Real Estate Two-Timer

So remember this post in which I wrote about my undying love and affection for my house? I still love it, but am totally having a fling with my AMAZING Amsterdam apartment!!!

Kitchen:

Living Room:

(Please note that the couch has a pull out bed, visitors welcome!)

Bathroom:

Bedroom:

(With an entire wall of closet space!)

And my very favorite part, the view from my bedroom:

Sail 2010

My second official weekend here was Sail weekend. Every five years, ships from all over the world sail into port, dock for a few days, and then continue on their journey. I was lucky enough to be invited out onto a boat to get up close and personal with some of the ships.  It was a miraculously sunny day, and the ships were incredible! They were enormous, and some of them looked like they had just sailed out of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Welcome to Amsterdam

So my first official weekend living in Amsterdam happened to coincide with Gay Pride weekend. There was a huge parade throughout the canals, with boat floats the likes of which I've never seen. Another new teacher is living in fabulous houseboat, so were were able to have an up close and personal view of the parade and stay dry at the same time. (It rains here. A LOT!)

New Friends :)

Besides the over the top themes, costumes, choreographed dances, and phenomenal people watching, the best part was the sense of community. There were small children, grandparents, and everything in between on the floats, and cheering in the streets. I loved the feeling of being surrounded by positive, open-minded and supportive people. (And drinking beer with my new colleagues wasn't too bad either!)

I'm In Love With a City

 

 

 

I Love My Dorky Family

 Yes, we are wearing matching shirts!

Kelly's Words of Wisdom

1. Pick a good seat on the bus. 

2. Go into debt.

3. Do NOT wear a fanny pack. 

And I always do everything Kelly says, so I should be totally fine over here :)

This Part Really Stinks (Part V)

Because words cannot describe:

This Part Really Stinks (Part IV)

I love these girls. A LOT! (Even when Mimi gives me bunny ears in pictures.) They make me laugh til it hurts, and I'm much more fun and adventurous with them than without them. One of my biggest hesitations about this adventure was knowing it meant that I would no longer see them everyday. They just make everything better. So we'll have to move the party to Amsterdam (in between Mandy and Mimi's weddings!). Is there anyone who doesn't want to see how Smitherman behaves in a foreign country?!