I'm home...doei doei Nederland

Groeten allemaal,

I am back home now in Canada and this is my FINAL blog entry as a Rotary Internationl Youth Exchange Student. Yes, I know...I can't believe it...one year has passed since I first arrived in the land of cheese, cows, tulips and bikes. I arrived home on friday August 3rd, after two days of non-stop travel. I shared a tearful goodbye with my third host family in Porto on thrusday and flew to Mallorca and then to Amsterdam, where I spent the night (at the house of the brother of my host father). Early friday morning I set off for my final journey home. From Amsterdam I flew to Frankfurt and then to Toronto. My flight to Frankfurt was delayed an hour, so I was late for my flight to Toronto. Forunately, I made the flight, but my luggage did not. Thankfully, the airline shipped my luggage to my house the following day. It was a wonderful feeling to see my family and friends waiting for me in the Toronto Airport. I spend the 2 hour car sharing my vacation stories and asking all sorts of questions about changes in Simcoe ( my home town). The last few days have been spent with my family, friends, sharing my stories and experiences from the past year and unpacking. Everyone wants to hear me speak Dutch!! Too bad they can't understand one word I say.

Thanks to everyone in the Netherlands who helped contributing to my amazing year. I will never forget all that I have learned this year and all the friendships that I have made. I miss the Netherlands very much. I miss biking, the hema, the h&m, gouda cheese, vla, and hagelslag ...but most of all I miss the people. My year in the Netherlands would not have been the same without the friendships I made. Thank you all very much. I will never forget you and you are always welcome to visit me in Canada!!!

Kusjes en een dikke knuffel,

Deirdre xxx

Camping met de tent

at the Louvre with my third host family
Deirdre at the Eiffel Tower
Nola, Lemke, Abel, Mirren and I at the Eiffel Tower
at the Beach in the Basque Country
Third host family and I in Portugal
Nola, Lemke, Abel and Mirren
Deirdre, Mirren, Lennard and Abel in the mountains in Portugal
Deirdre in Porto, Portugal
Saying goodbye to my third host family at the airport in Porto, Portugal

The tour is over. We survived.

Greetings everyone!

It has been awhile since I updated anyone about what I have been doing...let´s see..what have I been up to...Wadlopen, trip to Texel with my host family, organizing and making of the Northies Yearbook, visit from Kelsey (American exchange student in Bulgaria), Rotary Goodbye weekend, last day at school, trips to Amsterdam and of course the Europa Tour.

Well the Europa tour is officially over and what a tour it was! The weather was beautiful, the company was great and the cities were AMAZING!! It is really hard for me to believe that it is all over now because the Europa tour is something that all of us exchange students had been looking forward to since the beginning of the year. The schedule of this year´s tour was as follows...Pilsen, Prague, Vienna, Venice, Florence, Rome, Barcelona, Canyon du Verdon, Paris and Brussels. My favourite city was BARCELONA!!! We spent two days in Barcelona. We took a city tour of all the highlights (La Sagrada Familia, Nou Camp, Parc Guell, Gaudi architecture), had free time to shop and visit the beach, went to a Flamenco show, and enjoyed a tapas dinner!!

This is the beginning of my last month in Holland. I can't believe how fast this year flew by. I am busy packing my things, deceiding what is important to bring home and what is not so important and trying to come up with gifts to bring back for my family and friends. Some of the exchange students are back home already and some are getting ready for the big day just like me. Next week I am taking the NT 2 exam (Nederlands als tweede taal) in Utrecht. It is a two day exam and if I pass all four sections, I will receive a diploma. My goodbye parties are planned, my tickets are booked...I just have to enjoy the time I have left.

So to everyone back home...the countdown is officially on ( 38 days...haha, or something like that). I will be home before you know it . Keep enjoying the summer everyone!

Groetjes,

Deirdre