La Dulce Vita

Ahhh... Italy. It was an amazing trip. I saw amazing sights, ate amazing food, and enjoyed the amazing people. Did I mention that the trip was amazing?!? :)

So... remember how I said I was being flexible with my little change in plans? Well, the plans changed again on Saturday. Just as I was walking out the door to take the train to the airport and begin my solo trip to Italy, I received a phone call from Sean. No, this is not Hollywood, this is my life. Well, as things would have gone in a romantic comedy (although I'm not sure how funny this whole thing was), Sean told me that he hadn't slept the night before and thought that it was because he had made the wrong decision. He had called the airlines and changed his flight - he was coming. And he loves me. A little numb and with a spinning head, I headed to the airport, now trying to get my romantic hat on again.

I have to say one thing about living in Europe and travelling so much - I have become a power traveller. I logged into a computer at the gate once I was at the airport, and within 10 minutes, had re-booked hotels for two (in Europe, you can get a single room with only one twin bed for cheaper, so I had changed all my reservations on Friday night), got tickets for Sean to all the art museums that I had purchased the night before, and helped with one last leg of Sean's travel. Voila! Trip complete! :)

On my flight to Rome that evening, I met a really nice girl from Manhattan who is doing a part-time assignment in Rotterdam. We hung out that night, and, unfortunately, didn't find too many restaurants that were still serving food at midnight. :( What we did find, however, was this really weird 7-11 looking store... that is also a bar. That serves shots of alcohol. It was kind of bizarre, but they had sandwiches, so we hung out there for a while.

I should back up and tell you about my interesting hotel experience... so, I had booked my hotel online, and had a pretty good idea of where it was - right next to the train terminal. Elizabeth and I parted ways after we arrived in Rome, agreeing to meet later after we dropped off our stuff. I went to the place where I thought my hotel was, which was a really dark, dirty, scary street. There was no elevator, so I lugged my somewhat heavy suitcase up four flights of stairs to the floor that the hotel was on (very strange, by the way). The guy that was there looked at me like I was crazy when I told him that I wanted to check in, but then, a lightbulb went off. He told me, "Oh, we ran out of room at this hotel, so we booked you in our sister hotel. It's a three-star hotel (which is pretty darn nice!)." So, I lugged my suitcase back down the stairs, and went to this REALLY nice, clean hotel. What a great deal for our money! Then, they didn't have a room available for 5 nights in a row, and when I put up a fuss about moving, they just upgraded us to an even nicer room that was available for 5 nights in a row!! Yippy!! What luck!! :)

One strange thing... the men in Italy were VERY forward. I was waiting for Elizabeth (my new friend) outside of the train station, and, in a matter of 10 minutes, was asked by not one but TWO men if I wanted to have a coffee with them. The next night, I met another guy that wanted to give me a ride on his motor bike and show me the city. Uh, thanks, but no thanks. I seriously have not had this much attention from men since I was a freshman in high school! It was flattering at first, but then really started getting annoying!

So, I'm going to do a few posts to break things up a little... enjoy!

Preparations

Well... tomorrow is the big day! A whole week in Italy!

Proving that I am becoming LESS stuck in my ways than MORE in my old age, I've changed the plans completely... well, some were changed for me and others I chose to change on my own.

Just to avoid any awkward questions when you see only pictures of me when I post my Italy update, first things first. I'm going alone. Sean and I are taking some time to figure out if a long distance relationship is what we really want. So, that's that.

Second, I decided that if this isn't going to be a romantic getaway, I didn't really want to go to the romantic Amalfi Coast. So, that's the second change of plans. I cancelled my hotel reservations and have completely changed the plans. I'm heading to Florence for two days... the home of David, the Duomo, and all kinds of other good stuff.

Life is kind of funny sometimes. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you get knocked on your butt. But, that's not the time to sit and feel sorry for yourself. Nope, it's the time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and say, "Man, that sucked, but thank goodness it's over". I'm still looking forward to this trip. I'm not looking forward to travelling alone again (see Stockholm entry... I believe the quote was "This is my last trip alone."). Fortunately, I have amazing collegues, some of whom are from Rome. So, "Plan B", as Stefano puts it, is in full effect. I'm still working out the details, but I should at least have a few people to meet for dinner on several nights.

It's all going to be okay. Time heals all wounds.

Pictures of this amazing trip to follow!

Newcastle!

