Still seeing Dutch

The day of my trip back was a very long day. I woke up at 5am Amsterdam time, and I went to bed after 8pm Pacific time. I was awake for 24 hours.

Checking out and getting to the airport via the big orange bus was pretty straightforward. So was the first leg of my journey.

At Dublin, they do the pre-screening for US-bound passengers. The customs form is automated now and, being short, I had to step back to get my face inside the green square for the machine to take my picture. The agent commented, "You have a long flight ahead of you, Eleanor." He was right.

I had the window seat in a two-seater row, thinking that it would be easier to get to the bathroom if I needed to, because I would only have to get past one neighbor. And, at the same time, I could get sleep since I'd be by the window. I was wrong on both counts.

My neighbor was a large man who had some mobility problems. Getting up was difficult for him, so I had to go to the bathroom when he did, so I wouldn't have to make him get up unnecessarily. And he took up both the middle armrest and some of my space, so his elbow poked my side, which startled me awake after only 5 or 10 minutes of sleep. After trying three times, I gave up on sleeping and watched movies instead.

I've been lucky that it didn't take long to get my checked-in luggage. Maybe because it's small. Uber didn't take long (yes, I got it working again). But rush-hour traffic had already started, so I quickly picked up my laptop and car at work and successfully stayed awake on the drive home.

Post-trip insights

I am still kinda in a post-travel daze. I still half-expect signs to have Dutch words in them. My night dreams are still about traveling and sightseeing. I still smell Europe.

1.
I'm glad I bought a cheapie phone from Amazon. I got it because my Nexus 7 tablet was starting to act up, and I didn't want to get stranded without an Internet connection. I used it almost exclusively while I was there. Plus, its smaller size made my purse lighter. My data plan with T-Mobile worked fine in Europe without additional costs, except when I was in Luxembourg. I simply moved the sim from my tablet to the new phone.

The power bank was also a lifesaver. I used it almost everyday, both with the phone and with the LG 360 camera.

Google Maps is another lifesaver! It's more useful than paper maps or bus/train schedules. You need an online connection to get directions, however, but the maps themselves are downloaded to your phone so you'll always have that. If you get directions with it, it might even give you the platform where your train is, and that's incredibly useful if you're in a very large station, like the one in Antwerp. Tip: Save the places where you stay, the major train stations, and the sites you want to visit so it's easier to find them, even if you're offline.

2.
I wish I had more time to read about the areas I was going to visit before going there. But I'm glad I focused on just a few places to visit, because it can become overwhelming.

Surprisingly, for being non-religious, I'm still drawn to cathedrals and their beautiful details, inside and out. But it is also the paintings of Dutch masters and the Dutch ceramics that I drew me to these countries.

3.
This trip is not as emotionally charged as my trip to Spain two years ago. It's still emotionally charged, because I met old-time friends, but not as strongly, because I didn't meet lovers this time. Still, meeting online friends in person really changes the friendship and makes it deeper, more meaningful, even if you still don't get together much.

4.
This trip also doesn't feel as foreign, maybe because it's not as strong a culture-shock, since Dutch people speak English pretty well. And I have been mistaken as a local (maybe because of the blonde hair) until I talk back in English with my American accent.

5.
On my train ride from Luxembourg City back to Amsterdam. I noticed that the signs and announcements went from French near Luxembourg City to Dutch near Amsterdam. After several days, I've been able to figure out some of the Dutch words because, if you say them out loud, they sound very much like their English equivalents. I've always been interested in languages and these trips make them more interesting.