Gezellig: Why Amsterdam is so darn cozy!

There are several reasons why Amsterdam has slowly but surely captured my heart: It has beautiful scenery, friendly inhabitants, interesting culture and history – not to forgot the amazing snapjes cuisine! For the seven months that I have now been living here, I can honestly say that I am very happy that (of all the lovely cities out there) Amsterdam is my home for now.

Beautiful Scenery
Everywhere you go in Amsterdam, you literally run into channels and parks. For someone like me who loves the nature, a stunning scenery is never dull! Even if Amsterdam is a smaller big city, it’s big enough to go explore and discover something new often. There are many areas around Amsterdam, all characterised by something unique. However, there’s no doubt that my favourite area is Jordaan: If I had the money, I would move there immediately. Filled with decorated, old truly Dutch houses, channels and lots of restaurants, cafes and bars, this is the place to live…and it’s central too – it doesn’t get much better! Of parks, I absolutely adore Amstel Park with its water fountains, maze and stunning gardening – not to forget the very Dutch windmill! Living right next to Vondelpark, though, I must admit that this park has a special place in my heart. Despite its hype and business, it cannot be argued that it’s a beautiful, big park with lots of stunning scenery.

Friendly Inhabitants
The kind people of Amsterdam is a friendly one: They genuinely want to know about you and are interested in your stories. They are also very open-minded and cultural diverse, which is something I really appreciate in a culture: There’s room for everyone!
Everybody here seems to speak English, which means that you’ll never truly feel obliged to learn the difficult language of Dutch. Nevertheless, I have begun my journey to, hopefully, speak it sufficiently at some point. One thing is to say about the Dutch language, though…it’s not a pretty one. However, when you overcome the obstacles of speaking it and slowly learn it, you feel like you can overcome almost anything – yep, that’s how easy it is to learn Dutch…

Dutch Cuisine
In general, the Dutch cuisine looks a lot like the Danish and German cuisine, I think: A lot of potatoes and a lot of meat in various combinations. Their national dish, Stamppot, comes with different ingredients and is delicious! I, especially, like the one with carrots, however, do not care too much for the one with onions… Moreover, their snapjes (small, delicious snacks) are groundbreaking! Of course, you can get snapjes of a variety of cheeses not to forget meats. However, their bitterballen beat it! A little fried ball of mashed potatoes and meat served with mustard – yummy! Of sweet snapjes Poffertjes and Stroopwafel are the best! While Poffertjes are cooked dough served with powdered sugar; Stroopwafel are two thin waffles stuck together with a layer of syrup best enjoyed with a cup of tea (although you can really eat those at all times).

Culture and History
As any capital, Amsterdam is full of culture and history. The fact that Amsterdam is the city in the world with most museums stresses this. You can literally find a museum for anything – be it cheese, tulips, erotic, cows and ducks… I don’t care too much for museums unless it’s something truly different (yes, I went to the cow museums and it’s great…!) or something that truly interests me (like Anne Frank and the Anne Frank Hous). What I do like though, are interesting exhibitions and cool concerts. So far, I’ve enjoyed a few exhibitions here, the latest being The Art of Banksy, which I give my best recommendations. With a rather modest pay check, however, I’ve only enjoyed three concerts here so far, which is far from enough! However, the up-and-coming as well as proper stars seem to visit Amsterdam regularly, which is quite nice. With time, there should be money enough to see more gifted artist on the big and small stages.

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Have you been to Amsterdam? What did you think of the city? Do you also think it’s rather gezellig?

xo P!

Travel Tip: Day tours

Whenever I move to a foreign city for a longer period of time, I make sure to get to know the country and culture by exploring it – like any traveler would. One of the ways in which I do this is by going on day tours. These can be arranged by professionels with a guide or by myself. Key is to explore the culture.

Of course, there are trains, however, they can be a bit expensinve. Alternatively, there are also many bus companies that drive to certain destinations very cheaply. I’m a big fan of these! A day tour can quickly turn into a weekend tour with enough time to explore the, for me, most noteable places. For me, these day tours offer a cheap way in which to get around the country in which I’m living.

