Where are my big girl pants?

For the last 12 months, my poor parents have put up with quite a bit.




August 2007, I graduated from Indiana University with absolutely no plan of any kind. In October, I found a month-long TEFL course (teaching English as a foreign language) in Denver and decided that would be my new plan. After completing it and receiving my CELTA certificate (I'd be lying if I said I knew what that stands for), I announced that I would be traveling to Poland to begin my new teaching adventures. Perhaps a month later, I changed my mind and announced that I'd be going to China instead! So, in March 2008, I hopped a plane and headed to Qingdao to live with my super-neat friend, Sonya.



After three months of all sorts of tomfoolery in China, I decided it was the wrong time and wrong place to be there (and I was getting kicked out of the country anyway because of visa and Olympic details). So, back to Indiana! I spent the better part of the summer sitting on my parents' couch with my laptop, looking for TEFL jobs in Europe. I was getting close to giving up when one day, a friend from work put me in touch with someone named Kelly. Kelly was an au pair for a Dutch/American family in the Netherlands and was looking for someone to replace her when her time was up in September. After talking to Kelly at length and Skyping with her host mom, I decided I would take over for her as an au pair!



After only a month and a half in Holland, I decided I needed to get the frick out of that house or I'd be a mere shell of a woman in no time at all. For now, let's just say that the differences between this household and my own are infinite. So, I'm still in the Netherlands right now, with 5 days to go before I can get on that blessed plane and return to the magical land of Chick-Fil-A and economic recession and squirrels. Seriously, there are no squirrels here.

Things I will miss from the Netherlands:

1. Mars bars - if anyone can find those in the US, please tell me where!
2. Recycling/Environmental concern
3. Glaring at pedestrians and drivers for even thinking of getting in front of me on my bike
4. Cafes and year-round patio dining
5. Train travel
6. Pancakes, pie and poffertjes (tiny pancakes)
7. The cheese... oh God, the cheese
8. CNN

Things I will not miss from the Netherlands:

1. Crappy weather
2. Dutch "manners" (or lack thereof)
3. The stairs - my room is on the third floor
4. The smoking - everybody smokes here
5. Old people cutting in front of me at the grocery store
6. Grocery store cashiers rolling their eyes at me when I hand them a €50
7. Microwaving my bread when I want a sandwich
8. Sinterklaas and Black Pete (if you're a rather PC person like me, this aint your country)

So, once again, my parents will welcome me back with open arms. And I know the next time I spring another dumbass idea on them (which I will), they won't heave a sigh, groan or even roll their eyes at me... at least not on the outside. They might try to distract me with something shiny, but that's about it. I do think, however, that my next "plan" may lean toward the more mainstream as I'm actually quite tired of living my life in 3 month spurts. As a good friend would say, it's time for me to put on my big girl pants.

I'm coming home, Mama!