Home sweet home

If I could use one word to describe my last month in Amsterdam, I'd say it was BUSY. My lack of posts is probably the best proof of how busy I was. But now that I'm home, and before MIT classes start tomorrow and the real busyness begins, I wanted to close out my blog with one final post. And send out a big thanks to all of my followers and readers!

A lot happened in August - so here is a quick summary:
-I went to the beach again for beach baptisms!
-I went to an African/Surinam festival with one of the sweetest girls I met in Amsterdam, Fiona.
-My friend Polly came to visit me from France! Together we went to my church's 1920's themed "Great Gatsby" party.
-My family came and visited me!! It was a blast getting to show my 3 cousins, mom, sister, and Oma all around the city I had become a local in. And being able to understand Oma when she spoke in Dutch for the first time in my life was pretty cool!
-So.much.fooooooood. (while my family was there).
-Got to go outside of Amsterdam quite a bit with them - ah the Dutch countryside is beautiful!
-Met my 'cousins' for the first time since I was in Holland 10 years ago. They were fun to hang out with!
-Saw my friend Josh beat Portugal at a Dutch National Basketball game!
-Celebrated my roommates birthday with some Dutch apple pie.
-Enjoyed my last day at Hillsong Amsterdam - especially packing down the church and going to the hosting team dinner.
-Made treats for my company at work, finished up all of my projects, and said my goodbyes.
-Toured around Amsterdam canals on a huge boat with at least a hundred people from the church on my last night.
-Sat inside the "d" of the "IAMSTERDAM" sign around 11pm on my last night, as I said goodbye to the city, prayed for it, and thanked God for the amazing adventure he blessed me with.


Again - thats just a quick update - so look at my pictures on Facebook for more details! Thanks again for reading. I'm sure I'll be back to blogging when the next off-campus adventure appears!

Hillsong Conference 2013!

Hillsong Conference is a huge conference set up by Hillsong Church (which originated in Australia but has locations all over the world now). It's aim is to bring Christians from churches all over together to worship, learn more about their faith, and to "champion the cause of the local church". My first week in Amsterdam, I heard talk about it at church, and was interested, but didn't think I'd actually go (partly due to cost). Just a few short weeks later, the church had found someone who was giving away their ticket and gave it to me - praise God! 

However Monday morning (two days before conference started) I still had no transportation or accommodation in London. Within an hour God provided both. I found a cheap bus ticket to London, and after sending a few emails to some different MIT students, found someone to crash with. Jehovah still jirehs! :D 

My bus left Tuesday night at 11pm. At about 10pm, I got an exciting text from Antuan that said that he'd be traveling through Amsterdam the following Monday. By this point I was essentially beaming over with excitement  - I had a great day at work, I was pumped for conference, and could not believe that Antuan would be in Amsterdam in a few short days. 

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it!" 

-Psalm 118:24

There were tons of church people on my bus which made it a fun ride! And our bus took the ferry - so we got to get off and explore around the boat, and sleep of course! We arrived in London at 7am; I then walked to the dorm I was staying at. 

That day I just explored around the city with a few people. Got some good food, did some shopping, and got easily acquainted with the 'Tube', London's subway system. London is by far, the most expensive city I've been in so far, and the busiest. It almost felt like the NYC of Europe. 

Conference started on Wednesday night. Worshipping with 20,000 people was pretty insane. And I already felt like I learned so much that first night. My prayer before/during/after conference was Ephesians 3:20-21, and I definitely saw God do far more abundantly than I could have imagined!

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or imagine, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" 

-Ephesians 3:20-21

Thursday and Friday conference lasted all day - lots of worship, sermons, and getting to know people. Two of the pastors were from the US: as 'cultured' as I like to think I am, I definitely am an American at heart. Certain things the pastors did and said made them distinctly American, and I think I was one of the few people in the arena to identify with them. 

During one of the breaks on Thursday I found a bench along the Thames and took a nap for an hour; it was glorious haha. 

Friday night a big group of us from the conference all went out for drinks. Afterwards, I joined a group of MIT students to go to a club (not my first choice of things to do on a Friday night, but alas). I ironically ran into a friend from high school! That was pretty crazy, considering I was in some random club in London and my high school class was only 140 students. And on our way home I got to experience a ride in a black London cab!

Saturday morning, my host Sarith and I, explored around London. We saw the changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the British museum, London Bridge, the London Tower, Tate Museum, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the London Eye…

Greatest thing about London: all the museums are free! You can just walk in, see a few things, and walk out as many times as you want! 

