A Travel Writer Leaves Her Desk To...Travel!

Lesson 366, The Netherlands: The Journey May Be Over, The Adventure Has Just Begun

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:19:31 -0500

As I sit on my last plane ride of my around-the-world adventure—a journey that has kept me away from home the entire year of 2011—many thoughts are going through my mind. My emotions are conflicted. I know I can’t keep this pace up forever and I long for home, but will I also long for the open road once I’ve settled back into my old life? Only time will tell. That’s where the travel-writing assignments will keep my wanderlust in check, so hopefully work will be plentiful.

But back to the present. As you well know, I’ve been recording a lesson a day while living abroad, so this is my last entry at number 366 (remember how I gained one extra day this year by crossing the international date line?). So I thought it would be fitting to sum up, to the best of my abilities, the overall lessons that have stuck out in my mind. Let me know your thoughts on this list, and feel free to add to it as you see fit.

—Before judging other cultures, consider whether you’re holding them to a higher standard than your own culture.
—Open your eyes as widely back home as you do abroad, and you’ll observe just how beautiful your country really is.
—Try to remain objective when you talk to others about your nation’s politics, stereotypes, and cons. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
—Be happy with the possessions you have. I’ve observed a West African boy playing happier with a homemade stick car than I’ve seen most other kids playing with their expensive gadgets.
—Take time for good friends and family. Work will wait. Life won’t. Take a siesta as needed.
—There is some good and bad in each country. Try to adopt the positive traits, and try to forget the negative.
—Enjoy a good meal. I mean really enjoy a good meal. Close your eyes. Chew slower. Savor the exotic flavors. Then purchase the same ingredients to recreate the experience back home.
—Try to not get offended if you think that you’ve been slighted abroad. You’ll never know how many times a good intention was lost in translation.
—Take a trip to your country’s natural wonders and famous attractions as much as you do abroad, and you’ll find that you’ll see your home in a much different light.
—Appreciate the conveniences back home rather than taking them for granted. Don’t assume that your way is the right way of doing things. Someone somewhere on earth has been sitting on a woven basket all day on the side of a jungle road and hoping to hitch a ride to civilization. You might find that this person is you someday.
—You’ll become equally inspired and equally disappointed by the people that you meet abroad. Pay heed to the inspiring ones, and learn from the mistakes of the disappointing ones. Be sure that the disappointing person doesn’t turn out to be you.
—When you head back to your own nation, try to not fall back into the same habits that you broke while traveling. Don’t forget how much you can live without, and how happy the simple life might actually make you.
—Adapt to how other people live. This has led me to eat meat as a vegetarian, use a pit for a toilet, a bucket for a shower, and dress completely covered from head to toe in searing heat. It wasn’t comfortable, but if I had wanted comfort, I would have stayed home.
—No matter how difficult the transportation, how aggressive the market vendors, how tainted the food, or how unhygienic the living conditions, you’ll discover something awe-inspiring each time you persevere and open yourself up to new experiences.
—If you don’t like being stereotyped, be careful not to make the same mistake yourself.
—Be respectful while photographing others. Locals may seem exotic to you, but to them, you might be intruding on their home and their life by pointing your lens in their direction. They’re not a souvenir to capture, they’re human beings.
—Whether you like it or not, you’ll act as an ambassador for your country each time you interact with others abroad. Make your country proud. Better yet, make yourself proud.

These are just a few of the countless lessons that I’ve learned from my around-the-world journey this year, and I look forward to the many more lessons I’ll learn in my lifetime. There’s never a better education than the one you can receive from travel. Thank you for coming along for the ride! I’ve appreciated all your comments and support, and I look forward to hitting the open road again so I can share more adventures with you in the future.

But I’ll leave you for now with a simple, “See you later,” because this definitely isn’t goodbye! Here’s to accomplishing our bucket lists, and checking off every single last item...

