Taste of America

How good it feels, to be reunited! If only for a few moments it is tangible, the memories will last a lifetime.

My best friend and sister has indeed arrived in the Netherlands (accompanied by her other best friend: her husband)! What a great day Thursday was-- great weather, great company, and I successfully surprised her by arriving at our uncle's a day earlier than she thought. Let me tell you, keeping that a secret and keeping my composure at Gomarus last Thursday was a huge struggle. Being someone who hates surprises myself, it was so difficult to keep it from her, but the look on her face when I arrived was totally worth it.

Before arriving at my uncle's I had my internship, gave a lesson on me and Miss Ryder's expectations for the persecution project, did a little shopping, ate dinner at my aunt's, and then, finally, I was with my sister again. Friday morning we woke up, ate breakfast, had coffee time, and then set out for a walk. Unfortunately the weather was not nearly as nice as it was Thursday, resulting in a very brisk walk through the village of Wommels. Little did we know, our luck was about to change. As we neared the main road to Kubaard, we saw a very strange bird rapidly approaching us. As it got closer, we tried to figure out what it was-- bright white, long and flat tail. It resembled a peacock, but we thought there was no way this was possible. When we got back, my aunt informed us otherwise. Not only was this a peacock, but also a sign of good luck! Perfect.

The rest of Friday included dinner (big meal at noon, not evening meal) with my aunt, uncle, and cousin, a visit to an ijs museum in Warkom, visiting the church where my Pake and Beppe are buried, and coffee along a canal. After lunch (small meal in the evening, not at noon), we visited my other uncle and aunt and cousins in Joure for coffee and oranjekook (spelling?), a shlookie (again, spelling?), and some good laughs. My family is so much funnier now that I'm old enough to understand what they are saying...in English. Unfortunately, I did not meet their expectations of my comprehension of the Dutch language. Hopefully that will change soon, but for now, I will laugh at their Dutch laughs and jokes in English.

On Saturday we visited the town where my brother-in-law's family is from and received a tour(ish) from my uncle's cousin, followed by nothing less than coffee time. We then returned to Zwolle. My uncle kindly offered to drive us all the way there, but I am sure he regrets that now. Note to self: never assume that you know directions via car when your main form of transportation is bike. Cars cannot, I repeat can NOT, travel every where bikes can. I had to learn that the hard way-- with family around to mock me. But alas, we arrived in Zwolle, just in time for the french fry feast with the Kenyan pastors. What a great meal to share with so many different cultures! After that, we headed to the city to celebrate St. Patty's Day (something they don't REALLY celebrate here, but we're American and do what we want, and there were some very enthusiastic Dutch participants). 

Sunday included breakfast, church service with lots of English, and a tour de Zwolle via bikes. When LaRae's family arrived, she and her sister conquered double biking right away. Thinking Elizabeth and I could do the same, my host dad suggested we try it on the way to my brother's house to pick up the 5th bike. Well, he was wrong. Elizabeth and I made it about 2 feet before I told her to get off. I handed over my wonderful GH bike and hopped on the back of my dad's bike for the first little section of our tour and then continued all around Zwolle. We saw EVERYTHING, even some rain. 

Sunday night included a lot of homework as I prepared to spend the rest of the week touring the Netherlands some more and showing my sister a great time here. 

Today in Dutch class I thought I could easily impress my professor by telling her that I had been practicing my Dutch by texting Dutch people in Dutch and having them correct me, but she seemed almost annoyed by my efforts and continued with her lessons about things she should have taught us the first week (what time does the train leave? What time does the train arrive?). Reciprocating the love she shared for my attempts of using the Dutch language, I asked her why we were learning this now. She said, "Because it is helpful." My response: it is also helpful to say "Ik sprek Engels," (she really should not have taught me that phrase) and continue with a conversation in English... if I fail my next test, I assume that response may have something to do with it. 

