Netherlands - Here I come!

Although I'm $2000 short for my trip, that just means I'm going to have to starve. Hahahahahahahaha. :)


So...I'm leaving tomorrow! How exciting! I just received my scholarship money, but for some odd reason, I am $1000 short...and the Bursar's office is closed until Jan 4. Ugh. But believe me, I will get it. :)


Anyways, I get to check in online with British Airways to choose my seat and pay for luggage today at 8pm! Anthony recently repacked everything for me (ha. He did way better than me!) We weighed my luggage and both are 47 pounds each. Whoa. It's going to be tough carrying both by myself, but my muscles should be pretty pumping after my flight. 

I figured out that the shuttle bus is way cheaper ($27.50) than a private driver from the two airports in London. I'm pretty psyched about that. I guess I should buy it today. I will later when I sign in for British Airways. 

I took out money from the bank (since my parents keep insisting that I need cash....hopefully I don't loose it). I also moved out of my apartment today, so goodbye Abbey West! Anthony, Steven, and I did work -- meaning cleaning, scrubbing to the point where we all smell of bleach. Whoa.

Hmm...what else? Oh yea, it will be snowing in The Netherlands when I arrive! I'm also having dinner with my mentor teacher's family! My roommate from Kentucky gets in on Jan 10 so I will be alone until she arrives. Hopefully no paranormal activity goes on. I swear, that movie has got me scarred for life. 


P.S. I've been spending these last few days with the bf, and I'm truly going to miss him. No yelling and fighting for four months. Life can't get better. Lol. 

I can't wait to put pictures up! Yay!


Have a great New Year's Celebration! I will be on a plane. Maybe I'll have a drink. :)

Netherfunds

So these past couple of days, I've been shopping and trying to figure out what all I need for the trip. However, I realized that I just keep adding on to my luggage. Ugh. Today, I found out that I only have one free luggage allowance for my trip and I have to pay for my other one which will be $48 each to and from. 

I also called the transportation services today from Heathrow to Gatwick and the price quote I got was $300! Just for a one hour ride! I will be arriving in Heathrow at 9:30 and my connecting flight is at Gatwick. Because I arrive on Jan 1, the price quotes go all the way up! UGH! I don't know what to do. 

So I have to make sure to pay for extra luggage and my transportation. Grreeat. I'm just ready for all of this to be over with. 

I also found out that the cost of the visa is close to $600. Yay. This trip is gonna be expensive, and I'm thinking it'll be worth it! I hope so! 

I'm leaving next week! Whoa! My overseas coordinator also sent a picture, and he reminds me of Mr. Mike! He's really nice. 

Anyways,  I'm off to tell myself that the trip will be worth it even though it's going to super expensive!

Nethernerves

Student teaching: last semester of my undergrad career. Although my mentor teacher in Athens, GA and my 5th grade students are disappointed that I won't be completing my student teaching with them, they are super excited about me going to The Netherlands for my student teaching..Yay!

Here comes the nethernerves....
So in two weeks, I will be leaving to go to The Netherlands! I'm a bit nervous, and I can't even start thinking about packing. The weather will be from 0 degrees to 60 degrees, and it rains more than here. So the clothes I will be packing are clothes for cold and wet season. Nice.

I feel like there are so much left to do before I leave for The Netherlands. I'm getting more and more anxious everyday and it's about to drive me insane. I know that it's a great opportunity, but being away from my family and friends for four months seem so overwhelming. There's also a six hour difference, and I have to set times for when I can talk to my family, friends, and my boyfriend.

Ok. So it's only four months, it can't be that bad right? My parents are worried about me, my mom especially, but I keep telling them that I'm a big girl....when really, I'm scared. I leave on Dec. 31 and have a connecting flight on Jan 1 in London at a different airport. Scary thought, since I have to make reservations for someone to pick me up from the airport to take me to another airport. And today, I found out about the British Airways strike going on from Dec. 22 to Jan 2...and it just so happens that my flight date lands during that time. I really hope that everything turns out okay. :)

Everyone is really excited for me, and I am, too, but I still have this feeling of discomfort...maybe because it's all a new place and experience and I have no idea what to expect or maybe it's because I will be by myself, no professor or classmates around. However, I do have a roommate and she's from Kentucky and doing the same thing I'm doing...so at least I'll have her. :)

This blog may seem a bit negative, but it's really just my nerves talking. My mentor teacher from The Netherlands is fantastic and so helpful. That goes with my overseas coordinator as well. They're just too nice, and I'm really looking forward to meeting them.

Here is the website of the school I will be working at: http://algemeen.calvijn.nl/
There are seven different parts of the school, and I will be at Vreewijk. Sorry, it's in Dutch but the pictures are super cute!

Also, I received the website to my place in The Netherlands! I was ecstatic when I saw my apartment. It's pretty! Here it is:

http://www.stadswonen.nl/website_new/folder_short_stay_IGHR_aug_2005.pdf

I'm living in a three bedroom apartment, because there were three girls originally going. The first two dropped out and they found my future roommate to go, so there will only be the two of us. Two bedroom apartments aren't available until March so to make sure that our rent isn't higher than it needs to be, the school rented out the apartment for us, and we just pay the school. How awesome, right!?

Anyways, tell me to calm down. My nerves are going everywhere.