Worst thing: the water - apparently you're not supposed to drink what comes out of the faucet, but I did anyways. It's 'hard' water though, so it dries out your skin, doesn't taste good, and its actually quite difficult to find places to fill up your water bottle. 

That night Sarith and I went to Hillsong London church. It was like a continuation of conference! It was also fun to run into people on the Tube that day will Hillsong conference bracelets and start conversations from them. I met people from all over Europe! And we immediately would bond due to our shared experience. Didn't happen too often (London is hugeeee), but I enjoyed when it did! 

Sunday morning I went to Hillsong London church again, because Louis Giglio and Judah Smith were speaking at the first two services (the pastors from America). The services were awesome - with 1000 people in each! I was bummed I couldn't be at Hillsong Amsterdam that day since the Saturday bus was filled, but once I went to the London church, I was glad I got the Sunday bus. 

That afternoon I did some more exploring on my own. Saw Kensington Palace (where Kate and William live apparently) and Hyde Park. When I bought some ice cream, the lady asked me if I was American. When I told her yes, she replied "I thought so. You are very polite. You're definitely not from London." I thought that was pretty cool. 

I hopped on my bus home at 7pm. Unfortunately didn't sleep too much, except for when I sprawled out on a couch on the ferry. Arrived in Amsterdam at 6am, went home, showered, and was back at work by 8am! 

Also: if you haven't seen the video I shared on Facebook "Hillsong Conference Highlights 2013" - check it out! It gives a better glimpse into what conference was like than what I can put into words! :)

:D

Because I've gotten so behind on blogging, here are some quick updates on happenings between my trip to Italy and trip to London! 

-After I came back from Italy, it was actually sunny and nice in Amsterdam! Spent a few evenings at the park, and even saw a rainbow! 

You can see the rainbow in this picture, I promise. 

 -The weekend following Italy was the first weekend I've really taken to just relax. I stayed in Amsterdam, and used it to catch up on sleep, blogging, laundry etc. It was delightful. Even spent some time drawing and playing the piano. I went to a BBQ in Vondelpark (one of the biggest parks in Amsterdam) with Hillsong church which was lots of fun. Tons of good food, silly games with kids, people getting thrown into the ponds, football matches, meeting new people, and growing closer to people I already knew. That Sunday I spent the morning at another park, relaxing, reading, and hanging out with some ducks ;) I then helped greet at the afternoon church service, and joined the hosting team for their team dinner at a mexican restaurant! Mexican in Europe? Even less authentic than Mexican in Boston…I had stuffed chicken breast over pasta haha. At church I introduced myself to two girls with backpacks, since I'm very used to walking around with one of those on. Turns out they were from the UK exploring Amsterdam and Belgium for a week. They asked me if I knew a good place to stay for the night - so I just invited them to my place! It was a joy to have sisters in Christ who I had just met say for two nights, and they gave me tips for my upcoming trip to London! 

A game for the kids to eat cake off the tree without their hands. It was hilarious. 

My "Mexican" meal. 

It got so hot in Amsterdam our candles gave out! I was quite happy though :D 

Italia :D

 As I described in my last post, I left the Friday night party around 11pm. I came home and slept from 11:30pm-2:30am, in order to shower, pack, and get to the bus stop by 4am. By 4:10 I was on a bus on my way to Schipol Airport. Destination: Italy!

My plane took off at 6:40am (the first time I've almost slept through a take off). It landed at 9am in Naples. I assume it was a smooth flight - since I was asleep for 99% of it! The last few minutes I looked out the window and saw mountains and ocean; I already knew this country was going to be good. 

Stepping out of the plane I felt a rush of HEAT for the first time since being in Europe. That's when I knew this was going to be a good trip :) 

From the airport I took a bus to Naples central station, where I proceeded to find a tourist booth to get a map, and then hopped on a train to Pompeii. 

Pompeii was pretty neat! Crazy to think it was the same as it was in 79 A.D - like when Paul was traveling around Europe sharing the Gospel! I then took a bus to Mt. Vesuvius. The crater was astounding, and the view from it of the Bay of Napoli was even more impressive. It was one of those moments when I was awed at God's Creation. 

From there, I took a train back to Naples. Planned on exploring the city a bit, but it was super sketchy (and no street signs anywhere)…so just went to my hostel. It's a blessing I have a good sense of direction, because I often have no idea where I am, and then just show up in the right spot. Thank you God :) Another travel tactic - feed off of others. For instance, when you're on a bus at 4 am and you see two people get on with suitcases, or two tourists next to you on the train talking about Pompeii, use their extra sets of eyes to find the right stop (and help them if they seem like they are about to miss it). Or when I was walking down a random street in Naples and saw two young girls carrying a pizza, I followed them, knowing they were probably going to my hostel. Sure enough - they basically escorted me to the front desk. 

