yesterday

was a perfect dutch day.
mostly.

I think I expected the weather to turn awful on the first of September, so every morning that I wake up with a sunny sky and weather warm enough for short sleeves, I am happy. And that has happened a lot in September! :)

Yesterday I woke up 30 minutes earlier than I needed to and just laid in bed, enjoying hearing the kids downstairs and knowing that I didn't have to get up to take care of them. Unfortunately that lazy 30 minutes made me lazy for the next hour, when I actually needed to be hurrying. But, instead of rushing to get to my 10 o'clock appointment, I sat down at the computer, slowly drank my coffee, and did my Dutch flashcards for the day. Then I took off quickly for my 10 (now 10:30 appointment) about 9 km away (nice start to the morning - biking into the wind where it is JUST cool enough that I don't start sweating even though I am biking as hard as I can).

I went to meet the editor in chief of Spits news - a free newspaper here in the Netherlands. It is a pretty big newspaper here, and it was really interesting to talk to him. It was also just interesting to be in a newsroom again (I haven't done that since I was 15 and my dad still worked at the News Free Press). We talked for about an hour about the Chattanoogan.com's busness model and how we work. Plus, we also just chatted about what it is like for an American to live in the Netherlands and about noticable cultural differences.

The conversation made me excited about being a grownup for the first time in a while. I enjoyed talking with him, and it made me realize how there is a part of me - my intellect, my side that wants a career - that is just lying dormant now. I think it is ok; I am busy learning a lot of life's lessons that I wouldn't learn if I was focused on a career. But, it is a part of me that I don't want to lie dormant for too long. And conversations like the one really help.

I think one of the best parts of the conversation was just to realize that he and I find the same things interesting. As I think more and more about what I am going to do for a job 4 months from now, I have recently felt like some things I thought were viable options would really not fit my personality. So it was nice to feel so comfortable in a working space and to think I could do something similar to what this man does (or at least what he leads).

After leaving his office, I took off on the bike again. This time I biked as hard as I could in the direction of the Museumplein, hoping to get there by 12:30 to see the free Wednesday symphony concert with Fred. I realized I am finally getting better at blindly navigating my way around Amsterdam. I have stopped thinking in American terms ("ok - I need to end up south east of where I am, and I am heading south now, so if I take a left here, I'll head east. Then I'll still need to go a bit more south..."). Now I think, "ok - I know I am starting out going east, and the wind is blowing directly at me, so pay attention to the wind, and that will help me figure out where I need to go..." Maybe not the most scientific, but generally more helpful in a city where turning left 4 times won't necessarily get you anywhere close to where you started.

Unfortunately, i ended up at the wrong end of Museumplein and missed the concert by all of 2 minutes. :( But, I think it is there every week. We'll be cultural at some point. Instead, I went back to Fred's and started looking at editing positions online and realized I am qualified for a lot of them. Then, after feeling like I got something accomplished, I biked to Amsterdam Oost and met Mr. Tom for a gezellig biertje. Tom is now busy with work, school, frisbee, and meeting new people. Which sometimes leaves very little time for us to get together (particuarly because I am gone most weekends, when he has free time). Our one hour conversation was definitely the highlight of my day. I've been sortof "blah" all week, and he somehow manages to always make me feel good.

I then had a nice long 11 km bike home, was back by 6 p.m., just in time to chat with Babs and help cook dinner. Then dinner with the kids, work for my dad, and in bed by 10! nice long evening chat with Erik and asleep by 11, which means ALMOST NINE HOURS OF SLEEP! yah!