Lesson 365, The Netherlands: You Might Not Relate, But You Can Sympathize

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:46:51 -0500

Time is of the essence for me now, as the year draws to a close on my mind-boggling adventure that has taken me around the world from the beginning of January till now. Because of that, I only have one free day to spend in Amsterdam before New Year’s Eve obligations and friend meet-ups keep me busy for my final 24 hours of living abroad. So, in a city with a reputation for offering a little bit of something for everybody’s taste, guess what I chose to do for my only tour around the capital city of Holland?

I visited Anne Frank’s house...

Her famous diary has been required reading for US schoolchildren for as long as I can remember. But apparently that’s all I can remember, because only the obvious details are the things that I can recall from her sad history. It’s time to change that, so I joined a lengthy line leading to the entrance along with many other travelers hoping to get a brief peak at what occupied Holland might have felt like.

From the moment that I entered Anne’s tiny hiding place, the emotions hit me as I imagined how difficult and confusing it must have felt for this bright little girl to live during those times. Can you imagine? Let’s put it in perspective—the most I had to worry about while growing up was what clothes were considered cool to wear, what boy I had a crush on at any given moment, and how I thought that all of my teachers were out to get me. How easy I had it, in retrospect, and how long it’s taken me to realize that fact.

So I huddled around the preserved handwritten pages that Anne devoted most of her time to while living in a cramped attic space with seven other people. I watched disturbing videos of skeletal figures detained in the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp, and caught glimpses of rare black-and-white clips during Western Europe’s liberation. As the world now faces economic uncertainty, nuclear weapons, depletion of natural resources, global warming, and so on and so forth, we have to keep in mind that it could be worse. A lot worse...

But do you know what hit me the most while I silently shuffled through the bare rooms of Anne’s historical canal house? A quote that was painted in bold letters across one cold wall that Anne said on May 11, 1944. It simply stated: “You’ve known for a long time that my greatest wish is to be a journalist, and later on, a famous writer. In any case, I’d like to publish a book called ‘The Secret Annexe.’”

As an established journalist and aspiring author myself, those words cut to the very center of my soul. Hot tears instantly formed in my eyes and brimmed over. I glanced up at my boyfriend who quietly laid his arm across my shoulders for mental support, and all I could get across was one sentiment. “Life just isn’t fair sometimes, is it?”

So, my friends, I suppose my biggest wish for you as we enter a new year filled with hope and possibilities is to enjoy what you have, and try to forget what you don’t have. The concerns that you surely consider overwhelming really are not. We will get through the hard times, but also remember to enjoy each day’s good times as if we only have a limited supply. And no matter the circumstances, please try to be happy. Life is much too short not to be...

Lesson 364, The Netherlands: Blink Once, And The Moment Has Passed...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:09:49 -0500

Where has the time gone? And I’m not just talking about this whirlwind tour of mine around the circumference of the earth. But I’m also talking about the holidays, and the brief visit I paid to my boyfriend’s family in the south of Holland. It seems like Maarten and I just reunited a few days ago in Belgium, and then headed to his childhood home for the festivities there, and now—already—we’re having to say goodbye to his loved ones before heading north to Amsterdam tonight. Time just isn’t fair, is it?

And then, I’m facing my reunion back in my own country of America! What an amazing ride this has been. Thank you to everyone that has been a part of it with me, either as my own personal support system, or as a blog follower who hails from near or far on this awe-inspiring world of ours.

I will never forget the kindnesses that have been shown to me over these past 365 days (or the lessons I’ve learned, although they’ve sometimes been hard). At times, this year seemed to be never-ending. But somehow, without my noticing it, 2011 has drawn to a close. So as the new year approaches, and we’re faced with creating another bucket list filled with new adventures for 2012, let’s keep in mind just how fleeting the moment is, even as we try to hold onto it.

And if you succeed in doing that, then tell me how...

Lesson 363, The Netherlands: No Matter How Long You Live Away, Home Is Home

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:24:13 -0500

As I approach my welcome back to the States after a long year away, I’ve noticed something here in Holland—it doesn’t matter how long we’re away from our roots, home will always be home.

