Ruts

It's funny how even living in "exotic" places one can get into ruts consisting of daily routine. Not that this is a bad thing, but it takes a concentrated effort to shake off the rut and remember "I'm living in Europe!" long enough to go out and SEE this place. The countdown to my final departure has begun in the back of my head and I've only been to two countries other than the one in which I'm living. Conversely I've seen a lot of the Netherlands. Off the top of my head I've explored at least five different towns/villages/cities, including Amsterdam. I've been to loads of museums, figured out (sort of) how the trains work, and I vaguely understand the road signs. We'll see if I can cross any other places off my list before I finish this job.

Tip #1 for international train travel: Make sure you're on the correct train. This may sound obvious, but quite often two trains are attached for the beginning of a trip, then break off at some point during the journey and go separate directions. For instance: On my way back to the Netherlands from Salzburg this summer, my train from Munich to Utrecht was coupled with a train going to Paris. Since I had about ten seconds to make my connection I dove in the nearest open door and started through the train to find my seat. I went the wrong way (how do you get lost on a train...) and ended up on the portion of the train going to Paris. I (hastily) turned around and headed back the other direction, eventually arriving at my seat. So make sure you're on the correct train!

I love bridges, and this country has them absolutely everywhere!