My hostel was pretty nice - and lots of cool, friendly people. They guy who ran it was clearly Italian - in that he was energetic, passionate, and talked with that Italian 'umph'. He was so helpful. And I met some cool kids from Australia, Holland, Germany, and France during my night there! Yayy for people to talk to; traveling alone can get a little boring sometimes…

The next morning I woke up bright and early, and was on a ferry headed towards Capri by 7am. Capri is a small island off of Italy, and ever since seeing Danielle's pictures of it, I wanted to go there. I slept during most of the ferry ride (big surprise there), but was easily astounded with Capri's beauty when we were pulling into the harbor. The main tourist attraction is to take a boat tour of the island to go into the caves or grottos (almost everyone on my ferry lined up for one of these tours). But they are expensiveeeee, and if you can tell by my adventures, I neither enjoy doing 'touristy' things or expensive things. I was determined to find a way to swim and feel that Med, as well as soak up plenty of sun. And even though all beaches but one are privately owned and most of the island has become quite touristy and expensive, I had no doubt I could stand out from the crowd. 

Upon some initial exploration, I came across beautiful alleyways, peach and lemon trees in people's backyards, expensive tourist shops, a perform factory with the best smelling perfume I've ever smelt, a beautiful hidden hotel that I could never afford, and a garden on top of a giant cliff that overlooked one side of the island. Below I could see gorgeous clear blue water, lots of cliffs, and boats further off that coast. As soon as I set my eye on that water - I was determined to be swimming in it shortly. 

With a map and a good sense of direction, I made my way down the cliff down a windy path, and got as close to the water as I could. Unfortunately, the path was still at least 50 yards away from the water, as it was on its own little cliff. But I spotted a little dirt path after studying the scene for a bit - so there was hope. 

Where I set my eye on - determined to get in that water.

Getting closer...

I eventually found a hole in the wall of the path I was on, and despite the "No entry" sign, quickly jumped through the hole and took the unbeaten path. Winding down aways, while climbing over lots of rocks, I had a smile beaming across my face. I could tell I was getting closer to that water, to the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

Signs like these are meant to be ignored...

Even closer...

And then I arrived. There was a perfect little rock to sit on, dip my feet in the ocean, and sit there in complete awe. The next task: jump in! For one of the first times ever, this sense of fear of the water hit me. So many unknowns…and its been engrained in me to never swim alone. So first I prayed, and then I carefully analyzed the situation. Studying the waves, the force they were exerting on my legs, on the rocks as they crashed against it, the current, how deep it might be, if I'd be able to get out once I jumped in…I also spotted a man fishing within 100 yards, and some tourists swimming off their boat 100 yards out to sea - close enough to hear me if I yelled for help or had to swim to them for some reason. I'd come this far though - there was no way I was just going to walk away and then do the touristy things on the island the rest of the day. So I mustered up some courage, and slipped in the water, careful to not hit any rocks if it was shallow…

And then it felt like I had been treated to a little peace of heaven. The water was beautiful, almost more blue than my bathing suit. The cliffs towering above me were astounding. It was at least 25 feet deep; the waves were gentle, cool, crisp, soothing, and there were some colorful little fish swimming near me. I kept thinking to myself, if I was the God who created this Earth, I probably would have forgotten to make places like this. But God didn't forget, in fact, I like to believe He made certain places that have captivated my heart just for Him. I joined in the bellow of the waves in worshipping our Creator. Rather than trying to impress man, God was impressing me with HIs greatness. I just couldn't stop smiling. 

"For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and diving nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made." -Romans 1:20 

Made it! :D

After swimming for a bit, I got out and laid out on the rocks in the sun. A couple discovered the path and found me, wondering where they were. I told them I had no idea, but that the water was lovely and they should swim. So they hung out there for a few hours, swimming, taking pictures for me, and just talking with me (which was quite nice since I'd been traveling alone). They even gave me a fresh peach grown on the island! And with them there - I felt it was safe to dive and jump off the cliffs and swim as much as I wanted. The only bad part was that I didn't bring sunscreen because I didn't check a bag, and couldn't get myself to pay 15 euros for a tiny little bottle of it (since only tourists buy it), so after 5 hours in the sun, I figured I needed to leave and give my skin a break. 

After being there for most of the day, I went and got some delicious gelato :) Nutella flavored and dark chocolate! I then headed back to the port to get on my ferry. The ferry was empty, so I was able to lay down on a bench and just sleep for the hour and a half ride. It was a great ending to the day. When I got back to Naples, I went back to my hostel to pick up my stuff, and then grabbed a train to Rome! 

