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| First view of the Netherlands |
It has
been nearly a week now since I ventured from my home to begin this adventure
and it is now that inevitable time of reflection. Fortunately it began at a
reasonable time for me and it was a relatively short journey to our
destination, compared to some of the horror stories I have heard since my
arrival. I spent the days leading up to my departure weighing, and reweighing,
my suitcases and having nightmares of lost baggage and missed trains. However
all went smoothly. Our flight was shorter than was expected giving us ample time to decipher train timetables to fulfil the final part of our journey to
Leeuwarden, approximately two and a half hours north of Amsterdam.
Having arrived earlier than expected we had to wait a short
time for our pick up to our accommodation. However, being happy just to have
arrived safely the time flew by and we were quickly being transported by a
smiling Student Stay staff member to our residence for the coming months.
Checking in was a quick process, made easier by everyone's impeccable English,
and I was soon in my room settling myself in. An upgrade from home, in terms of
space and view, I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort I would be living in during my stay, even if the kitchen did need a good clean. Unfortunately none of my flat mates were in at this time to
make introductions but I was able to meet them in the days to come. Possibly the only downside of my otherwise spectacular room are the evil ducks and seagulls which frequent the canal two floors below which insist on waking me in the morning but I am sure I can learn to tune them out.
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| The evil ducks and seagulls laughing at me from below |
As we had arrived on the first day of the Erasmus Student
Network's (ESN) introduction week it was straight out in the evening for a
"Welcome to Leeuwarden" party. This was a great opportunity to meet
both locals and fellow exchange students, many having travelled from much more exciting countries than ourselves. The following days were spent getting our bearings, which involved a lot of getting lost, and taking part in
many more activities organised by the ESN including a games day, where I had my first experience of the very popular game "Werewolves", and a sports day, which for me consisted of an hour and a half of my new found favourite past time - Dodgeball. Another of these days involved our first experience of the campus of NHL University of Applied Sciences. This began with a brief introduction from our contacts within the international office, followed by a sort of scavenger hunt which gave us a great opportunity to explore the campus as well as another chance to meet even more fellow exchange students.
During this first week the greatest challenge I have come to realise is shopping and cooking for myself. This is made even more challenging by the fact I can not read any cooking instructions that may accompany my purchases. I don't think I ever truly valued the cooking prowess of my mother until this time. Hopefully my skills will improve in the weeks to come.