I left for Newcastle on Monday evening with little expectations... I had booked this trip in such a hurry that I didn't have time to think about it! :) The flight took about an hour from Amsterdam. I arrived without issue, and quickly found a very kind taxi driver named Keith to take me to my hotel.




As we drove into the city, I was expecting (okay, I guess I did have expectations) a tired, industrial city. What I found instead was a charming city with several beautiful bridges crossing the Tyne River, along with various gorgeous churches, and, of course, being England, their local football (read: soccer) team's stadium. My hotel had a beautiful view of the city, and, believe it or not, I didn't take any pictures!! At 8:00 that evening, Kevin, the merchandising director, picked me up for a dinner at an old monastery, which is also thought to be the oldest restaurant in Europe. It was very charming, and the food was great. I got to meet one of the other employees that I would be working with the next day at dinner that night, and we had a great chat, because we were all runners. :) When runners get together, you better hope you are a runner too, because the conversation quickly turns to a boring string of numbers, splits, race experiences, etc - all of which are facsinating for runners and boring as hell for those that are not! :) I tried a local dish at the restaurant, which I couldnt' pass up because of the name - bubble and squeak. Basically, it's potatoes with cabbage, but I like calling it bubble and squeak better. :)



After a nice evening, I had a great night's rest, and then woke early in the morning so I could go for a run along the Tyne River. The weather was great for a morning run, and I really enjoyed getting in an outdoor run, as I've been running inside on a treadmill for the past couple of weeks. My new friend Keith the taxi driver picked me up and took me to the office, where I quickly learned why the British are known for drinking tea - I drank no less than 7 cups of tea at work that day! Every time I was done with one cup, someone else was coming around with a tray, asking if I'd like another cup of tea. Why, of course! :) It was a really great team, and I feel like my meetings went really well. It's always fun to see a new city, and after just a small taste of this one, I can't wait to go back.



Did I mention Keith? Well, that friendly guy picked me up again at work and took me back to the airport. I think he liked having guaranteed fares for a few days, and I enjoyed having a familiar face to talk to. We talked about everything under the sun during our ride to the airport. The most striking thing - his knowledge of American politics. Thankfully, I knew who the UK Prime Minister is right now (Gordon Brown), but I don't even know what party he's from! This taxi driver knew ALL about American politics, and had a very keen interest in my thoughts as an American. I better read up! :)



Here are some pictures of the city that I downloaded since I didn't think of picking up my camera:






Countdown to Italy: 3 Days. Sean arrives on Saturday morning, and we are taking off that evening for Rome. I've been looking forward to this for months! Hope it's worth all the hype! :)

Well, it was a week...

Not the best week since I've been here. I was sick all week, first, with the flu, and when that went away, a sore throat replaced it. This drives me crazy, because I had just gotten into a good workout schedule and was starting to see some results. I limited my activities to pilates and yoga this week, though I was tempted to do more. I am trying to listen to my body, but it's not telling me what I want to hear!

Next frustration... Dutch customer service strikes again. I went to the grocery store on Tuesday, and when I went to pay, my card wouldn't work. It's a debit card, so I thought it was maybe because I had just gotten paid and needed to transfer money over to my "current" account (we don't have checks here, so it's called "current" instead of "checking" - just a side note!). When I went online to do that, the screen told me that my account had been frozen, and that I needed to call customer service. So, I did. They told me that my card had been turned off because I had been trying to use it in a place with a lot of criminal activity - really? A grocery store? The only other place I had used it was the golf course... right, I guess a lot of criminals hang out there. So, that was a bit frustrating. Then, they told me that they could mail me a new card within 5 to 7 days, rather than just turning my card back on. They said I could still take cash out until that card arrived. When I reminded her that the reason I had gone online was to transfer money into my current account, she said, "Oh, well then getting cash will not be possible." AHHH!! Finally, my card arrived late in the week. Unlike at home, you can't just call and activate your card. You have to go into the bank... which is only open until 5... which is before I leave work. AHHHH!!! I knew a few banks were open on Saturday morning, so I took my card (and passport, which I found out the last time that you need to activate your card) with me on my run (I was feeling better, so I took advantage of the dry morning), hoping to find a bank that was open. I passed three, and zero were open. Hmmm... guess I'll have to find some time to find a bank during the week this week. This stuff just drives me nuts. I'm trying to be patient, but this is the one thing that I really can't get over... just the complete lack of convenience to do ANYTHING! Okay, deep breath...