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Do you have experiences with day tours/weekend tours? Any great tips I need to know about?

xo P!

Writing Your Thesis Abroad: My 10 reasons why to write your thesis abroad

After almost five years of study, it was time to write my master’s thesis… Because I didn’t have any classes during the thesis writing period, I decided to move to Berlin for seven months and seek adventure in the pursuit of the infamous black academic cap.

Maybe exactly because I characterise myself as a traveler, I find that you can do anything better when traveling? Nevertheless, I knew I needed this positivity when writing my study so…Berlin it was. It turned out to be the right choice for me for many different reasons. I here present you with my top ten reasons:

1. It’s a unique experience

2. You meet people from all over the world

3. You learn how to communicate with people from foreign cultures

4. You gain perspective on foreign behaviour as well as your own

5. You question what is right behaviour and you come to understand that it depends on many different things – not only cultures, however also people

6. As a result, you gain valuable foreign cultural insight and understanding

7. Having studied intercultural communication for almost five years and writing a thesis within the field, the acquired insight and understanding helped me in the process of writing my study

8. Furthermore, being out and away from everything and anyone, exploring a new city while getting to know it increased my creativity. As a result, I felt that the writing process went more smoothly than it would have under normal circumstances

9. In this sense, the best thing when I was stuck writing was that I could go explore and get renewed energy for the very frustrating process of writing

10. It’s the perfect excuse not to have time for anything or anyone. Let’s face it, writing a thesis is hard work. In the process, you find yourself limited by many things, time being one factor. As a result, living abroad was the perfect excuse not to have time for certain things…

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Do you want to explore the world as well? What are you waiting for!? Adventure is out there – even under your thesis writing period. There’s always an excuse to go travel! And can you believe it, there are even grants and scholarships that support these adventures throughout a thesis writing process…

xo P!

 

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Travel Tip: Keep a travel box

When I go traveling, I tend to write my explorations and experiences down – that way, I can recall my most treasured travel memories at all times: New friends met, funny/scary/sad situations experienced, beautiful and cool places and attractions explored as well as nice restaurants etc. However, sometimes I simply don’t have the time to write down everything. As such, I recently decided to keep a travel box on the side. In here, I put handwritten notes, post cards, tickets, bills etc. with travel memories that I don’t want to forget about in the future.

I thought I wanted to share this idea in case of you also have difficulties writing everything down in the middle of/at the end of an adventure abroad.

xo P!

 

Travel Tattoos: Inking memories

Today, it has become normal for people to have a tattoo. It’s no longer possible to pin point certain types of people that are likely to have tattoos, as people with tattoos no longer belongs to certain social groups: No all types of people today have tattoos. As a result, new trends within the tattoo industry shows up every day. For the last couple of years, travel tattoos has become a noteworthy trend – one that I, myself, have influenced by.

Everybody who gets a tattoo gets it for a reason. The reasons are as many as there are people with tattoos. However, a tattoo marks a story. This story may be connected to home or travels themselves however, one thing is certain: It mirrors a personal development.
This permanent mark on the body functions as reminder or mark on what a person has been through and what s/he learned as a result – it reveals personality. In this sense, it’s always interesting to hear stories behind tattoos, as people can really surprise you – you learn from them. All experienced made – even if it is made by others – are experiences gained…

Personally, I have four travel tattoos. All of which I treasure. They mark my four abroad relocations and serve as reminders – or marks, really – for an old version of me. Each tattoo reflects a personal growth and development. Be this in relation to following my dreams and passions or letting go, they function as reminders… In this relation, my most treasured tattoo is a swallow on my left lower arm. The symbolism in it is clear… To me, this tattoo marks a change in my life, a choice I made. A choice from which I grew. A choice that made my life a lot easier but also, at times, a lot more difficult.

Do you have any travel tattoos? Or tattoos in general? Why did you get it, if I may ask? And what does it mean to you?

xo P!

