Moving Update

I forgot to update that we have nabbed a gorgeous apartment for our first two months. Since officially we cannot rent a place without a job, we scoured craigslist et al and were bombarded with scammers, who we had a lot of fun with. We decided we'd need to crash in a hostel/hotel or a short-term apartment and we resigned ourselves to the expense of it all. At the same time we'd been reading about Haarlem, not far from Amsterdam and it seemed a little cheaper and just as pretty. Then we found a lovely-sounding girl who was renting out her apartment in Haarlem for two months and it all just clicked.

The price is more than we'd like to pay for rent but much less than what we'd have to pay for short-term accommodation. It's in the most central location of Haarlem and will give us an idea if we want to live there later on. We're thrilled to have a place for when we arrive and can focus on settling in, work, Febo, having fun.

On top of that, it's gorgeous. The girl has great style, whites and chocolate browns, with a big kitchen (me happy) and a little patio (perfect for enjoying the freezing cold).

7 weeks and so much to do it's not funny counting!

The Why

Mum and I have had some great chats this week. Including asking me why I'm going.

Primarily, to get out of my comfort zone.
To experience the new in everything: environment, people, friends, work, customs, culture, climate.
To challenge myself.
To have fun.
To be close to old and new places.
To continue learning more about myself.
To be creative.

I Don't Know

...but sometimes, all you want is a BLT and a beer.

Sure, there's a fridge full of delights such as gourmet mushrooms and gorgonzola dolce, but nothing tonight could tempt me more than a plain old BLT: lashings of crispy free range bacon from the markets, love bite tomatoes and butter lettuce on a grilled bagel, finished with the world's best mayonnaise and pepper. Heineken and a night on the couch. Marty Sheargold and I are meant to be.

I had the agents round for an appraisal of the apartment and was happily surprised by their estimate of $30-50 a week more than what I was hoping for, so even if they were talking it up I should get an amount that I'll be satisfied with. It'll cover the mortgage and a bit of the strata. The unfun bit is now having to decide if I should rent it out furnished or what to do with my beloved furniture...

Here We Come, Dutchland!

We got our visas!

Meet The Dutchies: Part Two

We came back today for our appointment to lodge our visas, which was a flawless process of signing off our documents. We'll hear back within two weeks. Touch wood it goes through.

Meet The Dutchies: Part One

With no-one knowing about working holiday visas or replying to our email queries, we decided to apply for our visas sooner rather than later. So off we went this morning to the consulate armed with the required documents, ready for our first official encounter with the Dutchies.

Except we didn't have an appointment, which apparently you need, which we didn't see anywhere on the application. But maybe we could still have the interview today? No, you have to make an appointment. We could come back tomorrow, or Tuesday, or any other day, but not today. We couldn't imagine they were that busy, I mean, what does the consulate actually do? Regulate the import of poffertjes pans?

Oh and our passport photos are wrong. They have different passport photos to everyone else. Of course they do. Much smaller ones, like those Japanese sticker booths, which only a few photo places do, and cost $25. Hair must be tucked behind the ears, and you can smile but no teeth.

And you have to show proof of where you're staying for the first four weeks. To rent a place, you need a letter from your employer and/or a payslip. But to get your sofinumber, like a tax file number, you need an address, so it's a wonderful case of dog-chase-tail. Hopefully we've found a gorgeous place to rent privately, so that could be a big help.

So we're coming back next week for part two of a process that I'm sure will have many, many installments.

On the way back to work we were treated to a council worker jerking off his water bottle for our viewing pleasure. Thank goodness not everyone is politically correct, including this creep.

Possibilities

I have sunken into the comforts of re-reading a beloved book, the script/story of The Best Intentions. The names of the streets, desolate towns, have always bewitched me. Tradgarsgatan. I love the sound the name makes as you say it silently. And then I realise that I will soon be able to visit Sweden, and other crazy places, and the instant feeling is of a vastness in front of me. It's exciting.

It's All Dutch To Me

"This house has been recently renovated and provides with double glass. By means of a simple common kicking house you reach the house on fourth deepening."

"Top floor apartment and a nice balcony in the backside."

Told Dad

He's numb, although the words "you have to do what you want to do" took the sting out of it a little.

For some reason, having told him makes it feel like it's really happening.

Moving Misc

I am racked with guilt over telling dad: it will shatter him. He is being so nice today. There is never a right moment.

Received our first scam email about a fabulous apartment available at ridiculously low rent. Haha! Then found another place that sounded great and when we went to secure it realised the amount was the discount and not the actual rent. Luckily we caught that one in time!

Mum had a cry about me leaving yesterday. It will be so hard for her but she knows I have to do it. I really hope she does come and visit next year with the possibility of going to Russia after that. At least talking about it will make it a bit easier.

I worry every now and then of finding work and housing. Even though I'm sure we will be fine.

Chronicling Thoughts

As we’ve decided to buy our tickets this week we need to work out the date we’re leaving. I’ve had mid-November in the back of my mind while D wants to leave early-mid December. Leaving at that time makes more sense with being able to save a bit more and leave looking for work till after the new year, but I’m just being pulled to leave a month earlier. I think it’s my deep-down penchant for going it out alone, flying, arriving, first steps, on my own. But then it will be different this time.

It’s only a couple of weeks. It doesn’t really matter.

Update: D emailed me as I was writing this and suggested leaving in March, for a number of reasons, all of which made sense but didn’t override the need to go this year. So I spent my lunch time daydreaming about that option, until this subject line hit my Inbox: I’ve just made a decision – fuck being sensible.

What a relief.

So I decided going together would be better. It'll be easier to do things together - look for a place, look for work. Brave the cold.

She called from the agent's that there are hardly any seats available, and I hit the net and managed to find a good fare on a good date. Let's do it.

We booked our tickets. We are leaving 6 December.

Can't really believe it but I can. We'll apply for our visas in October and keep researching, saving and daydreaming until then.

And as S just MSNd me, I'll get a bit of summer before we go. And it doesn't get better than that.

It's Time

So, it's time to start chronicling a new chapter. I am planning to move to Amsterdam around November.

It hit me on my last birthday that the opportunity to live overseas would soon be limited and suddenly it was all I wanted. The idea was London but I soon delegated it to 'plan B' position. I love the city but just feel I want to try something else first, something more of a challenge.

I used this trip as a bit of a litmus test, sussing out new and visited places, asking myself, "could I live here?" Nothing felt too right (except Spain which came with the disappointment of learning there are no reciprocal WHV rights) but then Amsterdam, not knowing a thing about it, did. And it is central for more Europe-hopping which is what I want to use the time for.

It's also what D wants to do, so hopefully off we go together.

The only thing now is to save money, and to get my life in order here. The business, renting out my flat, and working out what will happen with the family business. Every day I do little bits of research, although everyone tells you something different!

I want to say that the family who I've told, my mum and my sister and brother-in-law, have been amazing. I was agonisingly nervous about telling them, more Kath than mum funnily enough, but both reactions have overwhelmed me with their support. "You have to go," said mum. Yet again I am blessed with so much love and support that I have to pinch myself sometimes. Telling dad though, will be a completely different story and I feel sick just thinking about it...

I'm looking forward to jotting this whole adventure down.