I was at the blue dot, if you're curious. 

I showed up in Rome at 10pm, and took a bus to where I would be staying, with 3 fellow MIT students. They had a really cute apartment, with their own little terrace in the back. Got some tips from them and a map to explore the city. They also had a Rick Steve's guide to Rome - with all the secrets of how to miss the 2 hour lines for all of the monuments. I had no idea how important that would be! That alone allowed me to "do" most of Rome in just one day! 

I started my day at 8am, heading first to Palatine Hill, where the ancient Roman emperors lived. I then visited the Roman Forum, the heart of ancient Rome, and the Colosseum. The Colosseum was really cool to see. It was like standing in an ancient version of Gillette stadium. Ironic that thousands and thousands of people died there, and now its one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world. 

Overlooking the Roman Forum.

Trevi Fountain - where 3,000 euros are collected from each day!

From there I took the metro to the Spanish steps, then saw Trevi Fountain, got some delicious gelato, and headed to the Vatican. Was pleased to not have to wait in line for the Vatican museum, and I got the student discount! I really enjoyed walking through the Vatican museum, and getting to see works I had studied in high school. I was especially excited to see Raphael's "School of Athens", a large painting that basically summarizes the Renaissance and one I've always loved but never thought I'd get to see! And the Sistine Chapel - WOW. Really impressive, and something I've always wanted to see at some point in my life! Didn't expect I'd be seeing it a short 4 years after I learned so much about it in AP European history! 

"School of Athens"

The Sistine Chapel (you're not supposed to take pictures...)

Michelangelo's "Pieta"

After the Vatican museum, I got to go in St. Peter's Basilica, and then went to the top of the dome! Standing up there and overlooking all of Rome was one of my favorite parts of my day. 

By that point, I had been walking for 11 straight hours, so decided to head home. I got lost on the way back though, and ended up finding a big fountain that overlooked all of Rome. It was gorgeous! And I met some cool Australian guys. And checked out an Italian grocery store, because foreign grocery stores teach you a lot about a country :) I finally bought some Italian pizza which was quite delicious. 

That night, I walked around Rome a bit with the MIT students - so many restaurants, cute alleys, ancient ruins, and people out and about, even on a Monday night. Seeing all that Italian food has inspired me to want to learn how to cook more! 

Tuesday morning I woke up early again, and headed to the Pantheon. On the way I stumbled upon a market, where I proceeded to buy a kg of fresh cherries, which I then ate as I walked down the street. So yummy :) I also found an internet point to print my boarding pass pretty easily! The mathematical perfection of the Pantheon was really astounding - from people who didn't have computers or power tools.

Shortly after I was getting on my plane to fly back to The Netherlands. I actually didn't sleep for once, because I talked to the man next to me for almost the whole ride. I could tell from the beginning of the flight my pilot didn't quite know what he was doing, so when we started to land I just kept praying. The whole plane was quite surprised with our hard landing, but I was just happy we had made it safely. From there I took a bus and a train to home - and man did it feel good to be home. To shower, rest, and be still for a moment, because I didn't do much of that in Italy. However - I loved every minute of my trip. Italy is gorgeous - delicious, fresh food, warm weather, a beautiful coastline, breath taking mountains, and happy, energetic people. I would love to go back :D 

The summer of parties!

Week four was lots of fun! Not much sleep (or blogging) but lots of meeting new people and getting to know Amsterdam better! Work was also enjoyable - as I got new projects to work on. And our department even celebrated a birthday on Friday - which meant free cake! 

On Wednesday night, I was at Mark's house for our last ConnectGroup before the summer break here. We had an 'American' BBQ - with yummy chicken, cous cous, salmon, and plentyyyyyy of wine (not that I partook in this part, but it still surprises me how important drinks are to any event/meal here, so figured I'd mention it). Got to have some deep conversations with people - people I can already tell will be hard to say goodbye to in 6 weeks. 

Thursday night, my roommate and I headed back to Mark's house for a concert by a local band! They were really great, and of course there was more good food, and awesome people. Mark even sent me home with a giant bowl of leftover pasta (which turned out to feed Carolyn and I for a week). 

And Friday brought it all to a culmination, with the church's own Summer of Parties Parade! The church basically rented out a floor of a bar/restaurant (that was buried back in a tiny ally of Amsterdam). There were tons of people, candy-necklace making, headband making, a talent show, painting, and just a good time overall. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and did everything. Someone even blessed me by paying for my ticket anonymously. Although the party was still going on, I left around 11pm due to fatigue and getting ready for my next adventure…a short 5 hours away.