What Anna really should be teaching us is how to say breakfast sausage, parsley, lasagna noodles, cottage cheese, and salad dressing in Dutch. That would have saved me about 45 minutes and one very annoyed sales associate in the grocery store. But alas, I arrived home, prepared "The best lasagna ever" from Pioneer Woman (along with su chef LaRae) and enjoyed a feast with the family after my sister arrived home from Utrecht. And now, here I am, lying in bed, blogging and finishing homework before a big day in Amsterdam tomorrow! What it has in store for us: a lot more than we have time for, but we shall do our best.

2 months in and still winning

This week has been flying by. It's already Wednesday and tomorrow my sister arrives! It seems like the next 24 hours cannot go fast enough, yet I have SO much to do. Today marks the halfway point: 2 months in, 2 months left. Well, that's crazy. However, have no fear Europe: I will be back soon and very soon (if all goes as planned). 

What this week has contained thus far:
Monday-- 3 hours of Dutch class, learning how to make an appointment to buy a house. I'm sorry, but I really am never going to do that. Teach me how to make small talk further than "Ik komt uit de U.S." Teach me how to say I am on a diet and cannot have seconds. We did a little mini-evaluation and our teacher said something about noticing that I do not learn very well from books and more so from discussion. Truthful.Yes, I get frustrated when I don't understand people and they continue talking to me in Dutch, but really, that's how I'm going to learn. And if I'm going to return next spring, I really do need to learn more of the language-- can't pull the dumb American card forever. Lucky for me, I have found a new means of learning Dutch. Perhaps I will also be more willing to learn from my new teacher... perhaps.

After Dutch class, Katrina and I planned a rubric for our persecution project. I figured it would take at least 2 hours to complete, but because we are such a good team, we whipped up a very thorough rubric in about an hour. These stubborn, opinionated Dutch children will have no way of finding loop-holes through our rubric (or so I hope).  Monday night I was an only child at dinner-- just me and the host parentals. It was kinda nice to be an only child and get to know a bit more about them and their extended family. After dinner, I tried to motivate myself to do some homework, but... no success. It's so hard to be motivated here. Our professors hardly take classes seriously (ditching out on classes themselves, never checking homework, etc), so it's especially difficult for me to overcome the lack of motivation I have acquired overseas.

Tuesday we ventured to Rotterdam with the whole SPICE group, accompanied by LaRae's entire family. Upon our arrival, we rented some feits to explore the city on. As I first attempted to mount my bike, I realized that it was too tall for me (another reason I need a nice Dutch boy, so my children can be tall). Unfortunately, I (and Karl as well) couldn't figure out how to lower my seat, so I spent the first portion of the day walking my bike across streets and tip-toeing on my pedals. After giving my presentation on Piet Blom's cube houses in the city, Dan man-handled my bike seat and made it much easier for me to ride around the city, but my bike wasn't through with making my day incredibly uncomfortable; namely the seat now had a mind of its own and remained crooked for the rest of my travels around Rotterdam, resulting in a very sore tailbone by the end of the day. 

Summary of the rest of Rotterdam: boat tour through the harbor, biking (multiple times) up and down a bridge, delicious hot chocolate, and a tour of a Turkish Mosque by an Islam who converted from Protestant faith (how that happens, I have no idea). Long story short about the mosque: strange to see, glad I had the opportunity, but I never need to go back.

Last night we returned around 7:30pm and I had some dinner and then prepared for my favorite night of the week: another night at the Joffer. This week we had LaRae's sister and brother join us: Dykstra (times 3) = perfect. 

Today Katrina and I observed 2 classes at our school in Zwolle: one English and one biology. The biology teacher was in his first year of teaching, and it was interesting to see him demand things from his students most of his co-teachers didn't demand in their classroom. He pulled the whole, "Don't smile 'til after Christmas," thing we hear in America-- a concept we don't really see here very much, but we think that's because he's new and still trying to earn their respect. 

We also found out the brilliant student who only speaks English isn't brilliant in everything. He's actually struggling in his Dutch class. Because he grew up in Egypt and in bi-lingual schools, we assume he speaks English at home, and he is not fluent in Dutch. So that's why he speaks only English: got it. 

