One month in.
And just like that we are one month into our Amsterdam adventure.
So what does it mean to be one month in?
Well, for starters, the pulsing in my eyelid that was threatening to become a full on stress twitch has subsided. Over the last week I've felt my shoulders relax, my breath deepen, and a new calm creep in.
There is just so much to adjust to.
Moving (back) to Sacramento in 2014(?) was like putting on a cozy sweater. I knew all the streets. I had friends. I might have missed my Lakeshore views and all that Oakland cool, but I was moving somewhere familiar and peaceful and affordable.
Moving (back?) to Amsterdam is a bit more like putting on a biker jacket. It's gearing up for something. And that something might be crossing the street (okay first the bike line which is also populated by motorbikes) and then the actual street (which is populated by cars, buses and trams and motorbikes) and all the little islands in between. Or hunting for an impossible-to-find ATM. Or tracking down a freaking rain guard for your stroller which seems like it would be easy to find because everyone has one yet remains elusive for days.
Amsterdam is a "cool" city. People have shown me unimaginable kindnesses but people also walk around with their firm jaw and urban avoidant faces and it can all feel a bit too tough.
But urban cool comes with urban amenities and holy shit there is just so much cool stuff here. And even more amazingly there is so much cool family-friendly stuff here.
We got to switch gears a bit and take in some of the classic cool Amsterdam stuff when we were blessed with our first house guests. (Yes! Already!) Annie and Rio arrived last week and kept us company for a few days before moving on to Palermo.
They brought some California sunshine along with them and we had so much fun hosting and connecting and eating Annie's incredible home cooking.
I still feel like I'm still getting my bearings in the kitchen. Restocking a pantry from scratch is no small undertaking and I still feel a bit clueless about how to roast veggies in what was advertised as "an oven" but is actually a microwave/convection oven.
Annie wasn't inhibited at all. She cooked up a storm. It was delicious. And encouraging.
Back in Sac I got big on meal planning. I would outline dinners for the week and build a shopping list against it and shop for 7 days worth of meals in one big trip. But things work a bit differently here. Our fridge is smaller and the market is literally a 3 minute walk away. And, oh yes, I'm walking to the market. There is no backdoor to pop and cargo space to load up with groceries. It is me, a toddler who hopefully isn't wailing, a backpack, and the teeniest bit of "cargo" room in bottom the stroller.
I shop for two days worth of cooking at a time. Max.
The groceries here are oddly cheap. I have it mind to do a whole analysis and cost comparison so be on the look out for that, but I have to hand it to the Dutch, they have a good thing going in their grocery stores. Every couple of days I buy delicious preservative-free hummus, housemade breads, biologische veggies, and milk in quantities that would have previously felt laughable but are working thanks to Alder's waning interest in the stuff.
Oh milk. That reminds me. No half and half!!! Can you believe it?!?!
Truth be told I spent most of the last year drinking coconut milk in my coffee but the thing Dre and I both really, really love is half and half. And it is no where to be found. We experimented with whole milk, had a bad run in with carne milk (butter milk), bought some official "coffee cream" but have finally settled on slagroom aka heavy cream.
We also had to hunt down an automatic drip...which automatically turns off after about 10 seconds thanks to the locals' environmentally conscious approach to energy consumption. Lots of hilarious little adaptations on that front too...
I fear our energy bill.
It took us a while to learn the ropes of radiator heating and all of that experimenting may cost us...
But on to the fun stuff. And there is lots of fun stuff.
I take Alder out for a little adventure every day. There are parks and playgrounds galore and the custom is to leave old toys in the park for community use. That means there is always something interesting to check out and explore even if the playground itself is small or geared towards older children.
Alder is totally enchanted with kids' bikes so we, of course, bought him one of his own.
Unfortunately that didn't go as well as we hoped. Turns out he has the same challenge I do when it comes to getting a bike (short inseam) so we will sort that out when Dre gets back.
Dre had to head to the states for a week long conference. Not ideal for anyone, but it had to be done. Alder and I powered through our first solo week in a foreign country without too much trouble. Lots of park trips, the gym, a play date, and a visit to an international play group. The usual.
