigon. Oh Saigon. I've yet to find a Vietnamese restaurant here
Breakfast dates - breakfast food just isn't the same here
A "comfortable" couch - that is in quotations because neither of the couches at my house are really that comfortable, but a couch to stretch out on is a luxury I miss
My brother's Keurig coffee maker - don't get me wrong, the coffee when you are out is wonderful but my instant coffee isn't, well it isn't awful, but it isn't good
Soccer! That sounds silly, because football is everywhere here, I mean I miss playing soccer with my team

Things I know I will miss from Holland:

Biking, everywhere
The peanut butter - I can't even buy it anymore because I eat it so fast, it is amazing
Stroopwafels - another treat I don't keep in the house because I eat them so fast
The ease with which I get to spend money here, it is a little liberating and slightly terrifying, but mostly terrifying
The fact that almost all of my weekend plans include being in a different country
Hearing church bells ring out beautiful songs/chimes periodically throughout the day
The fresh food market, it is so accessible and on every other day
Being called out every time I say 'out' with too much 'oot'
Cooking like I know what I'm doing, not being able to read instructions makes me a much more creative chef

Today I went to the library to get some school work done. The pictures are not that great because it was bright outside which makes all the dark silouettes but hopefully you can get the idea.