After my internship, Katrina gave me directions to Stadshagen, mainly via landmarks. Well, I am extremely directional challenged and realized the second she started throwing in round abouts, turns, and stop lights, I was royally doomed: over-shot my destination by about 15-20 minutes. I stopped and asked for directions and eventually found my way to Katie's house to watch the Bachelor finale. We enjoyed brownies, strawberries, and chocolate: the perfect afternoon for any girl. And since I spontaneously obtained an extra 35 minute bike ride work out (in addition to the hour bike ride I had anticipated for the whole day) I feel no guilt (and still believe I am going to win the biggest loser). 

Now I am home and ready to enjoy "a big ass hamburger" (in the words of my host brother) prepared by LaRae and her mom. 

Tomorrow my sister arrives, which means my internship is going to be EXTREMELY long, knowing that my sister is in the country and I won't be able to see her until Friday. But, soon enough, I suppose. I can't wait to show her what this country has been offering me the past 2 months. I think she and Nathan will enjoy. In fact, I will make sure they will. 

Weekend in the Homeland

After breaking bank on Spring Break, I decided the wisest decision was to stick around the homeland this weekend. I contacted some family I haven't seen yet and asked if I could visit them on Saturday, and then planned on spending the rest of the weekend with the family in Zwolle. 

On Friday, LaRae's entire family arrived from America. We had planned to go out with her sister on Friday night, but because jet lag set in, I ended up hanging out with my host brother and his friends. I had such a great time with them-- a very lively bunch, that's for sure. We talked about America, compared things like drivers' licenses, food, etc. We then made our way to the city. Evidently Friday nights is youngens night, so I felt really REALLY old, but I made a few new friends. Being the lone American isn't so bad, especially in a culture that caters to their foreigners (namely, they speak my language). 

Saturday around 11:30 I departed for the town of Buitenpost to visit my dad's sister and her family. I spent the afternoon drinking coffee, going for a walk with my aunt and her dog, eating delicious foods, and catching up with my family. My aunt spoke to me in Dutch a lot, which was a challenge but what better way to learn. And, since I plan to be back here next spring for 7 or 8 weeks to student teach, I figure I have to learn quite a bit of Dutch, right? What better way to learn than being forced to translate (although, she and her family did help me out a lot). 

I returned to Zwolle in the evening to show LaRae's sister what the night life of Zwolle was like-- another enjoyable evening. Then on Sunday, we all went to church and were joined by the rest of the host brothers that live in Zwolle for coffee time. It was a very crowded home at the Van Der Krieke residency, but it was so much fun. For dinner we had fries, frikendel (spelling?), and MORE FRIES, followed by ice cream. mmm mmm mmm! Because I ran that afternoon, I figured I could semi-justify my eating habits, but we did come to a very logical conclusion: I need to marry a dutchman so that the skinny genes can be inherited by my children and they don't have to feel guilty about what they eat. My kids will thank me someday for marrying a man with a strange accent. 

All in all, it was a great weekend in the homeland with beautiful weather. Hopefully it keeps up when my sister and brother-in-law arrive later this week!

Longest Week Yet

After our return from spring break, I was expecting a very easy week. The business students (10 out of the 17 of us on SPICE) were leaving Wednesday morning for the rest of the week to go to Berlin. What this meant for the rest of SPICE? NO CLASSES! Assuming that meant the rest of the week would be really easy, I let my brain and body go into recovery/lazy mode. This week was going to be a breeze.

There's a saying that goes, "Don't count your chickens until the eggs hatch." I definitely should not have counted on an easy week. I had this beautiful image of sleeping in, no homework, no stress, and lots of alone time. Turns out I got none of that. This was by far the longest, least relaxing week of the semester, and I can blame nobody but myself. However, for how long it was, I must also say it was one of the most exciting and encouraging weeks of thus far as well.

