A Lot to Report
I have so much to catch you all up on. First off, can you believe how fast this season is going? Is it really November already? I can't believe I've lived in the Netherlands for almost a year. The Netherlands has almost lost it's magic-- it really feels like home. It feels completely normal to bike everywhere, public transportation doesn't freak me out anymore, and I think I may be addicted to Dutch bread and cheese. However, with a return of the holiday season, Holland is putting up its lights and the old world romance rolls in like the consistant morning fog.
Secondly, another friend came to visit!
Kallee has been one of my best friends since I was a scrawny 14-year-old in Bend. It was absolutely fabulous having her with me. Thirdly, as you might have noticed from the picture, Kallee and I ventured our way all the way to Greece!
Let me tell you; Greece is an amazing place. Kalle and I were both rather nervous heading to Greece, considering all the political and economical turmoil that's been happening. However, it still made for a fantastic journey. There was also some rather unexpectedly exciting aspects of our Grecian trip. Like the taxi driver who refused to take us past the gang that was lounging on the steps in front of our hotel. Yes, a gang. Kallee and I were so excited when we booked a hotel with a balcony and a view of Acropolis for decently cheap. We didn't consider why the price might be as low as it was. As it turns out, our hotel was smack in the middle of the anarchist district of Greece. Arriving at night was terrifying. Strange country, a gang hanging out on our front porch, graffiti tattooing every nook and cranny.
But I'm happy to report that the terrors of the night didn't translate into the day. Under light, our little district was full of incredible amounts of culture; fantastic food, books, independent artists, music, and fashion. Even the neighborhood gang seemed mainly interested in relaxing and enjoying a beer on our hotel's conveniently located steps. I loved all the street art. Although you could feel the tension in the air and see it on shop owner's faces, Athens really felt very alive.
Fourthly, we traveled to Athens for a reason: my first marathon!
What an absolutely incredible experience, running my first marathon in the footsteps of the first marathon (not to mention countless other epic races following). It's truly something I'll remember forever. I finished the marathon in 3h:46m, which aligned with my goal of doing the marathon in four hours or less. The marathon itself was incredible. My two favorite parts were running around the Eternal Flame of the Olympic Games (which has been lit since the modern Olympics began in 1896) and how the pathway was lined with children handing out olive branches. Once you were handed an olive branch, you had to carry it to the finish line. It was also pretty cool finishing in the ancient Olympic stadium, Panatheniac Stadium. Truly, what an incredible bucket list item to check off.
(this is a quick video of the finish line. I know it sucks, but I wanted you all there with me, in spirit)
Fifthly, a little side-story for you. You may have noticed my Facebook/Instagram have been silent for the past two weeks after Greece. Well, there's a bit mix-up that happened in Greece. Kallee and I had pre-planned to pay a little extra to take the taxi from the hotel to the airport due to the little fact of me not being able to walk especially well the day after the marathon (seriously, why didn't any of you warn me about the difficulty of recovery after a marathon?!). Halfway through our ride to the airport, our taxi driver gets a call from the hotel and suddenly starts yelling frantically in broken English, "Phone? Can I have phone? Call. Yes, with phone. No mine. Hotel. You? Or you?". Despite being unable to understand him, his frantic shouting for a phone made Kallee and I shuffle for our phones, in which case I realized my phone was missing. Left at the hotel, i.e. why the called. Long story short, Kallee and I didn't manage to communicate to the taxi driver that we needed to go back, and the phone is currently in transit on it's way back.
That said, I don't have much photos of the remainder of Kallee's trip :(
Our bad luck continued further, with both the children feeling unwell on our return. As much fun as I do have, sometimes I do work. So, for a few days I had to be an #aupairextradordinaire and look after the children and genuinely all Kallee and I did was watch movies, go on wet and windy bike rides, and play games with the children. It was fun for me, but I was disappointed I didn't get to show Kallee around the Netherlands more.
