Kelly's Adventures Abroad!: Holland Highlights!

There would be SO MUCH to try to relay if I gave you guys the play by play...so I thought it might more interesting if I retold Holland this way! Warning: the pictures aren't really in any sort of order.

So here's Holland's most delightful highlights:

STROOPWAFELS-This was pretty much my favorite thing about the Dutch culture. For those of you who haven't experienced the scrumptiousness of a stroopwafel, I will try to explain its goodness to you: it's a thin round waffle...and another thin waffle...connected by gooey caramel. It tastes like a crispy churro dipped in carmel...omg...I want them always. I made sure to bring a package of them home with me!
Reunited at last-it was SO nice to see the girls! I felt like I was at home right away, able to let my hair down and just be myself. It was rejuvenating. Kristen was so sweet to put everything together for us...meeting us at the airport..."securing" mattresses, blankets and towels...hanging out even though she had midterms to study for...it was all so appreciated. Brittany was as crazy as ever...I couldn't have been more happy to see her.
Wrong side of the tracks-the first night, on the way back from the airport, our train stopped randomly and then there was an explanation on Dutch. In response to my confused look, a Dutch grad student came over and explained that it had run out of electricity or something and we'd have to change trains. So the 7 of us on the train at 1:30 in the morning all got off with the conductor and the sweet helper man. The two of them put on reflector vests and told us that since the train would be on Track Two and the station was closed, that we would have to cross the tracks! So we jump into the four foot pit, cross the tracks, and have to be pulled up on the other side. Britt was wearing a dress, so the conductor man said, "Don't worry! I won't look!" Man it was ridiculous...a great introduction to Holland!
Canals-these are everywhere. They refect the sky, the buildings, and the trees and they look beautiful. Sometimes they're covered in this nasty green goop though. Those canals aren't as cute. Hehe.
Rum hot chocolate-so I saw this on the menu when we had lunch in Utrecht and so that night I wanted to try it because it sounded interesting. It wasn't on the menu but the waiter said he'd see what he could do. I wrote the words in the order I did for a reason- it was rum hot chocolate! like half and half...SO STRONG! Hehe...fun experience. Definitely warmed me up for the walk home.
Bikes- Everyone, i mean, everyone rides bikes in Holland. It's CRAZY. Kristen had explained to us that at some point we would ride on the back of one, which we did. It was so exhilarating! There's a small platform for someone to sit, so Britt and I made our way to the club riding side-saddle on the back of two of Kristen's friend's bikes! Oh, it was so much fun!
Kristen's new coat-we finally found Kristen a possible coat, which she bought, and then left somewhere...only to discover this while we're on the bus home. So we jump off and begin running to try to find it. This was quite the adventure with Brittany and I in flats, with shopping bags, trying to keep up with her, and having only a vague idea of where we were. In the end she was victorious...and it was at this point that we made our way to a cafe for that chocolate rum.
Grey's Anatomy- we watched the first two episodes of the season together online! It was very laid back and made me feel at home, or at least like I was back at UCSD. It's the sort of thing we would always do together...and there we were doing it in Holland!
Utrecht-we had the best time exploring Utrecht. We went shopping, ate Dutch pancakes, went to this really neat automated musical instrument museum, went out clubbing, had a picnic in the park...it was just an all around good time! Everyone is so cute. The windows are very open so you can look in and see everyone doing their business, which are things like reading the paper, playing with grandchildren, you know, all the usual cute things. It was lovely.
Delft-we went here on a day trip on Saturday. It was smaller than Utrecht or Amsterdam, and we did some shopping, some eating, and some church-going (they both had amazing stained glass -->). I bought a really pretty necklace there with a perfume charm on it. I've decided that it's love potion. Now I just need to find a non-creepy, non-mama's-boy, non-cheating Italian boyfriend. Good luck, Kelly.