Monday was brutal, as Mondays should be. It was 6 1/2 hours of classes, and my two least favorite: Dutch and Portfolio. Dutch was long and boring, and portfolio was once again extremely frustrating. It seems like nothing I do in that class is ever right, except for when I'm quiet. I'm sorry, but I'm not a quiet person. If I disagree with you, I'll tell you my opinion. And if in the end we still disagree, that's fine, but at least leave things open for discussion. After all, I thought part of this class was about discussing. Development and discussion, that's what I expected from this class. What's it doing for me so far? Developing some very strong, hostile emotions toward this class and giving me some great discussions about my strong dislike for it. Normally, I'm not the type to "hate" on classes, but this one has a special place in my heart that I wish did not exist. It's just not a class I believe is as worth-while as we're told it should be. Perhaps my personal portfolio project will change my mind a bit, but as of late, I'm ready to scrap this class and just talk about the differences with my host family and roommate.

Tuesday was supposed to be a short day because I only had Dutch practice class, but then our portfolio group volunteered at an elementary school in a nearby village. Let me tell you, if you're ever having a bad day, spend a few hours with 5 year olds who don't speak your language. It'll lift your spirits more than anything else possibly could. Sitting in the teachers' lounge, the kids outside peered in the windows like we were zoo animals. They wanted to spend time with us SO bad. So, we entered their class and a few of them introduced themselves to us, sang songs in Dutch and then in English, and of course dances were involved. The kids clung to us like it was their birth right. It was so precious. We visited a few of the older classrooms, too, but they didn't find us nearly as fascinating (except Jordan, because he is huge and plays American football). Even though it was another long day, it was well spent in the presence of such precious children.

Wednesday led Katrina and I to another afternoon at our internship here in Zwolle. Our first impression of classrooms/students/teachers was very stereotypical for public education. Wednesday, however, we experienced something completely different. We saw "North American" classroom management, and we saw very motivated, very intelligent children. One of the teachers offered for us to teach some lessons in his class (what I'm supposed to be working on right now), and we discussed the Celebration Week. I think I've mentioned it before, but basically we will have 12 groups, each with a diff country, and dedicate a week to learning about that country and presenting something celebratory about that country at the end of the week. I cannot wait for that! My group will be doing a dance, maybe even cooking something, too.

Thursday we had another internship day at Gomarus. I spent the morning with our carpool date because Katrina's alarm clock decided to be nice and let her sleep in an hour later than planned. We spent our morning working on our one lesson for later that afternoon. Together (and by together, I mean with 4 teachers in total), we worked on our persecution project with the religion class. It was good, but for only having one lesson and 4 teachers, I'm feeling a little bored. I'm definitely emotionally ready for my own classroom. I know I'm not actually prepared enough for it yet, but I just don't like this sharing thing (some things never change, right mom?). But alas, patience must be practiced and I will bide my time. After a "tips and tops" time with our mentor teacher, I realized we have a lot more work ahead of us on this project, and it made me excited for what else we have planned. Getting excited about teaching = greatest feeling.

Today is Friday and the first day I even had the option to sleep in since... before spring break. What happens? Of course I'm awake before 8. I forced my body to stay in bed and fall back asleep, but only til a little after 9. I then woke up, got ready, and started being productive. LaRae's entire family has arrived and will be here for about a week, until MY family comes! This weekend I'm traveling to Buitenpost to see my dad's sister and her family... so much family: I LOVE IT!

Uno Mas Destination en Paradise: Barcelona Pt 2

Barcelona, Spain-- the city that never sleeps.

In Spain, people don't eat dinner until about 9:30 at night and nothing opens until about 10:30 in the morning. It's expected that people will be 15-20 minutes late to everything, and the fountains don't turn on until about noon. Conclusion: I want to live here.

We had no idea when we woke up at 7am that the city would be dead when we set out to discover what Barcelona had to offer. The night before, we mapped out everything we wanted to see. We had to be selective because we only had about 4-5 hours to see it all (we wanted to leave optimal time to get our tans on in the afternoon). However, 7 days of traveling before was wearing on my fellow travelers, and our reliance on public transportation made us even lazier about sight-seeing. Recognizing that I would probably only see Barcelona once, I wanted to soak up as much as I could. This included the olympic stadium, the Barcelona arena, the city center, one of the large cathedrals, the famous arc, the main park, and the beach. Yes, we missed the never-ending construction cathedral, but to me, that's not the biggest deal. I've embraced the life of Barcelonians as much as humanly possible. 

