We are officially halfway through our time abroad. It is quite bitter sweet, I have had the best four weeks, making new friends, trying new foods, traveling, and making memories. However, I am starting to miss some things from home. For example, I miss ice in my water, normal snacks like goldfish, and a target LOL.
This last weekend, we decided to travel to a different country, which was a lot of fun. We explored the city of Amsterdam, and it was very different than what I have seen. The way people describe it is exactly how it was! The journey there did not go as smoothly as me and my roommate wanted it to go, however we made it! We got stuck on the runway for an hour, the Amsterdam airport was the biggest airport I have ever seen, so getting from our gate to customs took thirty minutes, and customs took forty five. The train was delayed, and it took us running to the hostel, and then sprinting to the Ice Bar to make our reserved time. Lucky us, we made it in time. It was -9.4 degrees, and it was super cool to see the ice sculptures!
The next day, we woke up super early to catch our tour. This was my favorite part of the trip. We got to see and go inside of a windmill, which was interesting because I truly never knew exactly how one was made or used. After that, we went to a really cute part of Holland on the water, where we got to see how their cheese was made and even have a tasting of all the different flavors. In my opinion the three year old cheese was the worst, even though they say cheese gets better with time. I really enjoyed the truffle and the garlic and herb! We then got to take a boat ride across the water to the wooden shoe factory. We got to see how they make the wooden shoes, and even try some on! I almost thought about getting a pair but decided to size down and get a mini version to put up as decoration at home. It was a really great tour and Im glad we were able to get out of bed at 7:30 in the morning to do it!
On our final day, we went to a couple museums including the Rijks Museum, which was super captivating. I was able to try the stroopwafle which was the absolute best sweet treat I have ever had. It was a waffle cut in half with a cinnamon filling and then chocolate sauce on top. Sunday was definitely a long day, as our flight was not till 9:00pm. However, I am very lucky that my company has me working four days a week, so I was able to sleep in on Monday.
During my work week, I listened to comedian podcasts, worked on instagram stories, and worked behind the scenes of the Laughter Lounge website. I was able to work along side one of my coworkers to see what she does for the company, and learn a little bit more about what shows The Laughter Lounge does on the week days. They have live podcasts on the weekdays, for people to go see their favorite podcasters in person, which I thought was super cool.
Some parts of Ireland that I find most difficult to assimilate with in general is the weather and how small the sidewalks are. The weather changes so fast, one minute it is freezing, the next its raining, and then it is very sunny. I have even had to use one of my co workers winter jackets to go out to lunch one day. I also feel that the sidewalks are incredibly small and people will fully run into you if you do not move, but if you do move they will move that way too. It is very confusing. I also am not sure if I should walk on the right side of the sidewalk or the left side because they drive on the left side, so do they walk on the left side too?? I am still trying to figure that out!
In regards to my job, I feel like the most difficult thing to adjust to is the wording and the slang they use. They use many different phrases and words that I do not understand 90% of the time. I have definitely learned more and have had to ask many questions, which my co workers are very nice about answering. I have adjusted to writing as they do as well, so I can make the instagram posts more accurate to the Ireland audience. This has truly been a learning experience, and has helped with my adaptability skills.
I am sad for it to be halfway over already, time keeps flying by. I am for sure going to soak up these last four weeks in this beautiful country!!