Still, we had time to visit Amsterdam a few times. We visited the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum (a personal favorite of mine) and I took her to the Nine Streets and out to eat at De Hallen (a very fun cultural hub in an old tram station). Plus, she got to ride her bike everywhere, get plastered with huge gales of wind, and eat some stamppot, stroopwafels, and chocolate sprinkles on her breakfast. Plus, she got to experience two holidays! Firstly is St. Martin's Day, which is kind of the Dutch equivalent of Halloween. The children walk door-to-door carrying lanterns and singing songs for candy. My host children are too old for it, but we still enjoyed passing out candy (and finishing up the left overs).
The second holiday she witnessed was the beginning of Sinterklaas (Dutch Christmas)! In Dutch tradition, Sinterklaas arrives from Spain on November 11th and sticks around until December 5th. During that time, children can put their shoes by the fireplace (with some veggies for Sinterklaas's white horse) and sing hopes of getting presents in them the following morning. It's traditional to get a chocolate letter from Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Piets, and so we did! We also stumbled over the Parade for Sinterklaas's arrival in Amsterdam. It was so fun! Sinterklaas's helpers (the Zwarte Piets; a.k.a. the Black Petes) were handing out little Dutch cookies and children with costumes were everywhere. Lots of music, and even people swinging from building to building dressed as Zwarte Piets! Pure magic.
Overall, I think she probably did gain a good perspective of my current home. But, on November 18th, I had to wish Kallee a hesitant farewell. It was so hard to say goodbye to this adorable little piece of home.
All the while, I've been working very hard at my art as well. It has been so good to be challenged with my artwork, and to be given the opportunity and resources to do well. We've finished the sculpture segment of the year and have moved on to painting and drawing. For the final project in sculpture, I really went all-in. My previous post was one part in the three projects I presented. Another part was a series I called "People in Boxes." During the project, I photographed over 400 people throughout Amsterdam as they held a box over their heads. The idea was inspired by one of my favorite quotes from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty:
It was my first time using a high-powered camera, so the pictures aren't perfect, but you can take a look at my collective work in the video below.
I'll continue to work on this project, as I get better with a camera and develop the idea more. If nothing else, this project connected me to so many cool new people and I feel as though I captured the entirety of Amsterdam in one day. Although the video is rough, I love it all the same. My most current work has been on a "dancing machine" which converts your movements, or dances, into a drawing behind you. here's what it looks like:
It's not done in the picture, but it shows how it looks. You can see me holding a stick with a pen attached to it. Eventually, I had five pens and and sticks, one for each hand, each foot and your hips. Overall, it was hugely successful. If nothing else, the aesthetic of it was hugely pleasing. I'd like to tweak the design a little bit in the future, but overall, it might be a project that I use for the entrance exams this coming spring.
Even more recently, I've been photographing "unexpected places" this week. In the picture below, you can see a symbol, the inside of an orange, the inside of a flute, a heater vent, the inside of a wine bottle, and the inside of a grand piano. Unfortunately, I caught a bad stomach flu, so I didn't get to go to class this week, but I'm pretty proud of my improvement in photography regardless.
And so now you've been caught up! What a post, right? Like I said earlier, I can't believe this year is coming to a close. If I was a "normal" au pair, I'd be counting the weeks down until I could come home. I'd be planning, job hunting, generally looking forward to all the familiarities of my hometown. However, as unexpected as staying here in the Netherlands is for me, I can't say I'm not excited. I'm so looking forward to another year of staying with the ever-cozy Oldenburgs and watching their children grow and mature. I'm looking forward to another year of wet bike rides, delicious stroopwafels and Dutch cheese. Most of all, I'm looking forward to another year of adventure and personal growth and discovering all things European.
Thank you all for joining me on this crazy little journey. I look forward to filling you in on all the details next time we meet.
Until next time!
Jessica J. Wolfe
 |
| Isn't it so cozy and lovely? |
Secondly, another friend came to visit!