Why the rush? Well, we had beaches to see, tan lines to get! What girl goes on Spring Break without attempting to tan? We laid out on the best beaches in Barcelona-- this time they were legit "American style" beaches (AKA they had sand, not pebbles). The water was still freezing, but unlike all the other water we came across, this was actually the Med. Sea so I had to get in it. As we got our tans on, we were approached by various locals attempting to sell us beer and massages. Annoyed by their persistence, we decided we had to come up with a better strategy than just saying "No," over and over again. Then it hit us: they speak English. They won't understand Dutch though. So, thank you, Anna, for teaching us how to say "no" in Dutch. Finally, Survival Dutch comes in handy!

For dinner, we met up with a few other SPICE girls and enjoyed an elegant 3 course meal, complete with wine, private dining, and an ocean-front view. After dinner, we returned to our apartment for a little while and then decided we better check out Barcelona's nightlife. This is when everything about their culture started to make sense. They don't go out until 1am, and small children are running and skating around until then as well. These people are psychos. Lovely, but insane.

The next morning we "slept in" (still only about 6 1/2 hours for me), and dedicated the rest of the day to the beaches of Sitges. We enjoyed a Spanish beer on a Spanish beach in the Spanish sunshine. What a great way to spend our final day! We returned to our apartment and got ready for dinner-- second round of our fine dining. Unfortunately for the other girls, it wasn't quite as good as the first time. My dinner, however, was excellent: mussels, almond crusted tuna, brownie, and white wine. DELICIOUS! We topped off the night with gelato and one last visit to the beautiful fountains, all lit up by the city lights.

We woke up early on Sunday to catch a bus to the airport and head back home. Worn out from our travels, we all agreed it was about time to head back to our rainy homeland. Realizing how very fortunate we were with our successful travels, we counted ourselves blessed. We made it through spring break without any travel hindrances (minus being one man down in Barcelona). We really should have knocked on wood at that point.

RynAir attendants were on the prowl for oversized bags. We all began stuffing our clothes, make up, umbrellas, and anything else we could think of into our coat pockets as we were approached to check our bags in the very small bins. After practically body-slamming my bag into the crammed space, the attendant let me go back in the line with the other girls. Thinking we were in the clear, we shoved our belongings back in our backpacks. However, as we continued the boarding process, we realized the attendants were STILL searching for oversized bags. We tried to hide ourselves, and finally began to board the flight, a few minutes late. Usually a few minutes late wouldn't be a big deal, but with the head wind and a delayed taxi, this was putting us quite a ways behind schedule-- ultimately making me believe we would miss our shuttle to the train.

This was Sarah's chance to shine. As soon as our flight landed, we sent Sarah sprinting through the very small airport to catch the shuttle and stop them from leaving without us. Turns out she didn't need to run because we were in plenty of time. Perfect. Everything was back on track.

Should have knocked on wood then, too. We got on a train in Nijmegen that ended in Zwolle, or so we thought. We stopped in Arnem and were informed this was the last stop. We weren't expecting that at all, but we had no choice. So, we got off the train and tried to figure out why all trains to Zwolle were not lit up on the screen. Instinct told us that meant no trains were running to Zwolle, but we didn't want to believe it. So we asked around. Our instincts were right, and luckily the information guys were kind enough to direct us to the bus that would take us to a train station that would get us on a train to Zwolle... an hour and a half later on a bus driven by a tour guide who had no idea where he was going, we hopped on our final leg of the journey and arrived in Zwolle around 5:30pm. We biked home, just in time for dinner.

And thus ends the journey of 9 days, 5 girls, 2 countries, 36 forms of transportation, and countless memories. 

Uno Mas Destination en Paradise: Barcelona

Well, Thursday arrived and we said our goodbyes to Sorrento, but we were ready to say hello to Spain, and equally excited to add a member to our travels. When we landed in Barcelona, we would be reacquainted with Kaitlyn for the rest of break.

