I am over half way, yet I’m not ready to go home. I have been in Holland for 4 months now, however, it feels like four weeks because there is so much I want to do and experience in such a short time. I am finally starting to feel proper bonds with some of my friends at school, my extended host family and just the people I spend time with in general. In the last month I have done so many things I don’t even know where I can start.

I spent a week doing a ‘stage’ (work experience) week for school with my host dad at the Chamber of Commerce. It sounds really fancy, and it is, but the work my host dad does is so social that to me it wasn’t really work. There was, however, a time where I had to jump to the rescue last minute when his presentation wasn’t working on his laptop whilst already presenting. It was all good in the end but it truly was a heart racing moment for the both of us. During the week I was privileged to go from Rotterdam to Middelburg to Woerden and to Utrecht. I ended off the week by catching up with a friend who is also an exchange student here in Holland with her host sister who happens to be on exchange from New Zealand as well.

In the next couple of weeks I joined a rowing team with my host sister and some of our friends from school. Although at first we seemed like a mess in the boat by the end we got the hang of it and got a pretty fast and decent tempo going. By the end of all the rowing we lied down in the grass for an hour or so just relaxing and it was a wonderful feeling to feel the warm sun again. Only a few days later I had my eighteenth birthday! I woke up in the morning to a house with two colourful slings of birthday decorations and a chair decorated just for me by my host dad. Only the Dutch get so into birthdays, and I absolutely love it! Since my birthday was on a Friday I was able to have the party that same night. It was a very weird but extremely wonderful atmosphere. There were people speaking Dutch and English all through each other as there was a mix of friends from school and friends from Travel Active there. The weather allowed for us all to sit outside under a little tent with candles and music, some even playing in the hammocks in the trees. It was a one in a million experience and I am so happy that I got to spend such an iconic birthday here in Holland with the new friends I have been able to make here.

The next day we had another party for my host mum host sister with family and friends, a barbeque and a beautiful sunset. It was so special to sit on the balcony of the house with one of my really close friends looking at yet another of the beautiful Dutch sunsets. (Some of my friends have become so sick of me and all my sunset photos, they really are so unique here). The next day we went on a drive to a farm, checked out some of the animals and tried some very unique foods… such as eels and a lot of cheese. On the way home however, we took the scenic route, and in the distance saw some bright pink and red in the distance. We do not live near Leiden or the area where they grow flowers in Holland so obviously we were curious and went to investigate. TULPEN! Tulips were actually growing on a piece of land close to us. We immediately ran into the field to take photos and look at the tulips. It was such a special moment and I will never forget it.

The day after that (it was a very busy weekend) it was King’s Day!! King’s/Queen’s Day in Holland is a day where they get out their true Dutch patriotic orange dress, put out their flags outside their houses and party like there is no tomorrow. I was lucky enough to go to the King’s Day Festival in Amsterdam South with some exchange student friends from Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico. It was a wonderful day, the sun was out and the acts were absolutely amazing. Some of the best DJ’s and some of my all-time favourites like Kygo played.

Sadly after that though it was back to school, but only for a short while. We got marks back from exams and I was happy to have passed majority of my subjects in Dutch! Not long after the Spring holidays had already started. I spent a lot of time with my host family and had a wonderful time going to two parties with some of my friends from school. Before school started again however we were finally able to go and pick up my host mum’s birthday present! A new kitten! We decided to call him Pip because we leave on Pippeling. He’s a little ball of energy and we are all loving him around the house.

I finally got to attend one of my host dad’s band’s performances in Bodegraven, there was about 1,000 people there and it was a really good night. He played so well and it was so entertaining to see how happy it made him, how much he laughed behind his drumset and how passionate he was about it. The next day the whole family struggled to get up early because we were going to the Efteling! It’s a large iconic Dutch theme park, themed after all the traditional Dutch fairytales. Almost like a Dutch version of Disneyland. We spent the day with the extended family of my host dad. Going on rollercoasters with aunties, uncles and cousins, walking through the fairtale bush with grandma and grandpa listening to all the stories told along the way. It was a truly magical experience.

School was on then for another three days because there was yet another public holiday on the Thursday. We went with family friends and neighbours for a “Polder Tocht” around my home town. It is a day of biking around and visiting the local businesses and farms, checking everything out and relaxing. Another very unique Dutch experience! This week most of the people from my school have gone to Paris, London or Berlin for a school trip, however I am staying her doing an intern week. So far we have spent a day cooking and another bowling. Tomorrow we’re going fishing and to a high tea.

It has been a very busy last month and it will only become busier as the time goes by trying to fit everything in before I have to leave again. I have been so blessed to have made the friends I have and the memories with them I will cherish forever. I am going to take the last little while that I am here by storm and I can’t wait to see what other crazy things I will be able to get up to!