I see this with my boyfriend, who’s been living outside of his native Netherlands for five years now. But, despite the distance or time apart, his friends and family all welcome him back with open arms as if he’s only been gone a few weeks. It’s nice to see, and something that I can relate to. Yes, Maarten enjoys living with me back in my homeland of America, but there’s just something about revisiting your childhood home, isn’t there?

As much as his family has been extremely good to me over the holidays, and I feel completely comfortable with them here and like I’m also part of the clan, I’m sure I’ll experience the same feeling in just a few days as I reunite with my family at the international airport in Philadelphia.

But just like Maarten puts on a good face for me back in my country, I’ll do the same for him here in his country. They’re both equally lovely homes, but just not mine. Not yet...

Lesson 362, The Netherlands: Quantity Does Not Equal Quality...

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:04:15 -0500

I just spent the entire day at one of the coolest amusement parks I’ve ever seen! Now, I say this as an American citizen—a country that has such massive attractions as Disney World and Epcot Center, Universal Studios and Six Flags. But, none of these over-the-top and super-expensive parks can hold a candle to the adorable Efteling of Holland.

Efteling is exactly what a family attraction should be—a completely mystical experience filled with fairies and gnomes and trolls, with winding pathways leading to mossy elf homes where you’d expect to see dragonflies dancing with tree frogs at any moment. Dotted toadstools sing Minuet in G as you walk hand-in-hand with your child (or boyfriend, as the case may be) through the twinkling fairyland, transporting adults back to a time when they used to believe—and I mean really believe—in the magic of this fantasy.

Sure, you could fit many Eftelings within the massive acreage of Disney World, but that’s also the appeal of this Dutch amusement park. It’s not overdone, which is a valuable lesson that my country could stand to learn.

Lesson 361, The Netherlands: One Christmas Day Will Never Be Good Enough Again!

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 07:18:10 -0500

Unless you’re one of my African friends who lives in an isolated jungle tribe in Sierra Leone, I’m pretty sure that everyone else I know is familiar with Christmas. But, have you heard of 2nd Christmas Day? Yeah, me neither, until I celebrated the holidays this year with my boyfriend and his Dutch family in the south of Holland.

Interestingly enough, 2nd Christmas appears to be celebrated just like 1st Christmas, by eating good food, imbibing strong drinks, and catching up with dear friends. It’s another day of relaxing with family next to a wood-burning stove while listening to festive music and drinking warm tea spiked with honey. Most importantly, it’s another day without any obligations. Would you like to take a stroll around a quiet Dutch village decorated with twinkling lights and candles in every window? Done! Would you like to lounge on a couch with your fuzzy-slippered feet up and swap stories with loved ones? You got it! The point is, this is your day.

Your 2nd Christmas Day, to be exact. I’ll never be able to do without two Christmases again...

Lesson 360, The Netherlands: Countries May Have The Same Holidays By Name Only

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:34:07 -0500

Merry Christmas, everyone! Or, should I say happy Thanksgiving to my American friends? Because that’s what Christmas in The Netherlands feels like to me. It’s my first time in Holland with my Dutch boyfriend, and we’re celebrating with his family in the south of the country. And I already see some stark differences during my short time here—decorations aren’t as over-the-top as in the U.S., a nativity scene sits under the tree rather than gifts, and there aren’t any stockings lining the hearth of the fireplace. Instead, the winter holiday in this country is a three-day affair starting with midnight mass on December 24, followed by two days of eating good food and imbibing strong drinks with family and loved ones.

And that, to me, equals Thanksgiving...

I think that Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolas) on December 5th is more up America’s alley with gifts and songs and a jolly old bearded man who delivers toys by night. I have to say, though, that it does feel a bit more meaningful to celebrate the holy Christian day by quietly contemplating the season the way the Dutch do. My country could probably stand to learn from this country’s example.

But, with that said, it did feel reassuring after I saw some colorful boxes start to appear under the tree next to the nativity set in my honor. I may appreciate the Dutch culture, but some of my traditions are American, through and through!