 

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Wonderlost Wednesday: Mackinac Island (guest post)

Hello there! Melanie here. My dear blogger friend, Pernnille, asked me to do a guest post on her blog, Wanderlust, because I hail from the United States of America, a place she has yet to travel. Now, you may be expecting something about a big city: Chicago, L.A., New York. However, I would like to discuss a much smaller place because it’s near and dear to my heart.

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My family was never one for traditions. However, one vacation we took every year was to Mackinaw City for Labor Day Weekend. This is the last weekend of the summer before school starts back up in the United States and it’s also the only time of the year that the Mackinac Bridge (the bridge that connects the upper and lower peninsulas of the state of Michigan) is open to pedestrian traffic. We walked the five-mile-long bridge almost every year. (Some years it was windy, and/or raining, which is not fun to walk through.) This was the highlight of our trip and the main reason we went. However, it wasn’t the only reason.

In the middle of Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes of North America, stands Mackinac Island. It’s not a very big island. In fact, one of the many things we do while on the island is ride our bikes around the perimeter, which is about 8 miles(12.8 km). The paved road that takes you around the island winds along the edge of the lake with the rocky cliffs jutting up on the other side. It’s a gorgeous scenic ride. In addition, there’s plenty of places to stop along the way to take breaks, take pictures, go hiking. In fact, along the way you’ll see a few of the beautiful houses of the full-time residents of the island peeking through the trees.

Why do we ride our bicycles and not take a car, you ask? Why because motor vehicles aren’t allowed on the island. Motor vehicles (excluding emergency vehicles, service vehicles, and snowmobiles in winter), were prohibited back in 1898. For that reason, bicycles have become the preferred method of transportation on the island. Of course, walking is allowed and horses are allowed on the island, as well. In fact, taking a horse-drawn carriage tour is another of the attractions offered on the island, or perhaps a horseback-ride through the middle of the island.

Or perhaps you’re a history-buff, someone who enjoys history? Have no fear! The island is rich with history! In fact, on the top of the island stands Fort Mackinac. Built in 1780 by the British during the American Revolutionary War and later used in the War of 1812, it now remains a top tourist attraction. Here you can see what daily life was like, watch reenactments, and listen to music of the time period.

If history and bike-riding aren’t your thing, you’ll have plenty else to do on the island with the countless unique, eclectic shops, a butterfly house with dozens of butterfly species from around the world, putt-putt golf by the beach, visit the Grand Hotel, plenty of open grass areas for catching some (sun)rays, playing Frisbee, or flying a kite.

Remember that peak tourist time is Labor Day Weekend. So be careful not to run any pedestrians over with your bike in the jam-packed Main Street. :p For a better look at the scenery of Mackinac Island, check out my flash fiction series :
Across the Lake (part 1); 
Across the Lake (part 2);
 Lake Huron;
 Fog;
 Day to Night.

Wonderlost Wednesday: Berlin

For six months this year, I lived in Berlin. Here, I took advantage of every free moment there was from writing my MA thesis to explore this lovely metropolis with all its delights. However, even having lived in Berlin for a longer period of time, I don’t feel as if I’ve explored and experienced it all – however, that’s just a good excuse to return, right!? Because fact is, there’s just so much to do in this modern metropolis.

 

 

 

 

What I like most about Berlin besides its diverse scenery is its cultural diversity – and not only people-wise, however, also area-wise. Each area is characterised in a different way from your high-end to alternative neighbourhoods. No doubt that there’s a lot of history to be explored here as well as (and implicit) culture. I do highly recommend visiting the typical tourist sights such as the Wall, Brandenburger Tor, Berliner Dom, various museums (especially the Wall Museum, which gives a comprehensive insight into the division of Berlin during the Cold War) etc. And although a tourist trap, I must recommend visiting the TV Tower! The view from the top is absolutely stunning. Furthermore, it’s a good way to get an overview of the metropolis and its areas from above. However, you can also do this from Die Welt, which is an air balloon close to the old boarder from west/east Berlin). Also the Jewish Memorial at Brandenburger Tor is a nice place to explore, walking around in between the many stones.