After Sarah's stolen fork almost got us stranded in Naples airport (the only reason people even go to Naples is to land a plane and hop on a train to somewhere else), two hours or flying, and a round of applause for a very rough landing, we arrived. The sun was shining and we were in Spain, about to see Kaitlyn: what could go wrong? Note to self: never, ever ask that question. We waited for about half an hour at baggage claim for Kaitlyn. We then realized no flights from Munich would be arriving until 2 hours later. So, we decided it would be best to split up: Me, Lauren, and LaRae went to the city center to find our apartment, and Katie and Sarah waited for Kaitlyn's flight. If she wasn't there by 6:10, they would take the bus and meet us there. The bus dropped us off in the heart of Barcelona. I sure did miss the big city feel, and the fact that it was in Spain made it that much better. Surrounded by classy-dressed Spaniards, fountains, the sun going down, and the smell of tapas (whatever those are), we sought out our apartment. We asked for directions from 3 different people and found the street of our apartment. However, our apartment number was no where to be found. Because I booked this place, I instantly felt stressed: what if I booked a scam and we had no place to stay? After wandering for about 45 minutes, we went to a hotel and asked to use their computer/phone to contact the apartment. Good news: it wasn't a scam and I had the codes to get into the building. Bad news: I still couldn't find our apartment number. 20 minutes later, a local pointed out to us that we had passed the door a few times. Feeling a bit ridiculous, we entered the code and settled.

More good news: we had wifi. More bad news: Kaitlyn wasn't coming. She had gone to the wrong airport in Munich (evidently it's a common mistake, so take note, especially if you're flying with Rynair), and wouldn't be able to make it to the right one in time. We then realized Sarah and Katie would have no clue because there was no Wifi in the airport. We also knew finding the apartment would be even harder for them because it would be dark, so we made our way to the main street to try and find them. After about 5 minutes, we started thinking we may not find them, but suddenly, LaRae spots our red-headed wonder and her sidekick Katie on a bus going the opposite way. We took off sprinting, crossing streets, dodging traffic, and eventually caught up with them as they got off at their stop. Reunited never felt so right!

Hunger sat in shortly after the excitement of being back together wore off. We decided to try tapas. At this point, we still had no idea what they were, so we asked the waiter. He said we should order 4 and maybe later 2 or 3 more. Assuming they were glorified tacos, we took his advice. Much to our dismay, we were served very small, very expensive appetizers. After 2 tapas each, 3 shared ones, and one very large confusing bill, we left filling less than full, resulting in a bread and fruit binge when we arrived back in our apartment.

You know when you're watching TV and all the sudden the screen freezes and says "To be continued..." and you instantly hate the producers? Well, I am about to do that to you all in this blog. I am still behind on sleep and have my internship bright and early in the morning. So, to find out more about the adventures of my spring break crew in Barcelona, stay tuned!

Sorrento, like the cheese.

In the morning we grabbed the first bus back to the coast and looked around for awhile. We had about an hour to kill before we had to be at the marina for our ferry, so we strolled through the streets. As we soaked up the morning sun and the beautiful scenery, Sarah came up with a brilliant idea: gelato. So, at 8:30 in the morning, we put on our fat girl swag and grabbed our favorite gelato flavors and walked back to the marina. As I mentioned in my last blog, Italian men are not shy about pursuing women, so honking is expected when you're walking on the side of the road. However, what we were about to witness only happens in the movies, not in real life. As we shoveled gelato into our mouths, Katie said she spotted our taxi driver. Unbelieving, we turned around and to our surprise, there he was! We were shocked to see him, but we imagine he, too, was probably surprised to see us alive. Our imaginations ran wild as we discussed the thoughts running through his mind. Seeing us on the complete opposite side of the city than where he dropped us off with all of our stuff eating gelato at 8:30am, he probably assumed we backpacked all night, searching for an escape from the ghetto. Filled with gelato and joy, we headed to the ferry. Unfortunately, because of the rough waters, our ferry wasn't going to leave until at least 11 but that wasn't even a guarantee. Our hearts sunk as we realized our brilliance failed us and we would be forced to return to the sketchy part of town to catch a train to Sorrento. Even if only for a few moments, I dreaded the thought.

