Back in Holland

Sunny day in Heumen. Like most of my days, I got up at 7.30 (yes, AM) this morning and got on my bike to get to work. I work at a camping near Nijmegen, handling check-ins, renting out bikes, listening to crap stories of people, the usual. Easy job though (apart from getting up at an "un-Christian time") that makes some good money: 1500 for 4 weeks is not bad. Cause there is not much to do at the moment, I'm spending all my days reading articles online, listening to the radio and - as you can see - writing blogs.
It has been a while since I wrote my last blog. Back then I was still in my culture shock, having trouble blending in my old habitat and picking up life back in Nijmegen. Like most of the Erasmus I got through a rough period, but now I'm back in the game and doing fine. Not only missing the many new friends I made in the past six months, I also missed (and still miss) the lifestyle I practised. Getting up late every morning or afternoon, eating my chocolate sprinkles breakfast, reading email, making plans for the night, eating, drinking and sleeping again. This had been my life for 5 months in the Irish capital city, and although I was bored at times and didn't know what to do with my life, I loved it! Back in Holland things changed. No Erasmus students who went out every night, no cool card games, no big pints, nothing of that all. Instead there were pre-occupied friends (uni, work, you name it) and a house that mostly contains people who are not home or have a different lifestyle and way of thinking as me. Totally different from my great friend and former room mate Alice, with whom I had an awesome time in Dublin. Although it is kinda crap that you never ever have the place for yourself to just chill out, I couldn't have wished for a better person to share my room (and thus life) with during the exchange months.
Yesterday I had a day off from work and decided to make a selection of photos that I want to use for a big photo collage of my time in Ireland. This was so much fun to do, as I relived all the moments all over again. Drunk-and-eyes-closed-elena, leopard-freak-Kait, guitar-hero-Javi, angry(hungry?)-Margherita, jumping-Tine and many many more. I ordered them I now I'm waiting until they arrive so I can start on the big project.
Now it's three days later, and I'm bored as hell. Nothing to do at work, and I still have an hour left to work... But i'll keep my back straight, just think about the money I will make by sitting here writing my blog. Yesterday I got great news. Just days after the final confirmation that I have my Bachelor Degree in Business Communication (as one of the first of my year). I also heard from the language centre of the Radboud University that I have the job as a student assistent English. I'm really happy, cause this is a great chance for me to do some interesting work and make some money and meet top-managers at the same time. I will have to support high profile professionals who are following a very expensive language course. So that means interesting conversations, great lunches and new experiences. I will start somewhere in August and I'm very much looking forward to that!
This Saturday, the Nijmegen Summer Festival starts. It's a seven-day festival in the centre of the oldest city of the Netherlands and comprehends music gigs, comedy and much much more. Cool stuff, although I have to work so I have to choose my days well as I will have to get up early every morning (work from 10 till 19h). Good thing that I have the Wednesday off so I can get a little rest, although I'll probably be partying the night before and during that day ;-).
Thursday 23rd now. At this very moment I'm still looking for a summer break, cause I don't want to stay in Holland all summer now that I'm used to travelling around Europe. The way it looks now I'll be going to Sardinia (Italy) for a week in the beginning of August. Would be great: Nice weather, white beaches, prob seeing Italian Elena and Nohemi and just a lot of chilling. Gonna fix my tickets today, hope that things will work out.

I did a lot of partying this week during the Summer Festival. The best gig was definitely the Room Eleven concert at Habana Waal Beach Nijmegen. Awesome singer, great live instruments and a beautiful sun and rainbow after the terrible weather earlier that evening. I really enjoyed myself and made some great pictures. Tonight I will be going out too, although (like every day this week) I have to work early the next morning. Let's hope I'll wake up on time tomorrow :P.

Now it's time to finally publish my blog, otherwise it'll never go online ;-).