Excess

Now that my life has calmed down a bit, I am able to reflect some on my thoughts and reactions to being back in America. My first thought is that it is nice to be able to read and understand everything. In the Netherlands, I am constantly trying to process a sign or what someone is saying. It's harder work on your brain than you might expect!!! It's also very nice to be able to just jump in a WARM car and head off to my destination, without really having to worry about the weather.

There were some other things that hit me right away after arriving home. We live in excess. The way our society is structured leans towards excess.  We have huge houses, big cars, Wal-Mart supercenters, and every gadget we can possibly have to make our life easier. I'm not saying it's all necessarily bad but with more stuff comes more responsibility and more anxiety about keeping up with all the stuff. We've become so dependent on our stuff that we can't fathom a life without it.

People ask me how I survive without a cell phone or a microwave. My response? The same way we did 20 years ago. Admittedly, not having a phone gets annoying and we are going to get one but we will only have 100 minutes a month and a 100 texts. I know that's a shocker considering I was the biggest cell phone addict:)

Life is so fast paced here. There is so much to do, so  many choices, and everything is easily accessible. We are constantly on the go here and don't take the time to really stop and enjoy life.

It's interesting because I think many people think that because the Netherlands isn't structured the way the US is, that it is a third world country. But that's the interesting part. It's not. They have made choices to have their country set up that way. They could put a fast food restaurant on every corner or build supercenters but that is not their way of life. It's not crazy to them to have to go to the store a few times a week or to have to heat their leftovers in an oven or to ride a bike everywhere. It's not weird that a family of 5 might live in a small house with crazy steep steps.

America is all about excess and the school of thought that "if we can, we should". Sometimes this line of thinking leads to great things and amazing life improvements. Other times it leads to anxiety and depression medication because it's just too much to try and keep up. 

I think during this holiday season, where excess gets out of hand, we should really reflect on the simplicity of life and ask ourselves what can be cut away from our own lives to get back to simplicity.

WHEEL.OF.FORTUNEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

The day started out early, with me catching a shuttle from the hotel to Sony Studios, along with about 10 other contestants. You could tell everyone was nervous and excited. Everyone was talking about where they were from, solving puzzles, past game shows, etc. No one else from Missouri that day!

When we arrived at the Studios, we were greeted by the contestant assistants and ushered into the studio.  We did paperwork for awhile and then went out onto the set. Talk about surreal. There I was on the set of Wheel of Fortune, looking at the wheel, the puzzle, and all the sights you see on tv. The set was much smaller than you would think. We practiced spinning the wheel a few times (the wheel is HEAVY!!), calling out letters and buying vowels, and checking out the used letter board. Afterwards we headed back into our room and who walked in?? Vanna White! I hardly recognized her in her juicy coture sweatpants, a t-shirt, and her hair wet and pulled back. She was super nice and visited with us for a few minutes.

Then it came time to find out what show we were going to be on. They tape 6 shows a day, which are drawn at random. I was hoping for one of the first 5 shows because the theme for that week was "Sand and Sea" and aired in February. My group of 3 got show #5!!!!! Which meant we wouldn't tape until later in the day but at least I was still in that week.

Then it was time for makeup. I seriously need a make-up artist all the time. She did airbrush on my face and it looked awesome! We were constantly be touched up all day long. Next we were all ushered back out onto set to film a commerical for our local newsstation that will air the week of our show! So if you're in the Kansas City area, check out KSHB, 41 to see my smiling mug telling you to watch Wheel of Fortune!:)

Then it came time for the first show so we all headed out to the audience (a secluded part) and kicked off the day's festivities! It was exciting and nervewracking all at the same time. We felt happiness and sadness for the contestants, as we had all grown close throughout the morning. It's true what Pat says, the wheel can be harsh.

Before I knew it, lunch had passed and they were calling for the 5th show contestants. I thought I was going to pass out from nerves when I walked up on thes tage and the music started, signaling the start of the show. I'll admit, I was a little starstruck when Pat walked out and stood next to me but then it was time to focus and get down to business.

We did the toss ups and then I was the first to spin the wheel. . . the rest of the show went super quick and was filled with ups and downs. They tell us not to put out details on the internet because they want people to watch the show. So I can't disclose what happened but you will want to watch because you will probably be seeing a lot of me!!!

It was such a great experience. I'm glad that it's over and my stomach can go back to normal. There really were no losers because everyone gets $1000 regardless of if you win any puzzles.

