Reflections

Well, Preston and I have been home for four days now and it has given me some time to reflect on our wonderful trip this summer. I had a friend ask me the other day how I had changed as a result of our trip. I don't know if I have figured that out yet but I have learned to appreciate differences more. It was wonderful to see another part of the world and the way other people live. And to notice the small things that they take for granted but our "new" for us. For instance, don't you love this exit sign with the guy running?
Or this crosswalk button where you are shown how to push the button?
We came to love the creamy ijs (ice) and you could always find an ice cream store because of the display out front. Plus they usually had tables out front where you could sit, visit and enjoy the delectable treat.
We were amazed how many French fry stores there were and of course they couldn't be out done by the ice cream shops, so they too had a display out front. We came to realize that a large order of fries constitutes a meal and naturally they will be served with mayonnaise which we now prefer to ketchup.
One of the most interesting events was taking place while we were there. The Dutch were going on holiday. The country is divided into three areas and each area goes on vacation at a different time during July (all the European countries have months when it's their turn to vacation). Most go for two to three weeks and a huge number go camping in trailers. For the entire month we were there we saw small (and I mean small) cars pulling trailers. Some of the trailers were very small too, but they have canopies in the front that almost double the livable space. I tried in vain to get a picture of a very small car pulling a very small trailer. But it is hard to take a picture of a moving vehicle while you are in a moving vehicle, I found this one at a rest area where we stopped..
The other thing that surprised me was that if you owned a small business, you just closed your doors for three weeks while you went on vacation. This notice was on the baker's door and says that they will be closed from July 21 to August 11. Plus, consumers expect and accept the closures. It isn't just the bakeries that close down but doctor's and dentist's offices, the cheese stores or Chinese restaurants and just about any privately owned business. I guess making money isn't the most important thing in their lives. What a novel idea!

This was one difference Garth and I just couldn't accept. We were in a very small Dutch village and there was a Mexican restaurant named El Paso. That was just too much. Since we are very picky about our Mexican food, we really didn't want to give it a try in the Netherlands ; we won't even eat it in Texas.
Coming from an area of the country where houses tend to be all the same, it was such a treat to see colorful, unique and wonderful buildings and homes. That also have beautiful, well tended gardens.
Naturally, food was one of the best differences. I will miss the sour yogurt, the wonderful cheeses and of course the desserts and pastries. The pastries really could be the means of doing Garth in if he lived there a long time. They are so light, creamy and scrumptious! We loved taking a break in the morning and afternoon to sit, have a drink and a little treat. Preston noticed that Europeans are much more social, and friendly to strangers than we are.
I had another friend ask me what was the best thing of my trip. I had to stop and think a minute. While we saw world famous paintings, statues, churches, landscapes and buildings, it was the people that really made the trip so special. Tante Anni, Oom Wim, Truus, Paul, Joost and the countless other people we were introduced to plus the very special ones we lived with.

I loved Jeske and her beautiful smile, her bravery in trying to speak a new language and her patience in trying to teach me Dutch with correct pronunciation.

Wouter and his curly hair delighted me as he explained and showed and guided me through his country. Plus he was awfully fun to race up escalators with.

Maxim was quite the game player and was a joy to play with, even if the game was just trying to see where the subway door would open. He was always there to help with his winning smile and twinkling eyes.I owe a special gratitude to Jip because he gave up most of his summer to spend with his mother's friend and her son that he had only met twice. I love Jip for his wonderful attitude, charming ways and just being so fun to be around. I appreciate how good he was to Preston and the friendship they have developed.
Anita truly found someone special when she married Rob. I am so grateful that he let me borrow his wife for a month and shared his home, food, gas and time with Garth and Preston and I. I love his sense of humor and the fact that he does laundry! Sorry the men in my family lost so many of your golf balls.
Of course the person that made my trip the most meaningful was my friend of 30 years, Anita. We are amazed each time we are together how much we are a like, from liking the same color of roses to saying the exact same thing at as the same time when instructing our children. She was the perfect hostess and the best of friends. We can never get enough of each other, I love her dearly!
I am also thankful for a 16 year old boy who tried to smile through an endless number of pictures taken by me even when he really didn't want to and

his willingness to hang out all summer with just his mom, to race up to castles, to climb endless stairs, and to indulge all of my crazy whims. I love his sense of humor and it made the trip even more fun. What 16 year old would appease his mother and let her take a picture of him like this?
But most of my gratitude has to go to Garth and his never ending limit of what he will do to make me happy. I'm very blessed to have spent the last 28 years with a man who is my best friend and who I never grow tired of being with. Sometimes it is a challenge to deal with his ego but then he has to deal with my crying, so I guess we are even.