The good news: the train to Sorrento was only 4 euros! As we went downstairs to the platform, we realized why: graffiti all over the beaten up train. Well, at least it was taking us away from Naples. On the way to Sorrento, a little old man sat by us. At first, I assumed he was just as sketch as the train he seemed so familiar with, but as we traveled from slumps to quaintness, I realized he was the adorable Italian grandpa I had envisioned meeting on my travels. As our train made its way through the countryside, we caught a few glimpses of the beautiful coast and villes along it: absolutely breath-taking. At last, we arrived in Sorrento, our humble hometown for the next few days. We decided to spare ourselves the stress of getting caught with 5 people, we would fess up to the bed and breakfast and pay the fee. However, at first the attendant was hesitant, saying she could get in trouble if caught. However, with some sob stories and euros, she agreed and ended up being quite friendly and helpful. We explore Sorrento the rest of the afternoon and found our way to the coast: even more breath-taking as the salt water crashed on the rocks and splashed us in the breeze.

For dinner, more pizza. We then found a gelato shop with every flavor imaginable. Not only was the landscape incredible, but the shop keepers made the experience that much better. Filling the scarce voids after our large pizzas with gelato never felt so right.

Our stay in Sorrento was not limited to just exploring that town, but also included a day trip to Capri and to the Amalfi Coast (noted as the most beautiful coast in the world). So, the next morning we woke early to catch a 15 minute ferry to Capri where we would explore another quaint ville. We arrived to the island around 10 in the morning. Originally planning to explore by foot, we soon realized it was not logically plausible. Winding streets up 400 meter cliffs just didn't sound like the most fun thing in the world, so again, we paid for the public transportation, leading us to the same conclusion: still glad we didn't walk that. If you thought the water was clear 5 feet from it, imagine realizing that it's still crystal clear from 400 meters. The view was unbelievable, but the thing I was most excited for was soon to follow. After lunch (nutella and bread and potato chips, food fit for royalty), we made our way down to the marina and found the sole beach where we set up camp to tan. But first, I had to get in that water! Without a second thought, I ran in, soon realizing why the crazy Americans were the only ones in the crystal clear water: it was ice cold! After we all got in, we laid out for awhile. But then we came to a realization: we had to change somewhere, and we weren't about to walk into a shop in wet swimsuits and blindingly white skin. So, we found a giant rock to change behind. Feeling extremely scandalous already, we also came to the realization that the people winding up the cliffs we bused up were probably enjoying the view of the coastline... and of the crazy American show. Slightly embarrassed and freezing cold, we walked back up to the streets and grabbed a cup of coffee.

With 4 hours to kill before our ferry departed, we decided to try and find the other side of the island, so back to the bus we went! If we thought the main side of the island was the most beautiful thing in the world, we were about to change our minds. We found a little beach there as well and decided we had to get in the water again. Some lady was snorkeling: we could do it, too. But alas, where to change this time? As we pondered, the little old lady approached us and asked us to look away. Able to put 2 and 2 together, we realized she was just about to change out in the open-- evidently what we did earlier wasn't as scandalous as we thought. So, we followed suit and jumped back in the water for some pics. Afterwards, we took some time to let the scenery sink in and let the peaceful feeling it left fill our souls. All worries I could possibly have were forgotten there. I've never experienced a place I've felt so stress-free before. After some pizza for dinner, we hopped on our ferry and grabbed more gelato from our favorite place and made our way back to our bed and breakfast to prepare for Amalfi, but of course, we had to try the night life in Sorrento first. Turns out the night life in Sorrento on a Tuesday night was the crazy Americans. After a little while of just the 4 of us dancing, we decided to head back and get some sleep before the hour and a half bus ride to the coast.

Another beautiful scene awaited us in Amalfi. We spent our afternoon soaking up the sun, playing in the water, and loving our lives. This is what vacation should be like! But alas, we would have to leave Italy behind us and head to Spain soon. So, we embraced our last night in Italy to the best of our ability: pizza and 3 scoops of gelato-- in a chocolate dipped cone. We would miss Italy, but what Spain had to offer us would be comparable. Completely different, but definitely some stiff competition.