Remember to tune in February 25, it's a Friday! I'll remind everyone as it gets closer! And in the meantime, Big Money, Big Money!!!!!

LA

***If you click on the slideshow, it will make it full screen and easier to see the pictures!


Wow! Where to even begin??? It was such a whirlwind of a week!!!We left KC and 20 degree weather at 7am on Thursday and arrived to 70 degree weather in LA! We had a short amount of time there so we wanted to see the sights so we took off for Hollywood. Along the way, we stopped at a famous hot dog stand to enjoy lunch and take a break from my mom's driving. :)

After that we headed to Kat Von D's, High Voltage Tattoo shop. She has the tv show, L.A. Ink so we wanted to pick up t-shirts and take pictures. As you can see from the pictures, it was a very cool tattoo shop, but not a whole lot different from your average run of the mill shop. It was very non-discreet and you could totally miss it if you didn't know what to look for. It was here we had our first celebrity sighting!!!

We were in the shop for about 20 minutes before Brandy spotted him. She comes running out of the shop(we were outside taking pictures) and tells us to get inside, fast. Who was sitting in a tattoo chair, a mere 10 feet away from us? Keifer Sutherland! Some of you may know him more appropriately as Jack Bauer from the tv show "24". It was awesome!!!!

So we continued on our high and drove through Hollywood. We made it to Beverly Hills and walked down Rodeo Drive. We saw many stores that we were not rich enough to get any attention in. Later we went to Santa Monica Beach where we put our feet in the freezing cold water and wished for warmer times back home.

We went to bed early that night since I had to be up and at Sony Studios by 7:45am. There was a shuttle from our hotel that was filled with Wheel of Fortune contestants. Now, my experience there deserves a post in and of itself so stay tuned for all the details about my day at Wheel of Fortune! For now, enjoy the pics!!

Getting home, Part two

The other part I did not have time to write about this morning  was my fear that I was on the plane with a terrorist. Yes, a terrorist.

After I was seated on the plane, a man got on who looked to be of Italian descent. He sat caddy cornered behind me, so if I were to glance back, I would see him. This became a problem later on in the flight. We were sitting there as the flight attendants came on and gave the safety spiel. He was on his phone and was covering the mouthpiece as he talked into it!! Suspicious right? Could've been that the person he was talking to couldn't hear him well because it was loud in the plane but I leaned towards terrorism planning.

He continued talking like this after we were told to shut off our cell phones. I kept glancing back at him and naturally he caught me everytime. So now I was convinced that not only was he going to blow up our plane, he was going to make sure that I was the first one to go.

Throughout the flight, I kept trying to casually look back, just to keep an eye on things. Unfortunately it seemed that he was keeping an eye on me because nearly everytime I looked back, he was staring straight at me. I nonchalantly acted like I was trying to see out his window...until I realized that was a mistake since his window was closed. This continued throughout much of the 8 hour flight. The one time he got up to go to the bathroom, I felt he was gone for way too long of a time(because it's my duty to decide how long one should take in the bathroom. . .)and was convinced that the tail of the plane was about to be blown off and our little plane would go careening into the Atlantic.

However, we made it. The man was not a terrorist and in fact was very nice. We walked together on our way to customs. He was from Holland, going to America to visit his mother and brother, whom he hadn't seen in 8 years. I felt pretty bad about thinking he was a terrorist but maybe people should be more careful about talking in hushed tones on an airplane. . .I'm  just saying. It would make my flying experience more peaceful.

Or I suppose I could learn that the odds of a terrorist being on my plane are slim to none. . .

Home

Sorry for the delay in posts but I've been running around or sleeping since my feet touched American soil but I'm finally feeling more adjusted and decided I'd better sneak a post in before I jump two more time zones to head to LA on Thursday.

I made it home safely. Barely. I had a little trouble getting through security in the Netherlands, which is the last place I thought I would have trouble. Apparently I was flagged because I was in the country 2 days longer than my 3 months I am allowed without a residency permit. I explained to them that my permit was "in process" but that did not stop them from asking to see a Dutch form of ID(remember how I just told you I didn't have my residency permit yet??) , talking to their supervisor 3 times, grilling me about when I got married(I had two passports, my old one with my maiden name and my new one with my married name.), demanding to see proof  that I live in the Netherlands, and last but not least, opening one of my wedding thank you cards and reading it!!!! I was in near tears, thinking they were not going to let me out of the country! But they finally allowed me through and I began my journey home.

