WARNING: May be boring at times. Just writing what comes to me. It is my blog, after all.
I left my house at 3:30 and said goodbye to my animals. Nuzzled Jack one last time and we we were off to pick up Raf in Savage and then to the airport. We arrived on time and my mom park her truck where she wasn’t supposed to and helped us into the baggage check in. We quickly said goodbye and she ran to the truck to find some police officers looking on the from of the truck for a hook-up to tow it away. They were in a good mood that day, however, and let her go without a problem.
We went through security and soon after that I discovered that Raf is quite the shopper. He especially likes those classy perfume stores that reek ten miles away. You know, the ones you’d never catch me dead in.
After that silly shopping, we went food hunting. Raf got asian and I found out how unvegetarian-friendly airports were. So I got a measly cup of fruit and we boarded the plane. We had great seats with no one in front of us. The captain informed us that the flight was running early and soon after that we took off for our 7.5 hour trip across the ocean. Raf’s video-thinger didn’t work so we switched seats since I just wanted to read. It was my lucky day in terms of airplane food as it was nasty pasta with not-so-green salad. We went up to the Southern tip of Greenland and then came back down. The screens in front of us showed some random facts about our flight and I remember looking at the temperature when we reached Greenland and thinking that I had gone insane. It read, I kid you not, -70 degrees F.
I fell asleep sometime after Greenland but woke up an hour later, groggy. There was about two hours left of the flight and it went by somewhat quickly.
The Amsterdam airport was colorful and trying really hard to be hip. Most of the ads were in English, to my surprise. Raf, having gone 8 or so hours without a smoke, quickly retreated into a smoking room, which were scattered throughout the airport. Never had I seen such a culture where smoking was so important. The rooms were heavily fogged from the nicotine. Although I had been previously warned of these rooms existence's, I was still surprised. And for whatever reason, I had suspected that the people would be a lot different than in Minneapolis. Wrong. I saw that they were just regular old people who had lived different lives in a different culture. They were too human. This made me feel better.
Raf, of course, wanted to do more shopping in classy makup/perfume stores. I looked like such a hag after such a long flight, sitting and worrying about what was to happen next. My face was pale and my skin was dry and my clothes weren’t appropriate. Blahblahblah.
The securtity at this airport was a whole lot easier. I started to strip my clothes off and the woman who was assisting people glanced at my passport and quickly understood what I was doing. She told me that I didn’t need to take my belt, shoes, or anything metal off like I did at the Minneapolis airport. I went into the contraption that scanned me and I was out in no time.
We got onto a bus that took us back on another plane, but this time it was only a thirty minute flight. Since this plane was much smaller, this pilot took the liberty of making sharp turns, going up and down and up and down, and making me feel like I was gonna puke.
We got out of the Dusseldorf airport as soon as we could and waited for the cab that took us to Raf’s super deluxe car. It did all sorts of fancy cool stuff but I don’t really remember what it was cuz I was too busy gawking at my new scenery, which, to my disappointment, wasn’t much different than Minnesota at all.
We arrived at the barn I am to work at for six months. It is truly a very impressive place. It’s all brick with lots of nice arenas and the people are kind. My apartment is huge with a living room, two tv’s with satellite, a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen, and stairs so steep and slippery that I’m afraid I’m going to break my neck on them. The horses were, of course, gorgeous. Tall and athletic and effortlessly floated.
I also watched Reinhart coach some 7-12 year old girls on their obedient ponies in German. Then I wondered around like a fool until the other working student, Katrin, took me to the grocery store.
Marion’s mom came with and she speaks zero english. This made shopping difficult. Katrin told me that I could get anything I wanted, no limits, and I chose some things while Marion’s mother chatted at me about how I should have gotten “this” or “that” instead while Katrin babbled back to her in German as I awkwardly stood there and looked like an American.
We went back to the barn and I found out that the internet in my apartment doesn’t work, which is why this update is so late. I had to go steal Katrin’s internet. She was super nice and said that if I ever feel homesick, need help, internet, or just simply need to talk to someone, she is always there. I felt somewhat relieved. She will be a huge help.
Tomorrow is my first day of work. I have to get up at 5:30 so I’m ready by 7:00. Then my day ends at 7:00pm. Looooooooong day. So far I have mixed feelings about this place, so we’ll see. I am terribly homesick and lonely at times, but it will pass.
OPULENCE. I has it. ;)