Kallee has been one of my best friends since I was a scrawny 14-year-old in Bend. It was absolutely fabulous having her with me. Thirdly, as you might have noticed from the picture, Kallee and I ventured our way all the way to Greece!
 |
| Traveling buddies are the best buddies. |
Let me tell you; Greece is an amazing place. Kalle and I were both rather nervous heading to Greece, considering all the political and economical turmoil that's been happening. However, it still made for a fantastic journey. There was also some rather unexpectedly exciting aspects of our Grecian trip. Like the taxi driver who refused to take us past the gang that was lounging on the steps in front of our hotel. Yes, a gang. Kallee and I were so excited when we booked a hotel with a balcony and a view of Acropolis for decently cheap. We didn't consider why the price might be as low as it was. As it turns out, our hotel was smack in the middle of the anarchist district of Greece. Arriving at night was terrifying. Strange country, a gang hanging out on our front porch, graffiti tattooing every nook and cranny.
But I'm happy to report that the terrors of the night didn't translate into the day. Under light, our little district was full of incredible amounts of culture; fantastic food, books, independent artists, music, and fashion. Even the neighborhood gang seemed mainly interested in relaxing and enjoying a beer on our hotel's conveniently located steps. I loved all the street art. Although you could feel the tension in the air and see it on shop owner's faces, Athens really felt very alive.
 |
| Good food, sunshine, and friends- life's essential ingredients |
Fourthly, we traveled to Athens for a reason: my first marathon!
 |
| Surprise hint: I finished it! |
What an absolutely incredible experience, running my first marathon in the footsteps of the first marathon (not to mention countless other epic races following). It's truly something I'll remember forever. I finished the marathon in 3h:46m, which aligned with my goal of doing the marathon in four hours or less. The marathon itself was incredible. My two favorite parts were running around the Eternal Flame of the Olympic Games (which has been lit since the modern Olympics began in 1896) and how the pathway was lined with children handing out olive branches. Once you were handed an olive branch, you had to carry it to the finish line. It was also pretty cool finishing in the ancient Olympic stadium, Panatheniac Stadium. Truly, what an incredible bucket list item to check off.
(this is a quick video of the finish line. I know it sucks, but I wanted you all there with me, in spirit)
Fifthly, a little side-story for you. You may have noticed my Facebook/Instagram have been silent for the past two weeks after Greece. Well, there's a bit mix-up that happened in Greece. Kallee and I had pre-planned to pay a little extra to take the taxi from the hotel to the airport due to the little fact of me not being able to walk especially well the day after the marathon (seriously, why didn't any of you warn me about the difficulty of recovery after a marathon?!). Halfway through our ride to the airport, our taxi driver gets a call from the hotel and suddenly starts yelling frantically in broken English, "Phone? Can I have phone? Call. Yes, with phone. No mine. Hotel. You? Or you?". Despite being unable to understand him, his frantic shouting for a phone made Kallee and I shuffle for our phones, in which case I realized my phone was missing. Left at the hotel, i.e. why the called. Long story short, Kallee and I didn't manage to communicate to the taxi driver that we needed to go back, and the phone is currently in transit on it's way back.
That said, I don't have much photos of the remainder of Kallee's trip :(
 |
| It was super duper cool :) |
Our bad luck continued further, with both the children feeling unwell on our return. As much fun as I do have, sometimes I do work. So, for a few days I had to be an #aupairextradordinaire and look after the children and genuinely all Kallee and I did was watch movies, go on wet and windy bike rides, and play games with the children. It was fun for me, but I was disappointed I didn't get to show Kallee around the Netherlands more.
