The land of bicycles, clogs and some real delicious friets

On the 24th of August 2015, I embarked on a journey that changed me forever. I was on my way to aupair in the Netherlands, very nervous as I would be flying by myself for the very first time & I would be going to a completely foreign place where I knew no one. It was also my first year out of school and I was only 19... I was also very excited to step outside of my comfort zone and break away from the sheltered bubble that is Durban, South Africa.

The process of going to the Netherlands was quite a lengthy one , so it took a few months... During that time I spoke to the family that I would be going with as well as some friends to try and prepare myself as much as possible ( but nothing can really prepare you for such a huge change).

I clearly remember getting on the plane in Durban and thinking "wow , I really am doing this!", I flew Emirates to Dubai and needed to change terminals there which was a little scary because I had to catch a train ... Thank goodness for friendly people! From Dubai , I flew to Schipol. When I arrived it was early afternoon , I remember there being a long walk from the plane to passport control. Passport control gave me no hassle. I actually remember the Dutch man talking to me in Afrikaans. Once I had got my luggage , I walked through the doors where I was going to meet my host dad... I remember feeling very out of place and searching for him and when I finally saw him ( holding a pink umbrella) , I was so relieved.

After we had met and he had given me three kisses on the cheeks ( this customary with dutch people), we made our way to his car... The first thing I noticed was the drivers side was on the opposite side, anyway so after getting all my luggage in the car we made our way to Breda ( the city where I would be staying). About an hour later we arrived and I met my host mom ( she also gave me three kisses on the cheeks) and the two children that I would be looking after ( side note: their English was very limited.). I then had some time to unpack and the little girl ( the children were twins , she had a brother) came and helped me. For Dinner we had Spaghetti Bolognaise and I was taught how to eat it with a spoon the real Italian way.

The next day I met up with two of the aupairs in the area , Monja and Alexa. We had a walk around the city and they gave me some helpful advice. I was feeling very overwhelmed at this point but I was also so grateful to have both of them just down the road.

The next few days were full of getting the kids ready for the new school year and just getting acquainted with my duties as an aupair. When I arrived , my host family had a bike for me but I don't think they realised how short I was... I tried to ride the bike that they had and I ended up falling into a rose bush. So on the kids' first day of school , my host mom took me to get a bike ( child size).

The first few weeks of school were very busy... But I had planned a trip to Amsterdam so I was looking forward to that. I was planning on going alone but then Monja said she would come with and I was so excited.

On the 12th of September, we took the train to Amsterdam, it was one of the most life changing places.... Being in a big city like that was such a unique experience. Monja and I went to Madame Tussauds which was a lot of fun, then we had lunch and of course some Ice Cream. The Red Light District was such an eye opener and truly and experience I will never forget ( Tip : when walking through the Red Light District, be careful when taking pictures). We also went and sat by the canals which was so lovely!

The next weekend I went to Den Haag (The Hague) which was stunning and my favorite place in the Netherlands, it was also my first solo trip which was such an amazing experience. I had to catch the bus to a different train station and then get the train from there to Den Haag. I arrived around midmorning. Den Haag is such a beautiful place with so much culture , there is also a beach close by that you can get to, by tram.

The second time I went to Den Haag was with my friend Alexa. It was seriously one of the best days that I will always remember. We got the train to Rotterdam and walked around there and looked at the market there. We then made our way to Den Haag, had lunch and of course went to Primark and the we went to Scheveningen ( the beach). We saw the most beautiful sunset and also made friends with two Dutch boys that showed us where we should have dinner. We ended up at a fairly fancy restaurant and shared something ( because the money struggle). Afterwards we walked around a bit more and then made our way back to the train station.

My time in the Netherlands was coming to an end , Monja had gone home... One day that will always be special/ funny and also stressful at the time was a day that we didn't even plan. We were just going to the park or lunch and then we were taking some pictures... My bikes tyre had been changed that week but as I got on it , I could feel that it was flat! So we ended up having to walk with my bike to the closest bike shop ( about a km) but of course laughing the entire time and taking plenty of pictures. Eventually we got to the bike shop and I can remember us sitting on the floor while they fixed it! I'm so grateful to have had a friend like Alexa to laugh and then get some Friet & Zo with.

So that about sums up my 2 months in the Netherlands... I made two very special friends, experienced more than I thought possible and stepped so far out of my comfort zone and embraced every challenge. I look forward to visiting the Netherlands again in the future!

Cheers until next Sunday!!!