First Day in a New Place!

Hello whomever decides to read this!

I am a third year college student studying abroad for the semester. I will be in Amsterdam with friends for a weekend before Paris for a week, and then finally Lyon for 6 weeks. I am studying in France this summer to work on my degree in French. I also study biology and I sort of am planning on becoming a doctor in the future too.

WEATHER

Amsterdam, Netherlands
Low/High : 51/63
Chance of Rain : 50%

Austin, Texas, US
Low/High : 64/88
Chance of Rain : 0%

Today I have arrived in Amsterdam. I left yesterday from Houston on a flight that would last 10 hours. I was lucky enough to have a wonderful seat neighbor. She was wonderful because she was small and could fit comfortably on her side. Not to be rude, but I was thankful to no have to sit by a mammoth for half a day. We talked comfortably for a while. She was a retired pharmaceutical sales representative living in Hawaii on her way to see her niece graduate high school in Amsterdam. We chit chatted and it was nice. She told me about her work in volunteering including her current project of saving the seals! As a pre-med biology student, we also talked about biological things.

I arrived in Amsterdam all by myself, which was exciting. For some strange reason I have not been nervous at all about this trip. I found my way on the train to central station where I met up with family friends, Lora and Phil. Lora had to take off to work on her play she was directing so Phil and I managed home. Then I passed out and took a shortish nap... short for me... 3 hours at least.... Anywho, I slept through everything while on the couch in the living room. We then left and I finally was about to view Amsterdam.

Now I'll show you all the pictures that I've taken so far.

Yeah that's right only one... It's pretty awkward taking pictures when you are by yourself. Or maybe that's just a weird trait I have, hating to take pictures but wanting 18945738905724672 of them.

I spent the afternoon wandering about, and somehow I managed to not get lost. Without a map or looking at any signs I ended up back to the meeting place on time. I have a wicked inner compass.

Before meeting up with Phil and renting myself a bike, I helped a woman with her own bike. As I was about to open my new journal I could hear the grunts of a woman in labor, not the baby kind more like the manual kind... That last sentence was awkward... Anyways. I looked over my shoulder and saw this woman struggling to fix her bike chain and she was obviously stressed out about it. Naturally I look around waiting for a second before I decide that I might as well help her. Who cares that I don't know if she knows English. I bent down and asked I could help and she gratefully shook her head. I got to work and fixed her chain, it was simple. Her chain had fallen off but she didn't know how to get it back on while her chain guard was guarding her from the chain.

With greasy hands I went to see Lora's production Stag. It was absolutely fantastic. A great story about a reunion of 2 middle aged men that were once silly college students together.... So a reunion about friends that meet each other when they are my age. Obviously I could relate exactly with the characters especially since I too am engaged and having a bachelor party with one almost friend. After the performance we grabbed a bite to eat at a pizza place. Slowest pizza place ever. I enjoyed myself as I watched Phil squirm over the fact that it was taking so long. I'm fairly easy going or maybe it's all the pot that was smoked around me, so I felt perfectly calm as I waited our long overdue meal. With that I rode back to the train to get back to their home for bed.

Another vitle part of my journey thus far is the weather. It's cold here. Soooooooo strange for a Texan like me! My toes were chilly in my tom's. Looks like I already need to make a purchase. I actually borrowed one of the actor's sweaters tonight as well. C'mon it's hot over in Austin right now.