The station was bustling as we pulled and carried our
luggage to the next mode of transportation
Patches of color, reflections of character, and
locations of travel sewn together with thin thread to carry my belongings
One from here, one from there, one blue, one burgundy
A city in a day; sore feet from walking down many streets—some
cobbled, some paved
A ringing in the background; the red asphalt beneath
your feet meant only for bikes
A street lamp and a sunflower sharing the same
sidewalk; its large face happy despite a concrete ground
The bright little house sits idly atop the water but
below sidewalk level
The glass outer wall of the building revealed the
colorful walls inside; the collection of colors spelled the name of the
building
Parks filled with life; pets frolic on the lawns; green
grass and trees on perfectly warm days with a cool breeze
Soaking wet pants from the storm that rolled in an hour
before you awoke; heavy sheets of rain that drench you on your bike ride to
class
Brick lined alleyways with cobble roads; shutters on
the windows and ceramic shingles on the roofs
Perfect warm apple cake with hot chocolate; Delft white and blue tiles
on the walls; rain sprinkling down
A new town and an Uitfest; A Lindy Hop routine with a
swing group in the crowd-filled square; Intimidation and nervousness along with
support from friends
Giant built in couches and tables on the beach at a
café; an afternoon drink with semi-Dutch contacts as the sun set
Rainy, cold travels on a ferry to Texel
Waves crashing on the boat, wind burn on your cheeks,
students getting sea sick; A Dutch conversation with a woman from Belgium and a
fresh catch of shrimp
Green hills, red roofs, and grey skies
Autumn day; leaves scattered across the ground,
crunching under your tires as you pedal forward
Music, lights, laugher, and food fill the main square
in Amsterdam; we
saw the city from above on high, spinning swings
The sun setting behind a windmill outside our apartment
window; the sky a different color every day
Children cooking for their own party; Je moet met je
handen kneden
Hoera Max! 9 Jaar! Buritto met gehakt, nacho’s, salade,
guacamole, en slagroom taart
Bikes lean on the bridge railing hoping their fate is
not the watery canal below
A mosaic of Amsterdam
covers the wall within the room; so colorful and bright; little beads and tiles
strategically placed
A room untouched for 10 years; drawings and paintings
left where they were; boat models displayed along the wall; all by my Opa
Bitter but kind and hospitable
Small Pumpkins carved into faces while sitting on the
floor; the smell of burnt seeds from an attempt at stove-top toasting
A castle in the mist; briefly, snow flakes fall for the
first time; warm, delicious pea soup served on a deep brown wooden table
Dinner with friends; laughing, and sharing new Dutch
slang
Yellow Ginkgos rise high above your head, Rhubarb
leaves you could sleep on, thick bamboo clusters, small kiwis and a Butterfly
house
Thanksgiving; two desks pushed together; potluck dinner
with stuffing, fried chicken, (burnt) cornbread, and squash all home made; warm
friendship squeezed around the table
The walls are splattered with colorful magazine pages,
pictures, and maps
Painting in the afternoon; a bowl of apricots on the
desk; orange and red paint smeared across the page
Windmills; spinning tops crush color pigment; the
stairs are small and wooden leading to a top deck overlooking green fields
Cheerful children frolic in the streets anticipating
the coming parade; Zwarte Piet, kruidnoten, and Sinterklaas on his white horse
An Oma I never met before; lunch telling stories and
reconnecting with a lost relative
The Worlds Best Hot Chocolate? Yes! Chocolate filled
chocolate bowls to melt in warm bowls of milk
Ice skating in the Christmas square; two children in orange
and pink full-body suits
Aqua tall socks on playful legs; the sun beaming in the
window in the early afternoon
Red, velvety seats semi-circled around the red curtain;
dancing sugarplums, the Mouse King, and an appearance of Sinterklaas
Golden wheels of cheese sold in the bustling market: Old,
young, mild, and sharp
The air was cold outside and inside, but once you were
gliding across the ice, all thoughts of temperature vanished
I can still smell my room, and freshly baked bread; I
see bikes but am still searching for bike lanes
On grey days I pretend I am in Amsterdam;
though South Carolina is my home, so is the Netherlands
A place to learn a language, make international
friends, build social bridges, gain self confidence, and drink morning and
afternoon teas
A place to be creative, to ride your bike (in your own
lane), and to strive for what YOU want
A time for growth and independence laced with heritage