'Tis the Season- from me to you
Hello from Holland!
It's that time of year again-- the darkest, the beginning of the coldest, and somehow, the cheeriest. To be honest, I've never had a cozier, more relaxed holiday season than this. With the sun setting around four, we're quick to settle down for the evening. As I write this post, I'm imagining all my readers cozied up like my host family; books, sleeping hounds, the smell of winter roasts, the christmas tree glittering, the fireplace crackling. . . Yes, my imagination is unimaginably sappy.
Moving on, I may be a million and a half miles away from you, but I thought I'd do my best to give you a little gift-- my blog! Although it's not much, please enjoy it with all the heartfelt sincerity I did as I wrote it.
To be honest, I can't help but feeling like I've filled you in on everything I've learned this year. Everything, from biking to museums and chocolate sprinkles. From Sinterklaas to four-day Easter vacations. Travel, more museums, trains and planes. My au pairing, my art. If you've been reading my blog, you know it all. So what more can I give you? In reality, not much.
But you know, it's almost been a year. A year ago, my perspective was quite different. I arrived in Holland well aware I was simply job-hopping, hoping to catch the next adventure as it came. I remember I cried when my host family said I could take art classes instead of language classes, if I wanted. Only a few months later, I was applying to art school. That first evening, when my host family offered art classes to me, I knew this family was about to change my life.
I remember how hard I was shaking when I first went on a train. Or even just rode my bike around dinky little Bussum. Everything felt so daunting. It feels funny, looking back on it. Now, I can navigate pretty much all of Holland (and some cities all over Europe) with such ease. No plane intimidates me, no train station can scare me off. It feels like nothing stands in my way.
When I first came, I could only run for about ten minutes without injuring myself further. Two months ago I ran my first marathon. In Athens.
A year ago I never knew how much I liked Dutch milk (seriously, pasteurized stuff is awful. Americans don't know what cheese is.) or that the Dutch word for a hug is knuffel (with a hard "k" sound! Isn't it cute?).
When I first came, I used to get crazy coffee buzzes from drinking crazy amounts of dark coffee everyday. Don't even ask me how much I drink now. I justify myself because my host father drinks more.
And who knew I could crave bread and cheese? I owe my newfound ability to french braid my hair to my host child, Cato. I also owe my super sick soccer skills to my other host child, Otto (don't question that one, just roll with it). Who could have guessed I'd learn confidence from Romans, easy living from the French, and quietness from Poland. Politics, culture, history-- this place is like heaven.
Somehow, everything's changed. I didn't intend for it to, but it did. And my heart sometimes feels like it's going to explode with thankfulness. My host family is really, truly, incredible. Even when I called my host mother, in tears after my bike disappeared, she just replied with a casual quote from her mother-- "The economy doesn't work is things don't get broken or stolen." Without their encouragement, I never would have even dreamed of applying for art school. Becoming an au pair for these lovely people changed my life, for the better-- no understatement.
Meanwhile, being apart from my own family is pretty hard considering the time of year. Of course I'm missing our traditions, the Bend snow and mountains. . . But in all honesty, missing home is a constant factor for me. I am always thinking of home. Christmas is no exception.
Christmas in Holland is quite different than in America. I must say, I love it. The biggest difference between a Dutch Christmas and an American one is the general lack of gifts. It's so relaxing! There's no frenzied shopping sprees, ridiculous holiday deals, pressure to find out who's getting what from whom. The Dutch do exchange gifts, but usually more on Sinterklaas. And even at Sinterklaas, the pure scale of gifts seems quite a bit less than the American counterpart.
Instead, the Dutch feast. This Christmas, my host family will be celebrating three days of Christmas, each day a feast with a different part of the family. They dress up, the crack open a few bottles of wine, pull out the cheeses (of course) and enjoy each other. My host family has the particular tradition of going and seeing some sort of play or concert on Christmas eve. This year I'm getting to tag along with them to the National Opera and Ballet (that's where Audrey Hepburn danced!!) to see The Nutcracker. I can barely contain my excitement! We'll walk around after and take a look at Amsterdam all lit up for the season before we head to one of the many old cathedral-like churches. Christmas Eve service goes until midnight-- they take bringing in Christmas seriously.
All that to say, I'm the luckiest girl in the world right now. No gifts, no letters to Santa or listening for sleigh bells could make my holidays any brighter. Sometimes, when I knuffel my host children, sit with the dog and enjoy the house all lit up in the darkness, I think my heart really does burst.
I wanted to take a short moment to thank you. My readers, my friends, my family. All of this was made possible because you believed in me. Sometimes, you made is possible because of more than that- you donated your time, you love, sometimes even a few bucks to help me along the way. Beds I've slept in, food I've eaten, love I've received. Thank you for making me the luckiest (or, as my mom would say, "most blessed") girl in the world. If you're an American, I hope you take some time to relax and enjoy each other. If you're Dutch, you know I love you. Regardless, I wish all of you the merriest of holidays and cheer to many more to come, each one better than the last.
Merry Christmas & and warm knuffelen for all of you!
(Gelukkig Kerstfeest!)