 |
| Still, we did get around. P.s. Isn't she adorable?! |
Still, we had time to visit Amsterdam a few times. We visited the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum (a personal favorite of mine) and I took her to the Nine Streets and out to eat at De Hallen (a very fun cultural hub in an old tram station). Plus, she got to ride her bike everywhere, get plastered with huge gales of wind, and eat some stamppot, stroopwafels, and chocolate sprinkles on her breakfast. Plus, she got to experience two holidays! Firstly is St. Martin's Day, which is kind of the Dutch equivalent of Halloween. The children walk door-to-door carrying lanterns and singing songs for candy. My host children are too old for it, but we still enjoyed passing out candy (and finishing up the left overs).
 |
| Isn't it darling? |
The second holiday she witnessed was the beginning of Sinterklaas (Dutch Christmas)! In Dutch tradition, Sinterklaas arrives from Spain on November 11th and sticks around until December 5th. During that time, children can put their shoes by the fireplace (with some veggies for Sinterklaas's white horse) and sing hopes of getting presents in them the following morning. It's traditional to get a chocolate letter from Sinterklaas and his Zwarte Piets, and so we did! We also stumbled over the Parade for Sinterklaas's arrival in Amsterdam. It was so fun! Sinterklaas's helpers (the Zwarte Piets; a.k.a. the Black Petes) were handing out little Dutch cookies and children with costumes were everywhere. Lots of music, and even people swinging from building to building dressed as Zwarte Piets! Pure magic.
 |
| Sinterklaas arriving in Amsterdam! (not my photo) |
Overall, I think she probably did gain a good perspective of my current home. But, on November 18th, I had to wish Kallee a hesitant farewell. It was so hard to say goodbye to this adorable little piece of home.
 |
| So good :3 |
All the while, I've been working very hard at my art as well. It has been so good to be challenged with my artwork, and to be given the opportunity and resources to do well. We've finished the sculpture segment of the year and have moved on to painting and drawing. For the final project in sculpture, I really went all-in. My previous post was one part in the three projects I presented. Another part was a series I called "People in Boxes." During the project, I photographed over 400 people throughout Amsterdam as they held a box over their heads. The idea was inspired by one of my favorite quotes from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty:
"To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw close, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life."
It was my first time using a high-powered camera, so the pictures aren't perfect, but you can take a look at my collective work in the video below.
I'll continue to work on this project, as I get better with a camera and develop the idea more. If nothing else, this project connected me to so many cool new people and I feel as though I captured the entirety of Amsterdam in one day. Although the video is rough, I love it all the same. My most current work has been on a "dancing machine" which converts your movements, or dances, into a drawing behind you. here's what it looks like:
It's not done in the picture, but it shows how it looks. You can see me holding a stick with a pen attached to it. Eventually, I had five pens and and sticks, one for each hand, each foot and your hips. Overall, it was hugely successful. If nothing else, the aesthetic of it was hugely pleasing. I'd like to tweak the design a little bit in the future, but overall, it might be a project that I use for the entrance exams this coming spring.
 |
| This was my classmates invention! So much fun. |
Even more recently, I've been photographing "unexpected places" this week. In the picture below, you can see a symbol, the inside of an orange, the inside of a flute, a heater vent, the inside of a wine bottle, and the inside of a grand piano. Unfortunately, I caught a bad stomach flu, so I didn't get to go to class this week, but I'm pretty proud of my improvement in photography regardless.
And so now you've been caught up! What a post, right? Like I said earlier, I can't believe this year is coming to a close. If I was a "normal" au pair, I'd be counting the weeks down until I could come home. I'd be planning, job hunting, generally looking forward to all the familiarities of my hometown. However, as unexpected as staying here in the Netherlands is for me, I can't say I'm not excited. I'm so looking forward to another year of staying with the ever-cozy Oldenburgs and watching their children grow and mature. I'm looking forward to another year of wet bike rides, delicious stroopwafels and Dutch cheese. Most of all, I'm looking forward to another year of adventure and personal growth and discovering all things European.
Thank you all for joining me on this crazy little journey. I look forward to filling you in on all the details next time we meet.
Until next time!
Jessica J. Wolfe
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