Terug in de VS, terug in de VS, terug in de VSSR!

Nou, the Ukraine meisje echt knock me out, zij vertreekt de west behind...

Well, I arrived back in D.C. / D.C. area vorige week woensdag 16 december, and it was a hearty trip.  2 rolling suitcases filled with gifts and books; one backpack laden with all the most heavy, most fragile, and most necessary things; and one softcase guitarcase (with a lightweight guitar inside), and some books in its outer pocket.  I didn't know how I was going to manage, but a BFF from Amsterdam walked me to Centraal Station and hung around while I got my ticket, then lugged one of those ridiculous suitcases up some stairs to the platform--because my train was coming at the only spoor without an escalator.  She brought a suitcase and the guitar (on her back) down 3 flights of stairs, too, in my building.  We just about froze in the walk to the station, but she set me up on the train and then we said our adieus!  Luckily she's going to roadtrip it up to see me, because she's from the New England issssshhhh area.

On the train, I met a nice Dutchperson who was quiet and I thought wouldn't want to talk, but in her quiet, even shy and slow-speaking way, you could tell that wasn't so--because she kept starting conversations.  We talked about speaking Dutch, and how she's a nurse and is studying to work on ambulances, and how in the world stretchers can possibly work on those narrow vertical Dutch staircases (special shoes and bungee cords).  Then she had to get off because it was her stop, and at the same stop another person (een andere mens) who was to become my friend entered.  I cleared off the spot where the previous friend had sat, and he thanked me and sat there.  He was from Sierra Leone and has lived in the Netherlands for 10 years, and been learning Dutch for the past 6 years, and is still taking classes.  He turned out to be an airport security guard at Schiphol, where I was going.  When we neared the airport, he asked how much luggage I had, since I had been living here, and when he saw my things, he picked them up, exited the train, plopped them down on a trolley, took me up on an elevator, pointed me in the right direction, shook my hand, and said goodbye.  It was such a luck of fortune.  I don't know how else I would have managed.

My guitar was able to enter the first plane, thankfully, and on the second, it was put below with everyone else's carry-on (tiny shuttle planes have no cabin space!), and came out undamaged.  Also: both my suitcases turned out to be WAY underweight!  Around 2/3 of what each could have been.  So.  I felt less bad about wearing my friend's and my arms out, because, you know, it turned out to be not as bad as it could have been!  :)  Just kidding.  It was very nice that she, my friend from the U.S., walked me to the station.

Also, the night after I left Amsterdam, it snowed.  They say it hasn't snowed in years in Amsterdam, and it snowed this year, that day.  My housemates were all outside in it, having snowball fights, taking pictures, meandering.  Apparently it was beautiful.  The pictures sure make it look that way.

By my parents' house there have been 20ish inches of snow, and everything shut down for a while!  It's pretty, but we're supposed to get a wintery mix / sleet soon.

Love.  Groetjes!  Goed Zegeningen!  xo