Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The rest of Athens and Greece
More Photos from Athens April 2013
Island of Aegina
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| Port of Aegina |
The village was really lovely and quaint, overflowing with kids visiting on a school trip. There were hormones flying everywhere. 
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| Fresh Catch! |
We also found a sweet mama cat and her tiny day old babies.
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| View of the Port of Aegina |
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| Tomb of the unknown soldier |
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| Changing of the Guard in traditional uniform |
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| Guido stealing oranges from the groves in the botanical garden |
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| Goddess figures and vessels from Acropolis Museum |
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| Caryatids from the Acropolis |
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| In Plakka |
One thing we learned in Athens: the monuments close at 15:00 sharp. So, you have MUCH of the day to just wander around in the lovely neighborhood of Plakka and just stuff yourself on meze. Which we did. A LOT.
It was a really nice get away, and topped off by a night in a really fancy hotel on the 'Grecian Riviera'. I stayed on and had a really nice time with my work people.
Good bye Greece! I hope to visit your famous islands on a sailboat someday!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Athens
G and I are in Athens this weekend for a city getaway before a meeting for my work here next week. The city has its simple charms, and is not as in your face touristy as other places I have been. The monuments close way to early, but that seems to be the way of life here. Plaza is particularly nice and there are beautiful terraces on every rooftop with amazing views of the Acropolis. The weather has been Amazing and very much needed by this Floridian who was getting desperate after a long winter. More photos to come!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Update since 2011!
In 2011, I struggled for the entire year searching for a job. It seemed that no one wanted me. Simple, basic jobs like telephone customer representatives and even hotel maid work eluded me. One call back, and that rejected me because I didn't have a permanent residence permit. There was an abundance of English speakers from the UK that didn't have the added issues of a one year permit. It was incredibly frustrating.
During that time, I was also volunteering at an exotic animal sanctuary, and had a hope of getting a permanent contract with them. First I was going to be a keeper, then offered head keeper, then offered curator. I thought finally, finally I had was I was looking for! But there was some doubt in my mind, as the promised contract was slow in coming, and then slower, and then non existant. The plans that had been made that would have provided me the job had fallen through. Once again, I lost my promise of work.
I got pretty desperate, and my Dutchie and I seriously considered going back to the US. It would have been a struggle, and would have involved a lot of separation, but I just couldn't NOT work. It isn't in my nature. I needed my own paycheck, my own livelihood. As much as I appreciated (and still do) the incredible kindness and understanding of my sweetie, I just needed work.
After an amazing visit and some encouragement from two friends from Florida, whose advice I greatly admire, I applied for an office position in my field, with lots of travel. I thought I would never get it. I thought they were looking for someone with more experience. But I applied, and basically counted it as my last try. If this didn't work, I was going to have to go back and pray I could get my old job back.
Luckily for me, a miracle happened, and I got the job! It is exciting, involves lots of travel, lets me network with all the right people, and I really really enjoy it. I have an amazing office environment, great coworkers, a great boss, and lots of flexibility and autonomy. It is exactly right for me. Plus, in the last year I have seen 12 new European countries, met lots of interesting people, eaten some fabulous local food and generally enjoyed myself. While I miss my G terribly while I am gone, technology helps us stay connected and we manage. Absence makes the heart grow fonder after all!
So now I have been at my work for more than a year, and still going strong. Things are good, and I am looking forward to the future. I have achieved exactly what I hoped for: a job in my field that will further my career, learned enough Dutch to get around and manage a simple conversation, and grown a strong relationship with my sweet Dutchie, who I love very much, supports me in all ways and cannot imagine life without.
So that is life as it is at the moment! I will be posting some photos and stories from the last year over the next few weeks, plus things happening now. I hope you will be interested in reading!
Tot Ziens!
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| Mount of Olives, over looking Jerusalem, Israel (March 2013) |
In 2011, I struggled for the entire year searching for a job. It seemed that no one wanted me. Simple, basic jobs like telephone customer representatives and even hotel maid work eluded me. One call back, and that rejected me because I didn't have a permanent residence permit. There was an abundance of English speakers from the UK that didn't have the added issues of a one year permit. It was incredibly frustrating.