With love,
Jessica J. Wolfe
 |
| It doesn't exactly feel like winter here with no snow. It was a beautiful day today :3 |
It's that time of year again-- the darkest, the beginning of the coldest, and somehow, the cheeriest. To be honest, I've never had a cozier, more relaxed holiday season than this. With the sun setting around four, we're quick to settle down for the evening. As I write this post, I'm imagining all my readers cozied up like my host family; books, sleeping hounds, the smell of winter roasts, the christmas tree glittering, the fireplace crackling. . . Yes, my imagination is unimaginably sappy.
Moving on, I may be a million and a half miles away from you, but I thought I'd do my best to give you a little gift-- my blog! Although it's not much, please enjoy it with all the heartfelt sincerity I did as I wrote it.
 |
| I would share with you our cookies, but they got lost in the land of NOM (My host family's first Christmas sugar cookies!) |
To be honest, I can't help but feeling like I've filled you in on everything I've learned this year. Everything, from biking to museums and chocolate sprinkles. From Sinterklaas to four-day Easter vacations. Travel, more museums, trains and planes. My au pairing, my art. If you've been reading my blog, you know it all. So what more can I give you? In reality, not much.
But you know, it's almost been a year. A year ago, my perspective was quite different. I arrived in Holland well aware I was simply job-hopping, hoping to catch the next adventure as it came. I remember I cried when my host family said I could take art classes instead of language classes, if I wanted. Only a few months later, I was applying to art school. That first evening, when my host family offered art classes to me, I knew this family was about to change my life.
I remember how hard I was shaking when I first went on a train. Or even just rode my bike around dinky little Bussum. Everything felt so daunting. It feels funny, looking back on it. Now, I can navigate pretty much all of Holland (and some cities all over Europe) with such ease. No plane intimidates me, no train station can scare me off. It feels like nothing stands in my way.
 |
| Add caption |
When I first came, I could only run for about ten minutes without injuring myself further. Two months ago I ran my first marathon. In Athens.
A year ago I never knew how much I liked Dutch milk (seriously, pasteurized stuff is awful. Americans don't know what cheese is.) or that the Dutch word for a hug is knuffel (with a hard "k" sound! Isn't it cute?).
When I first came, I used to get crazy coffee buzzes from drinking crazy amounts of dark coffee everyday. Don't even ask me how much I drink now. I justify myself because my host father drinks more.
And who knew I could crave bread and cheese? I owe my newfound ability to french braid my hair to my host child, Cato. I also owe my super sick soccer skills to my other host child, Otto (don't question that one, just roll with it). Who could have guessed I'd learn confidence from Romans, easy living from the French, and quietness from Poland. Politics, culture, history-- this place is like heaven.
Somehow, everything's changed. I didn't intend for it to, but it did. And my heart sometimes feels like it's going to explode with thankfulness. My host family is really, truly, incredible. Even when I called my host mother, in tears after my bike disappeared, she just replied with a casual quote from her mother-- "The economy doesn't work is things don't get broken or stolen." Without their encouragement, I never would have even dreamed of applying for art school. Becoming an au pair for these lovely people changed my life, for the better-- no understatement.
Meanwhile, being apart from my own family is pretty hard considering the time of year. Of course I'm missing our traditions, the Bend snow and mountains. . . But in all honesty, missing home is a constant factor for me. I am always thinking of home. Christmas is no exception.
 |
| I miss you, beautiful Bend snow <3 |
Christmas in Holland is quite different than in America. I must say, I love it. The biggest difference between a Dutch Christmas and an American one is the general lack of gifts. It's so relaxing! There's no frenzied shopping sprees, ridiculous holiday deals, pressure to find out who's getting what from whom. The Dutch do exchange gifts, but usually more on Sinterklaas. And even at Sinterklaas, the pure scale of gifts seems quite a bit less than the American counterpart.
Instead, the Dutch feast. This Christmas, my host family will be celebrating three days of Christmas, each day a feast with a different part of the family. They dress up, the crack open a few bottles of wine, pull out the cheeses (of course) and enjoy each other. My host family has the particular tradition of going and seeing some sort of play or concert on Christmas eve. This year I'm getting to tag along with them to the National Opera and Ballet (that's where Audrey Hepburn danced!!) to see The Nutcracker. I can barely contain my excitement! We'll walk around after and take a look at Amsterdam all lit up for the season before we head to one of the many old cathedral-like churches. Christmas Eve service goes until midnight-- they take bringing in Christmas seriously.
 |
| I have never seen more ice-skating crazy people than the Dutch. There are rinks EVERYWHERE. This is the one in front of the Rijksmuseum. |
All that to say, I'm the luckiest girl in the world right now. No gifts, no letters to Santa or listening for sleigh bells could make my holidays any brighter. Sometimes, when I knuffel my host children, sit with the dog and enjoy the house all lit up in the darkness, I think my heart really does burst.
I wanted to take a short moment to thank you. My readers, my friends, my family. All of this was made possible because you believed in me. Sometimes, you made is possible because of more than that- you donated your time, you love, sometimes even a few bucks to help me along the way. Beds I've slept in, food I've eaten, love I've received. Thank you for making me the luckiest (or, as my mom would say, "most blessed") girl in the world. If you're an American, I hope you take some time to relax and enjoy each other. If you're Dutch, you know I love you. Regardless, I wish all of you the merriest of holidays and cheer to many more to come, each one better than the last.
Merry Christmas & and warm knuffelen for all of you!
(Gelukkig Kerstfeest!)
With love,
Jessica J. Wolfe
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