Wonders of today

Hi there!

Walking down the street and seeing cars, buses, bicycles coming by, I started to think about it, The wonders of today. Just think about that first caveman, discovering wheels and here we are now, cars, buses, bicycles, cable cars, trains, subways and even airplanes! Isn't it amazing!!! Especially because an airplane can take me all the way to my family in America in half a day!! Just something that crossed my mind.

Anyway, my big trip was booked, 6-21oct. (it was my own birthday present from me to me, I actually waited till it was 0.00 25 sept. to book it). Of course I also had a party planned on October 4th, also my moms birthday. After working...and after a big fiasco at work...5 minutes before I was closing, the cart (the flowers stood on) fell apart and water went everywhere...OOPS! Thank god for the colleagues that just happened to stop by and helped me clean it. I could finally go home, get dressed for the party and return back to a friend, Debbie. Just a "little" drink before we went and time to go it was! The party was called PANN (no idea what it stands for) and it was a "straight friendly" gay party (or something like that). I had fun! Actually had a dance off/battle with a gay guy, the laughs we had! Anyway, very succesfull and also met some new friends! A friend, Merijn stopped by in front of the club to say "goodbye" and wish me a good trip, I went outside and it was SOOO cold! Anyway, back inside, enjoying the last songs (including Proud Mary!) and off to bed I went at 5am.

After waking up at 11.00am, I started packing and bought the last items I needed. I wouldn't be me if I wouldn't go to Soultrain (amazing party with lots of oldies) that Sunday night. My plan was to drop off my suitcases at my sisters house, Samantha, who lives near to the station, go out to Soultrain, return to my sisters house, grab my suitcases, change shoes and go to the airport!

So off I went to drop off my suitcases, went to Soultrain with the usual party people (this time including Viresh/Wise, the guy that asked me to go with them....and I can not say no to soultrain). It was awesome, the fun we had!! I really enjoyed it, they all thought it was amazing and were impressed that I came and would go straight to the airport after. When they all got tired...the sissies, I had an hour to spare before I had to catch my train to the airport...so just changed clothes and sat on the couch for a little bit (ohyeah..and my phone crashed...couldn't do a thing)...took the train and actually ran into someone I knew, what are the odds! So after a little chit chat, he got off and I turned my MP3 on again.

Arriving at Schiphol, everything went smoothly! Except for the fact that I couldn't call anyone with my cell, so I went to a phonebooth to call my brother to report to Shari that I didn't have a cellphone, but would call from the airport when I arrived.

Of course I couldn't resist the movies they were playing in the airplane, so I stayed up to watch (The great debate, Bucket list and ???)....I had to transfer in Philadelphia, which was easier that I thought, everybody said that it was such a huge airport that 2 hours was just enough to transfer...I had a little more than an hour to spare, so I guess I'm fast! Arriving in Fort Lauderdale, I called Shari...but some things went wrong with her finding the way, taking the wrong exit and not knowing where I was, because she couldn't call me, that it took her an hour and a half...in which I almost dropped to the floor...since I was awake for almost 48 hours!

We talked in the car and she dropped me off at Simone's at 9pm, who still thought I wasn't coming till wednesday. I put my suitcases next to the garage, checked if the alarm was on by looking through the kitchen window (it was on and it started raining), put my (black) hood on, ran back to the garage to get my suitcases and walked to the front door. Ken was standing in the door opening with max standing half behind him, Simone stood a couple of feet behind them with a shocked face and the phone in her hand...SHE THOUGHT I WAS A BURGLAR! Mission accomplished to surprise them :)!!!!!

The next day I also surprised amy, who was sooo happy (also throughout the time I was there). It was great being there again!! Seeing the neighbourhood, the people, the malls, the everything, it felt like I never left!

The two weeks that followed were full of fun! I hung out at the carwash a lot, got reunited with the two (uncles & aunts) SUV's CX90 that I drove in the six months I was there for my internship, went on my nightly walks with Roxy (their dog), put my niece to bed, went to my old loves Target and Walmart :)!! It was weird though...seeing all the halloween and christmas stuff laying around but knowing that I wouldn't be there for it...

But there was more that was different than before, no more working, freedom and a friend, Shari (the girl that took over my internship). So day 2 I surprised Patrice, the owner of the company I worked at. She was also very excited and happy to see me! And then Paul walked in and he too was happy to see me, but couldn't believe I was there....It's been 8 months, so that's understandable. Thanks Shari, for not telling anyone :)!

I bought a new phone, just to use in America, 10 dollars, that country is unbelievable! Anyway, I did a lot of fun stuff with Shari! We went to West Palm Beach, also with her friend Jenna, ate there and went to clematis by night (awesome to be there again). Live band, a little market and fire fighters selling their calender, hot hot hot!!!!! So we went on a picture, bought the calender and of course they all had to sign it! Things like: Thanks for holding my hose, I love your hazel eyes (ahhh) and call 911 to make a fireman come were written on it. The performance was awesome too, evil monkeys they were called if I recall it correctly.