There are a few other things going on right now that I'm having a hard time with, but I'm hanging in there. I think the difference between letting life get you down and getting through with just a few bumps is friends. I feel so lucky to have made some wonderful friends here, and also to have maintained relationships with so many amazing people both in Portland and in Ohio. It's amazing how friends know when you need a hug, a chat, or just a night away. To those of you who read this - thank you! You've been amazing to me, and I thank my lucky stars for each and every one of you.

I'll be visiting another new city tomorrow... I'm flying in to our Nike UK office in Newcastle to present the results of a consumer study I've been working on. I'm just staying for one day, but I'm looking forward to seeing what the Northern part of the UK is like. Saturday, it's on to Rome. The weather actually looks nice there, which will be a nice break from what we've had here lately. Pictures to come... :)

As promised... photos from Dam to Dam

Douffy and I pre-race


My friend from work, Simone, and I after the race


Douffy and I with yet another co-worker, Dao


Douffy really loved the outdoor urinals...

All in all, a beautiful day, a great race, and a time spent with friends - what more can a girl ask for? :)

Normal Things

You know, not every week can be a new adventure... it's been great seeing all of these amazing cities, but I'm exhausted! :) This weekend, I decided that what would be the MOST fun would be staying in town and having a "normal" weekend. Friday, I worked from home. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and I went for a great 6 mile run at lunchtime (well, it was kind of 6+ because I got lost). That evening, I met some girlfriends from work for an amazing Italian dinner, and just enjoyed "time with the girls" much like I used to do back at home... except one had a British accent and the other a Dutch one. :)

Saturday, I got up on the early side and went to play 9 holes of golf with my co-worker Richard. He's a really talented golfer (2 handicap), and always has a tip or two that really helps me out. I think I played all of my shots, and I even hit a ball out of the sand. I'm really improving, which makes me happy, because it's been a long time in the making! :) I'm to the point where I actually ENJOY golf, which is a long way from where I have been. I don't count how many holes I have left anymore - in fact, I was shocked when we got to our 9th hole that we were already done. :)

When we got back to Amsterdam, it was still gorgeous, so I went for another run. I started feeling pretty sick about halfway through my run, so I was glad to be pretty close to home. I had some plans with co-workers for that evening, which I ended up cancelling because I progressively got sicker and sicker as the day went on. I'm pretty sure it was the flu, although I never actually got sick. Still, a pretty sucky way to spend a Saturday night. I did, however, get my DVD player unlocked to be able to play US DVD's, so I spent the night with my favorite 4 women - the characters of Sex and the City. I absolutely love that show, and seriously think that I could have contributed to the scripts with some of my own stories! :) I've also been working on my album for my adventure here - I have been scrapbooking for over 10 years, and this album has been my favorite to work on so far.

After a somewhat restless night (my neighbors were having a party, which proceeded to wake me up at midnight, 1:00am, and 3:00am), I got up early to start my journey to Rotterdam, which is another pretty big city in the Netherlands, and the country's largest port. One of my co-workers, Gulsun, lives there with her husband, and they are restoring a house that was built in 1895. I had volunteered to help them, and so this weekend, I drove down for a day of painting. I had a fun time with them, and got to meet some of their nice friends. The house is going to be absolutely beautiful when it's finished! :)


Hard core painting chicks!


Way cuter picture!!


Gulsun's husband, Olov (l), and friend Irae


Olov took me back to my car riding Dutch-style! I almost peed my pants I was so scared riding on the back of his bike! :) But now I'm a pro!

Moment of Truth

So... I'm sitting at my desk at work, when the phone rings. The following is the conversation that followed:



KP: This is Kristen

Guy on Phone (G): This is so-and-so calling about your Moment of Truth

KP: My what???

G: Your Moment of Truth, you know, your M.O.T.

KP: Huh?

G: We need to schedule your appointment

KP: I think you have the wrong number

G: No, this is Kristen, right?

KP: Well, yes, but I have NO idea what you are talking about

G: The Moment of Truth, you know, your annual car check-up

KP: OH! I got a letter about that (in Dutch!)



And the conversation progressed... basically, it's just annual emissions testing for your car, just like we had back at home... however, I'm thinking "What the hell is this guy talking about?". Long story short, appointment is scheduled for a few weeks from now. I will never forget this Moment of Truth. :)



Just a fun little vignette into life abroad... :)