Eventually we will get around to exploring outside of Amsterdam but for now, we are feeling jazzed and still have a long list of stuff to explore.
So what does it mean to be one month in?
Well, for starters, the pulsing in my eyelid that was threatening to become a full on stress twitch has subsided. Over the last week I've felt my shoulders relax, my breath deepen, and a new calm creep in.
Moving (back) to Sacramento in 2014(?) was like putting on a cozy sweater. I knew all the streets. I had friends. I might have missed my Lakeshore views and all that Oakland cool, but I was moving somewhere familiar and peaceful and affordable.
Moving (back?) to Amsterdam is a bit more like putting on a biker jacket. It's gearing up for something. And that something might be crossing the street (okay first the bike line which is also populated by motorbikes) and then the actual street (which is populated by cars, buses and trams and motorbikes) and all the little islands in between. Or hunting for an impossible-to-find ATM. Or tracking down a freaking rain guard for your stroller which seems like it would be easy to find because everyone has one yet remains elusive for days.
Amsterdam is a "cool" city. People have shown me unimaginable kindnesses but people also walk around with their firm jaw and urban avoidant faces and it can all feel a bit too tough.
But urban cool comes with urban amenities and holy shit there is just so much cool stuff here. And even more amazingly there is so much cool family-friendly stuff here.
We got to switch gears a bit and take in some of the classic cool Amsterdam stuff when we were blessed with our first house guests. (Yes! Already!) Annie and Rio arrived last week and kept us company for a few days before moving on to Palermo.
They brought some California sunshine along with them and we had so much fun hosting and connecting and eating Annie's incredible home cooking.
I still feel like I'm still getting my bearings in the kitchen. Restocking a pantry from scratch is no small undertaking and I still feel a bit clueless about how to roast veggies in what was advertised as "an oven" but is actually a microwave/convection oven.
Annie wasn't inhibited at all. She cooked up a storm. It was delicious. And encouraging.
Back in Sac I got big on meal planning. I would outline dinners for the week and build a shopping list against it and shop for 7 days worth of meals in one big trip. But things work a bit differently here. Our fridge is smaller and the market is literally a 3 minute walk away. And, oh yes, I'm walking to the market. There is no backdoor to pop and cargo space to load up with groceries. It is me, a toddler who hopefully isn't wailing, a backpack, and the teeniest bit of "cargo" room in bottom the stroller.
I shop for two days worth of cooking at a time. Max.
The groceries here are oddly cheap. I have it mind to do a whole analysis and cost comparison so be on the look out for that, but I have to hand it to the Dutch, they have a good thing going in their grocery stores. Every couple of days I buy delicious preservative-free hummus, housemade breads, biologische veggies, and milk in quantities that would have previously felt laughable but are working thanks to Alder's waning interest in the stuff.
Oh milk. That reminds me. No half and half!!! Can you believe it?!?!
Truth be told I spent most of the last year drinking coconut milk in my coffee but the thing Dre and I both really, really love is half and half. And it is no where to be found. We experimented with whole milk, had a bad run in with carne milk (butter milk), bought some official "coffee cream" but have finally settled on slagroom aka heavy cream.
We also had to hunt down an automatic drip...which automatically turns off after about 10 seconds thanks to the locals' environmentally conscious approach to energy consumption. Lots of hilarious little adaptations on that front too...
I fear our energy bill.
It took us a while to learn the ropes of radiator heating and all of that experimenting may cost us...
But on to the fun stuff. And there is lots of fun stuff.
I take Alder out for a little adventure every day. There are parks and playgrounds galore and the custom is to leave old toys in the park for community use. That means there is always something interesting to check out and explore even if the playground itself is small or geared towards older children.
Alder is totally enchanted with kids' bikes so we, of course, bought him one of his own.
 |
| We were so proud of ourselves after secretly assembling this... |
Dre had to head to the states for a week long conference. Not ideal for anyone, but it had to be done. Alder and I powered through our first solo week in a foreign country without too much trouble. Lots of park trips, the gym, a play date, and a visit to an international play group. The usual.
Eventually we will get around to exploring outside of Amsterdam but for now, we are feeling jazzed and still have a long list of stuff to explore.
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