 

 

 

 

 

Besides from all the typical tourist sights, I quite like just exploring Berlin – it’s always fun when you get lost because you come across places and things you didn’t expect. …I could spend hours walking around in my neighbourhood, Kreuzberg, which was a rather cultural diverse and arty area in which street art was highly visible. Here and in Friedrichshain, you can explore street art from well-known artists from all over the world – it’s rather fascinating!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food-wise, Berlin is perfect! Because of the many different cultures living in the city, there are a lot of various and different cafes and restaurents where you can dig into the cultural diversity, so to speak. I, especially, grew found of Alarabi Lounge in Friedrichshain, which is a cute and cozy Turkish restaurant that serves a delicious brunch!
These many variations of cultural foods can also be explored at flee markets around Berlin. I quite like Mauerpark Flomarkt, which is a rather big flee market with everything from furniture to clothes to technical gadgets to jewellry and music etc. Beside the flee market, there is a little park where people hang out every Sunday and street artists play music and perform.

As you may or may not know by now from previous posts, I quite like green areas where you can relax, enjoy the fresh air and get away from the noisy big city for a moment. On that note, Berlin is perfect. The city, namely, has a lot of parks. I suspect the most well-known park is Tiergarten, however, my all time favourite is Viktoria Park in Kreuzberg. This park is absolutely stunning: It’s located on a hill and has this amazing waterfall in the middle, which you can see when you enter the park – beautiful, especially, in the summer time. Besides this, there are also some sand beaches located around Berlin, which are open during summer time. These, a friend and I visited a few times, and we quite enjoyed the atmosphere there: It was like visiting an exotic place – in the middle on Berlin! It was the perfect way to have a little vacation away from the MA thesis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re into the typical big city feel mixed with a lot of ’personality’ and cultural diversity, then Berlin is the perfect place for you to visit! And if you visit, don’t forget to stop by one of the many photo booths around Berlin – it’s the perfect souvenir to bring home with you.

xo P!

Wonderlost Wednesday: Blarney Castle

Build in 1446, Blarney Castle is one of Ireland’s oldest castles that is world-known for the Blarney Stone. According to myths, you can gain the gift of eloquence by kissing the stone. You will have to climb a lot of stairs and literally throw yourself under a rock, however, you will, of course, gain the gift of eloquence…

 

 

 

 

However, there is a lot more to Blarney Castle than just the stone. To the castle, namely, belongs big and beautiful gardens as well as the Blarney House: A spectacular estate in the middle of the gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Including a poison garden as well as a fern, bog and Irish gardens, there is a lot of gardens to be explored on Blarney Castle’s grounds, which is closely linked to Irish history and culture. If you, for example, book a guided tour, a tour guide will tell you all about the castle itself as well as the stone. Furthermore, you’ll among others gain insight into how rulers, at the time, advanced their political powers by visiting the poison garden. Then, at the beautiful Blarney House build in 1704 – a large Georgian Gothic estate, you’ll acquire insight into how lords and ladies, at the time, lived: You’ll learn about the different families that have lived there, their history and explore the beautiful exhibits of furniture. For anyone interested in aristocracy, this is without any doubt worth to visit. For a picnic out in stunningly beautiful scenery, Blarney Castle is definitely also worth a visit.

xo P!

Being an Expat: Living abroad as a foreigner

Relocating abroad automatically means that you become categorised as an expatriate – also known as an expat. As such, you have decided to reside in another culture than that of your citizenship – you are now an immigrant. As a result, it’s now your responsibility to adapt to this foreign culture – for better and worse. Don’t be afraid, though, it’s quite the adventure, and as long as you have an open mind, you’ll be more than fine – trust me. However, for anyone relocating to a foreign culture and trying to adapt as well as assimilate to norms and behaviour attached to this culture will know: It takes time. Meanwhile, in my experience, you’ll come to experience things – things that you may or may not have expected before immigrating:

1. The paper work concerning your relocation abroad is endless

2. …And the rules and regulations can be rather confusing and, to you, at times, somewhat illogical

3. Not knowing the foreign language can be a real challenge – even with good English skills

4. For better and worse, Google Translate becomes one of your treasured friends

5. You’ll come to find that the importance of a personal number is key to …EVERYTHING

6. Keeping in touch with friends and family from back home becomes truly important to you

7. ..As a result, so does all types of social media as they help you stay in touch

8. You’ll experience that your otherwise common and boring name is exotic and beautiful in the ears of foreigners, which is somewhat wonderfully weird to you

9. You’ll discover what stereotypes there are out there concerning your home country and its people

10. You’ll come to understand that there are various and different expectations of personal space

11. You don’t always know what you should or should not buy at the grocery store

12. It can be almost impossible (at times, definitely impossible) to find certain native foods

13. You’ll pay unreasonable amounts of money for food that only somewhat resemble what you can get back home in desperate hours of homesickness

14. The wonders of goodie bags sent from friends and family with foods from home can make your day

15. Eating out can be either the best or worst experience

16. You’ll never really know how much to tip

17. When you meet a fellow (insert your nationality here), you immediately get excited

18. However, you’ll experience that meeting new friends from foreign cultures is truly enlightening on so many levels – especially, culture-wise

19. You’ll find yourself incredible excited when new friends or acquaintances know something about your country – especially, if you, like me, come from a little otherwise insignificant nation that people rarely tend to know much about

20. You’ll find that keeping up with politics back home is difficult

21. …So is keeping up with its pop culture

22. On the other side, you’ll experience that acquiring insight into and understanding for a foreign culture is an exciting and adventurous experience

23. You’ll come to understand your own culture and foreign cultures more in-depth and acquire perspective on these, realizing that there’s a lot you don’t know about the world yet

24. Ultimately, you’ll realize that you will never truly know the foreign culture no matter for how long you’ll live there

25. …That won’t stop you from getting lost in the foreign culture and your new home city/country, which you’ll find nothing but exciting

26. As a result, you’ll come to treasure your native culture more in some ways and in other ways, you’ll come to treasure the foreign culture more

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Despite challenges and difficulties linked to relocating and living abroad, it’s worth it! Every day is the beginning of a new and exciting adventure filled with wonderful people.

xo P!

 

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Wonderlost Wednesday: Edinburgh

For years, a dear friend of mine had talked about the magic of Edinburgh. She had visited the city and fallen in love with it from the first day. Finally, in 2013, we were able to go there and explore the city and its magnetic charisma together. After a week in the Scottish capital, I was sold! Since then, we have discussed the possibility of eventually moving there one day, settling for a while and get to know the Scots and acquire understanding for their history and culture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can imagine, her years of stories about Edinburgh didn’t disapoint me at all – on the contrary. During our travels, we explored the city to its fullest during the Fringe Festivals. As a result, we discovered not only its history and culture through various and different attractions and sights such as Edinburgh Castle, Princess Street Gardens, Holyrood Palace, various cathedrals, Calton Hill, Old Calton Cemetery etc. However, we also explored the Scottish humour through various comedy gigs and a theater play. There are many ways to enjoy this beautiful city, but as the Harry Potter fans we are, we also visited the Elephant House, which is a small cafe, were J. K. Rowling were inspired while writing the Harry Potter books. Of course, you cannot be in Scotland and not visit Loch Ness, right!? Well, we couldn’t. As such, we also went on a day tour to the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness, which was such a nice experience although we didn’t find Nessie. The balance of city and country life is, for me, the perfect way to explore a culture, and when I return, I will make sure to bring a car so that we can experience more of the absolute stunningly beautiful country side.

 

 

 

 

All in all, I must say that Edinburgh is a delightful, small city with a lot of possibilities – you won’t easily get bored there especially not during the Fringe Festivals! The Scottish people are welcoming, funny and open-minded, which made our experience even more memorable. It’s definitely worth a visit – I’ll be back that’s for sure(!) and next time for a longer period of time.

xo P!