One of my first impressions of the Dutch was how incredibly tall they are! Granted, not all are this way, but there are seriously some of the tallest people I've ever seen in my life in this country. And I hadn't even gotten out of the airport yet.
After grabbing my bags from the carousel, quite thankful that they had arrived, I went on a search to find the ultimate girl accessory-- a hairdryer. While packing, I had visions of blowing up outlets and frying my hair with my 110 voltage power tool while subsequently being arrested for burning down my temporary apartment building for something to the effect of "ignorant American girl doesn't use the right converter"...so, I made a brave decision to leave mine at home and buy one when I got here. Easy, right? Maybe not so much. That mission proved rather unsuccessful so I decided to give up for the time being and find my way to Rotterdam by train. Note to self: taking a 63 pound suitcase on trains is not a task for the weak-backed. :( but, I survived and thoroughly enjoyed the smooth, quiet 30 minute ride on the non-stop Fyre (high speed train).
Soon after boarding the train, I noticed a couple of older American women and a gentleman who had been on my flight. I started talking to them and soon discovered that this was also their first time in Europe, and the gentleman admitted that they had actually followed me to the train station because I "looked like I knew what I was doing"... This made me laugh as I explained to them I really had no clue but was apparently an excellent guesser!! Maybe I am a bit Dutch, after all?
I grabbed a taxi to my temporary apartment on Taxustraat. The apartment building hosts local artists on the ground floor and four nicely furnished places for short term stay. Here's a few photos- I have to say, my company does things right! I'm very spoiled!
My morning view!
Meanwhile, the day proved to be far more eventful than I had planned. I had a bit of a stomach virus before I left the United States, and unfortunately it became much worse by the time I had reached the apartment. I'd had the best of intentions of going into the office that afternoon, but unfortunately the combination of sickness, jet lag, and overwhelming feelings of being alone on a new continent for the first time got to me. A bad combination, but I was quickly met with the help of some extremely kind Dutch coworkers, who quickly showed me with their incredible support that I was not alone here, in fact, I was their new (although slightly helpless) friend.
And this was how I found out what "huisarts" are. That's right, my first night in the Netherlands, and I end up at the local general practitioner. This is no easy task as night doctors are sort of rare in the Netherlands. In fact, there is a process that you need to go through in order to see one. Thankfully, my kind neighbor and co-worker took me under her wing and straight to the doctor. The experience was really quite good. The wait was short compared to most urgent care centers I have been to in the US, and the cost was actually quite minimal. For somewhere around €100 (out of pocket!), I was able to see a doctor and get medication--prescription medication!
Thankfully, with a good nights rest and excellent medication, I was able to feel much better by morning and more than ready to face my first real day in the Netherlands...!
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