Anyway, Shari and me also went to the movies twice during my visit, Body of Lies and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I introduced her to the Boys Market, Walmart and Costco! We also went to the Octoberfest, haha, looks like our Dutch holiday "Carnaval". It were mostly German people that lived in America, it was lots of fun. Lisa, a friend of mine asked me to come, so it was fun to see her again! Shari and me were acting crazyyyy, grabbing people left and right to dance with, whether they wanted or not!

We also went to Reggea night at Bostons (a restaurant at the beach) and boy did we had fun! We drank water all night, talked to some people...Shari sort of got molested hahaha, we ended up talking to, as Shari called it, her Plan B, Bill and Todd. Two cute guys that were looking our way a couple of times, but never said anything..after shari was freaking out when an old weird guy told her to ride on her and to go wild...she ran to the guys and said, you are my friends now, talk to me, haha...so a couple of hours later and after we thought them some Dutch words like "Neuken in de keuken", "Kut" and that sticking your middle finger up means the same in our language...we shared a lot of laughs, danced and left them to go home.

The last thing Shari and me did together was having a drink at Dada's, a fun restaurant down town. Her sister had just giving birth to a baby girl and Shari wasn't there for it..so she was a little bummed out...her flip flop also fell apart..so to make her night a little better, the manager gave her a free drink of choice. We talked and talked and talked!! I was leaving the next day...

Okay back in time, we also celebrated Kens birthday by having a little get together at their house. Family and friends stopped by and where also happy to see me! It felt like I never left! And the funny thing is that I was there for Kens birthday last year as well, just like I was there for Max's last year and also this year when I went to Paris for it.

On my last Saturday we walked the Breast cancer walk, 5Km, which was also fun and something I did a couple of times last year. After that we went Shoe shopping (Max, Amy, Auntie Anne and Simone), because Simone and me couldn't find them in the other mall...due to wrong sizes or 2 left shoes :S. So we found them! All stars with a double tongue, brown! And also a pair of Levi shoes, awesome!!! A friend just looked a it yesterday and said, wow real Levi's, you don't see them much in Holland, so I asked him how much they were in Holland, he said 70 a 80 Euros! Mine were 30 dollars (which is about 22 euros)!! Anyway love them!

I also had lunch with a couple of friends, Kathy, Illona and Nerea, Simone joined us later. After that I went to Illona's house to hang out. I also went to Nerea's house earlier that week (twice by the way), it was really like last year..and like I never left, picking up my routine. I also went by Anne's house and surprised her. It was so great!

I also went in the pool ONCE, haha...and on my last day we went to the beach, Simone, Amy, Max and me! That was just great!!! It was a beautiful day! There is so much I can say about this, but in short, it made me very happy. After that we went to Costco to buy my sister, Shanna, an Ipod!

And I also stopped by at Patrices and Pauls house to say my goodbyes. Paul asked me if I was working part time in Holland and I said yesss, still at the flowershop....why? Do you need me, haha! Well, later he went, do you get to use your skills or just your creativity, which I replied with, JUST my creativity....he said yes I know you're very creative and good at it, but you are also very good in your skills, haha...well anyway it came down to the fact that he might need some help with the webpage, I told him to email me ;)!

And my last day began....Saying my goodbyes, stopped by at the office to have a "beschuit met muisjes", that Shari brought. And seeing her sitting there with a little cat on her lap...just like I used to sit there with little Scout (Pauls and patrices dog...who btw starts barking everytime he saw me...guess he's angry because I abandoned him)....they found the cat and wanted to take him to an animal shelter...anyway Simone ended up taking the cat in, because she wanted a cat.

Sigh....this story is way too long....but I did so much...and have so much to share..I am sure I missed a lot...but coming to the end of my trip...having to go to the playground to say goodbye to Amy....almost broke my heart, but I was fine, no tears that dropped.

Simone took me to the airport where we had a bite to eat. I continued to go through customs...and the trouble began....I needed to be screened some more is what I was told...a security officer took me through the security gate, where I had to go through and sit in a glass box to wait for another security officer to take me...FEMALE INSPECTOR FEMALE INSPECTOR NEEDED....oh DARN! So I had to stand on a mat, legs open, arms open, there she went...with a metal detector that went of on every piece of metal that my bra contained...after that she used her hands, I was cleared, thank god! The flight went pretty good, transfering went well. And I started my last part of the way back....with a broken chair that went back without me pushing the button...watching "Maid of honor" and seeing more stars than I had ever seen before!

I arrived in Holland, my mom picked me up :). Went home and went out an hour later, visited Debbie again, hung out, went to Michael (brother, who was staying in my sisters house since she was on vacation), ate there, went home in THE FREEEZING COLD, slept and was at school by 10am the next morning, no time for a jetlag. Showing off my new shoes and my starbuckscup! After that it was school, school, school...went to Debbie on wednesday again..and couldn't stop smiling when I walked over...I think that was because I finally had a real autumn and winter again...jackets, skarfs, hats, hot cups of tea, lovely! I was happy :)!

Yesterday it was school again, dinner with half my class and then out again. It was fun! I just sat there at the end, thinking I hope we are still doing this in 10 years

Sorry for this UBERLONG story.......

Hugsssss,
Talitha!
PS: pictures can be found on www.talitha88.hyves.nl