The flights were relatively smooth. I judge my flights by how many times the captain has to turn on the fasten seatbelt sign due to turbulence. He only turned it on once during my entire 8.5 hour flight, so I consider that a success. By the time I reached KC, I was exhausted beyond words.

But it was nice to be greeted by people in English. To not have to process every word of advertisement, to get in heated transportation, to see open spaces.

But it's also kind of a reverse culture shock. There are so many choices for everything! There is so much convience. I felt like it was a welcome to America party when I got off the plane in Chicago and everybody was eating McDonald's. I mean EVERYBODY. One guy didn't even bother to use his hands to eat his fries, he just tipped the container to his mouth and poured.

We leave for LA on Thursday! Taping of the show is on Friday! I will definitely let everyone know how it goes!

Time to come home

At this time tomorrow, I will be back home in Missouri!!! As you can see from the map, there's quite an ocean to span before arriving safely at home.  It's hard to believe I actually live so far away from the U.S. And I'm wondering now if this map is drawn to scale. . .oh well you get the idea.

We have gotten an unseasonal amount of snow this week. We definitely have a few inches on the ground and it has snowed like crazy since last night. I have been sick most of the week(thank you crazy weather-having to ride around on my bike with snow blowing in my face) so it has prevented me from getting a lot done. But Thursday night (shops stay open until 8pm!! which is a miracle here) Dan and I went and got some more Christmas shopping done, as well as a few things for  myself and my national tv appearance. :) Today we had to finish up the shopping and naturally it was snowing like crazy. We spent a good 3 hours traipsing around different places, getting Christmas presents, and things to take back home. As we were walking around, we wondered why there were so many people out on this snowy day and we were reminded that Sinterklaas comes tomorrow night. Everyone was out doing their last minute shopping. 

So now it is time to start packing, deliver some Christmas goodies to my neighbors, and pray for the snow to stop both here in and in Chicago, where I will be flying to. The next time you hear from me, I will be stateside! Dan will still be here as he can't come until December 20th. I have a feeling this month at home is going to be a whirlwind. 

I can't wait to see everyone and eat some Chipotle! I hope I remember how to drive a car. . .

Pray for safe travels and I'll see you stateside!!!!

Baby, it's cold outside!

 Today the temperature was around 15 degrees (or -7.1 C for all my Dutch readers out there). I dreaded riding my bike to my house I was scheduled to clean today. While I appreciated the sunshine today, I did NOT appreciate the cold and the wind. I felt like it was appropriate to try and paint a picture for my readers about what life without a car in the wintertime here is like. 

1. Get a good, warm coat. Preferably one that does not only have one button and flies open when you ride. Trust me. I know from experience that pea coats are great for the average America but for the Dutch, bike riding expat, not so much.

2. Get a nice, long, thick scarf. 

3. Warm gloves that will keep the wind out.

4. Long underwear is a necessity. I do not have any yet and everytime I ride for more than 5 minutes, my legs are thoroughly frozen by the time I get to my destination--which also makes getting to my destination more painful because it is surprisingly difficult to pedal a bike with frozen legs. Who knew?

5. Leg warmers. That is right my fashion-ista American friends, they are back. Or maybe they never left, at least for practical purposes. These are great if you want to wear a skirt somewhere because the leg warmers will keep your legs a lot warmer than just wearing your tights. 


Once you have compiled this list, you are ready for a warm adventure out on the cold streets of Leiden. You can really make do with just a coat, scarf, and gloves but it will not necessarily be a "warm" adventure. 


Now, onto the actual experience itself. You will unlock your bike from the cold, lonely alleyway, brush the snow off your seat and get on your bike. The wind will be the first thing that hits you, followed by a cooling sensation on your behind as the snow you didn't quite get all the way off starts seeping through your pants. Then you put the pedal to the medal(figuratively speaking of course) and start pedaling. 


There will be a sense of urgency to get where you are going quickly because the cold is setting in but your legs won't pedal much faster because they are starting to freeze. 


BUT WAIT. A weird thing is happening. . .you are sweating! That's right, underneath your bundle of clothing, you are sweating. Freezing, but sweating. It's an odd situation, but that is what happens.  By the time you arrive at your destination, you are hot AND cold.  Your legs are frozen but there is sweat running down your neck. It takes you a few minutes to adjust to your new, indoor surroundings and just as you sigh with relief that you made it, you realize that you will eventually have to ride home.