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We have arrived in Goes, Netherlands! The town name is pronounced “Hoose.” About 30,000 people reside in this town year round. It is beautiful.

On July 15, we took a 6pm flight out of Des Moines to Minneapolis. We sat on the plane just outside the Des Moines airport a few minutes due to a big storm, the one where a tornado did some damage in Urbandale. The storm was moving pretty fast so we only waited about 10 minutes before take off. We had an hour layover in Minneapolis before the flight to Amsterdam, but that second flight was delayed due to runway congestion. That flight left about 2 hours later than intended. But it was an overnight flight, so to me it didn’t matter if we left when it was dark or darker. 🙂

That flight didn’t seem to be a big deal to me. We were in the air about 7.5 to 8 hours. And guess what, they actually to give you a meal on international flights! I couldn’t believe it! The meal was just one step over a frozen tv dinner tray, but it tasted good at the time. They also give you a light breakfast about an hour before landing. In between meals I tried to sleep and was just a little successful. I dozed uncomfortably maybe 1.5 hours at a time. Between dozings I had to work out the kinks in my neck, hips and back. I tried to get up and walk around here and there to stretch muscles. And before I knew it, we were landing in Amsterdam. The time there is 7 hours later than Iowa time.

On The Ground Again

That is a busy and warm airport. They don’t make an effort to air condition well due to the large crowds and mild outdoor climate. We sweat quite a bit trying to find the baggage claim, and then lugging around our 4 suitcases. Jeremy had hired a driver, Murad, to bring us from the Amsterdam airport to Goes. But due to the fact that we landed late, needed to find our baggage and still get through customs, Murad had to wait quite a while for us. He was getting impatient and suggested that he might leave. We were panicking just a bit. But he was still around when we finally left the airport, and was friendly and helpful as we loaded his vehicle.

Wow, Murad was quite the driver! I could tell he does this often! After telling us it would be a 2 hour ride from Amsterdam to Goes, he put the petal down. He likes speed when moving forward and when applying the break. His weaving in and out of traffic skills were out of this world. And even though I should have been nervous about my physical safety, I feel asleep.

First Look At Our New Living Quarters

When we arrived at our apartment, we were met by Marietta, a woman hired by my husband’s employer to help us get settled. She helped us get our suitcases up the very narrow spiral steps to our second floor apartment. She showed us around the furnished 2 bedroom, 1 bath flat and then took Jeremy to the city offices to apply for a residence permit. I waited in the apartment and organized the things we had just dumped on the floor. When Marietta and Jeremy returned, Marietta took us for a car ride around the city, pointing out important and helpful places we might need in the future.

Marietta then said her final words of wisdom and left us to fend for ourselves. Jeremy and I grabbed a bite to eat at a Surinamese restaurant across the street. I have to admit, sitting in that strange restaurant, super tired, with everyone speaking Dutch around me, and looking toward crawling into an unfamiliar bed, I felt pretty sad and lonely. It had been a long couple of days, and I had no idea what the next day might bring. An unsettling feeling.

But the next day was bright and sunny and I couldn’t help but be in awe over the world around me. I took a walk to the grocery store to find something for supper, but got a little side tracked by the interesting neighborhood I now live in. It was fascinating to wander down the brick streets and narrow corridors, past many shops and restaurants, ending up in Old Goes, the historical area. I will leave you with pictures of Old Goes. In the next post I will tell you more about my initial findings regarding the interesting differences between life in Iowa and in Goes.