So
you may have noticed that I have been absent for a while. Almost six
months it turns out! For a while I thought that this blog might have been
dead in the water, but pestering from my husband has seen me pull my finger out
and try to write something again.
In February I gave birth to a gorgeous little girl who
is the light and the bane of my life. The first few weeks were probably
the hardest of my life. Giving birth was a piece of cake in comparison. But now we have found our rhythm and are
getting along famously. I’m back at work
and a new normalcy is fast becoming established.
And
as for my adventures in integration?
Well I think I’m nearly there. I
conquered one of my final frontiers a few weeks ago – going to the doctor and
speaking only in Dutch. Only the hairdresser
to go now! My life is almost completely dutchified. I look out the
window and it’s pouring with rain (in June, of course it is. Summer is O.V.E.R.) but I didn’t even
consider taking the bus. Not an
option. I even take the baby on the bike
in a carrier. You should have seen me
last Friday: Baby, shopping, flowers and
lunch; all on the bike. Too easy.
I
think I’ve moved through to the final stage of culture
shock – mastery – and am happier and happier every day. That’s not to say that I don’t encounter my
share of idiots on a daily basis, because I do.
I’ve started an ‘idiot count’ which keeps me entertained on my way to
and from work each day on the bike. The
big difference between now and a year ago is that now it entertains me instead
of making me want to shoot people!
Before the
baby appeared I started to become more involved in the Almere English speaking
community International Almere. In fact, I’m now the organisation’s
secretary. Having said that, in the last
few months I have been so wrapped up in my own world that I haven’t had time to
do much – not even attend any of the events that happen every single week! I’m hoping that now I’m back out in the
big wide world I can be more involved again as it’s such a fun organisation to be a
part of! So (shameless plug alert!) if
you live in Almere, come join us. You
don’t have to be from abroad, almost half our members are dutchies!
Another
invaluable resource has been the ABCDE Playgroup. Not that I’ve had a chance to attend any of
their popular Wednesday or Thursday get togethers, but the Facebook group is
very lively and it’s wonderful to just know that the support is there whenever
I need it. The fabulous Becky who runs
it is also a childbirth educator and helped me no end build my confidence
before I went into labour. I really,
truthfully could not have done it without her. But, more about Becky in a later
post about the best and worst choices I made while pregnant and after the wee one was
born.
So, coming
up in the near future:
The best
(and worst) buys I made for my baby.
The choices
I made and the far reaching effects,
Going back
to work; good or bad?
And let’s
not forget a Weekendje Weg post (well, a “weekje” weg in this case).
It’s great
to be back. I’ve missed you.
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| Here she is - she's too big for that outfit now! |