During that time, I was also volunteering at an exotic animal sanctuary, and had a hope of getting a permanent contract with them. First I was going to be a keeper, then offered head keeper, then offered curator. I thought finally, finally I had was I was looking for! But there was some doubt in my mind, as the promised contract was slow in coming, and then slower, and then non existant. The plans that had been made that would have provided me the job had fallen through. Once again, I lost my promise of work.
Croatia (2011)
I got pretty desperate, and my Dutchie and I seriously considered going back to the US. It would have been a struggle, and would have involved a lot of separation, but I just couldn't NOT work. It isn't in my nature. I needed my own paycheck, my own livelihood. As much as I appreciated (and still do) the incredible kindness and understanding of my sweetie, I just needed work.
After an amazing visit and some encouragement from two friends from Florida, whose advice I greatly admire, I applied for an office position in my field, with lots of travel. I thought I would never get it. I thought they were looking for someone with more experience. But I applied, and basically counted it as my last try. If this didn't work, I was going to have to go back and pray I could get my old job back.
Luckily for me, a miracle happened, and I got the job! It is exciting, involves lots of travel, lets me network with all the right people, and I really really enjoy it. I have an amazing office environment, great coworkers, a great boss, and lots of flexibility and autonomy. It is exactly right for me. Plus, in the last year I have seen 12 new European countries, met lots of interesting people, eaten some fabulous local food and generally enjoyed myself. While I miss my G terribly while I am gone, technology helps us stay connected and we manage. Absence makes the heart grow fonder after all!
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| Budapest, October 2012 |
So now I have been at my work for more than a year, and still going strong. Things are good, and I am looking forward to the future. I have achieved exactly what I hoped for: a job in my field that will further my career, learned enough Dutch to get around and manage a simple conversation, and grown a strong relationship with my sweet Dutchie, who I love very much, supports me in all ways and cannot imagine life without.
So that is life as it is at the moment! I will be posting some photos and stories from the last year over the next few weeks, plus things happening now. I hope you will be interested in reading!
Tot Ziens!
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| New Orleans Square, Louisiana October 2012 |
Hi Everyone,
So it has been a VERY long time since I have posted on here! A lot has changed since I last posted, and mostly for the better!
Inspired by the lovely Lily and her awesome blog, I have decided to try this blogging experiment again, but my focus will not only be the Netherlands, but also the variety of countries I now visit for work, and the random and sometimes dull nights of a frequent work traveller. Last year I visited 14 countries on 19 work trips. That is a lot of hotel rooms, flights, and restaurant meals.
I will also be exploring my life in the Netherlands as I close in on my third year as an expat. Tulips are still exciting, Queen's-soon-to-be-King's day is still insane, but I am pretty much done with the awful weather!
I will be posting some back photos and adventures from the last year, and some cute animals as well.
So stick with me and we will see if I can keep it up this time!
<3
April
So it has been a VERY long time since I have posted on here! A lot has changed since I last posted, and mostly for the better!
Inspired by the lovely Lily and her awesome blog, I have decided to try this blogging experiment again, but my focus will not only be the Netherlands, but also the variety of countries I now visit for work, and the random and sometimes dull nights of a frequent work traveller. Last year I visited 14 countries on 19 work trips. That is a lot of hotel rooms, flights, and restaurant meals.
I will also be exploring my life in the Netherlands as I close in on my third year as an expat. Tulips are still exciting, Queen's-soon-to-be-King's day is still insane, but I am pretty much done with the awful weather!
I will be posting some back photos and adventures from the last year, and some cute animals as well.
So stick with me and we will see if I can keep it up this time!
<3
April
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Switzerland
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| Switzerland |
A quick trip to beautiful Switzerland, a drive in a gorgeous sports car, the Alps, Rhinefalls and more.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
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