Seven Days

Post by Erin

It's officially seven days until I fly back to Portland. This time next week I'll be over an ocean with Sita, trying to find a movie (or five) to watch to entertain myself for the 10 hour flight.

It's a bittersweet time for me, I really have loved my time here in Holland, and the way it came to an end has been less than desirable. But on the other hand, I am overjoyed to be returning to Portland and all my family and friends there, especially since my living situation is all buttoned up and looks to be AMAZING!

Things I Will Miss About Holland:
1) Ben. Time will help tremendously with this one.
2) Kitties, Bumper and Bandit. I am taking Sita with me of course, and she's always been my personal favorite, but the boys bring a certain something to the table as well, and I'll miss their shenanigans.
3) Full time tackmaking. There's no way I can afford the health insurance to be self-employed in the US, so back to a day job I go. There's plusses to that too, of course - a steady paycheck is nothing to be sneezed at! I will of course still be making items in my spare time, it just won't get to be my #1 activity anymore.
4) My Dutch friends. Some of them are Dutch, some are expats from elsewhere, but I was just getting to know some really amazing women over here. Fortunately we can keep in touch via Facebook, but it won't be the same.
5) Dutch Radio. They really do know how to make a dance mix, and hearing trance on the local radio is pretty great.
6) THE CHEESE. Though, now that I know what to look for, I expect I can find a lot of the things I eat here in the states, I'll just have to look harder... fortunately Portland has some of the best world grocery stores around!
7) Learning Dutch. I was more than halfway through with it, and while going to class 20 hours per week was time consuming, I did enjoy the mental stretching.


Things I am OVERJOYED to be Going Home to:
1) MY DADDY!! Who cares if I'm almost thirty, I love my dad and it's been awful being so far away.
2) My friends! I've missed birthdays, weddings, baby announcements and new births, and I'm so happy I won't be thousands of miles away anymore.
3) Portland, the city I know. I really do love Portland, and I can't wait to be back there and able to go to all the places I've missed.
4) The model horse shows. There really is nothing like a good american model horse show (where you can win NAN cards!), and I have missed those more than I care to admit. So when you see me at EVERYTHING for the next couple of years, just remind yourself that I'm like a kid in a candy shop - I've been making due with fruit and graham crackers, which are kind of like candy, but NOT THE SAME.
5) DRIVING! I've only gotten to drive a handful of times over here, and it's been fine - but there's nothing like owning your own car, and knowing that you have that freedom to go wherever you want whenever you want.
6) Big box stores! I know they come with their own societal ills, but until you've lived without a Target, you don't know what it's like to not be able to get macaroni and cheese, vacuum cleaner bags, towels, socks and cat food all in the same store. It's trying.
7) Speaking the native language. I was working on Dutch, and I can understand most of what's said around me, but being able to effortlessly understand people on the phone or in the store is a real gift.
8) American Laziness - Yeah, I LIKE being able to sit in my car and go to a starbucks and the bank without opening my door. There's a reason drive-thrus are so popular.
9) The weather in Oregon. I thought it was going to be a lot rainier here than it turned out to be, so I am very happy to be going back to colder temps and more rain. It was too danged hot over here.


That's all I've got right now off the top of my head, I'm sure there are many things I could add to both lists if I really gave it more thought... but right now I'm off to pack up my studio. I finished my last saddle set I'll make here in Holland yesterday morning, so it's time for that chapter to be closed.

Looking towards tomorrow!