Exactly one week ago my adventure in Prague ended and now I am back in Houten, my home town in the Netherlands. After more than 1.5 years in Czech Republic I felt it was time for a new challenge, so I quit my job there per 1 June and moved back to the Nethelands. Currently I'm staying at my parents' place, but as I will be abroad for a big part of this summer that won't be too much of a problem. Later in this post I will tell more about my plans for this summer; first I shall write about my final experiences in Czech Republic and the things in the Netherlands that I had to get used to again.
The final days in Czech Republic were quite hectic. After I got back from my trip to South-Eastern Europe I had only a few days left before my parents would come to Prague to pick me up and bring all my stuff back to the Netherlands. During those final days I had to meet up with many friends for the last time and visit the last places in Prague that I hadn't seen yet, such as Divoká Šárka and Petřin. And this time I went to the real Petřin, so not Petřiny, which is a completely different place. I'm certainly not going to miss the Czech language.
One more thing I'm not going to miss is the unfriendly attitude of Czech people in stores. For example when I was cancelling my bank account, the lady told me that it was not possible to transfer the money that I still had left on my bank account to another bank, so I had to take out all my money in cash.
Due to a technical error it took them quite some time before they could give me the money. To kill the time, I was chatting with the two Czech friends that were there with me. The lady behind the counter got annoyed by that and first asked my friends to step 2 meters back to stand behind a line and later she even sent them outside for no valid reason. The whole process made sure that I will never ever want to do business again with Raiffeisen Bank, even though I was a satisfied customer before I entered the branch that day.
A few days later the moment that I was going home had arrived: last Sunday we drove back to the Netherlands by car. We had dinner in a low-quality restaurant on the side of the highway, where we paid 15 euros for a poor meal in a sad environment. To compare: in Czech Republic you don't need to pay more than 5 euros to get a decent meal in a nice Czech atmosphere. Besides that, you can get a large beer for 1 euro, where in Holland you pay 3 euros for a small beer. But there is also a positive note: at least in Holland people serve you with a smile on their face and try to say a few words while scanning all products at the cash register.
I was also a bit worried how cute little Coupard (there he is again!) would fit in the Netherlands, as he had never been abroad before. With exception maybe from when he was made in China. I was glad to see that he made friends with my sister's little tiger already in his first week here. Just look at the picture:
As you can see they were watching scenes from "The Lion King", a movie that takes place in Africa, which makes it an ideal bridge to a next topic: my plans for this summer.
Those of you who have been following me and/or my blog a bit longer will know that every summer I do volunteer work abroad. So far I have been to Serbia, Estonia and Ukraine, but this time I wanted to take my volunteering experience to the next level and go to Africa, where I can really make a difference. Therefore next week, 16 June, I will go to Tanzania for two weeks to work on a project in Moshi, at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. The project is focused on generating a sustainable improvement in the living conditions of vulnerable individuals in this region, such as orphans, single parents and grandmothers. The project will involve building an animal shed to generate income for the vulnerable individuals, visiting local families and organizing sports and games for local children. In the weekends, there will be a possibility to go for a safari at one of the many nearby national parks and after the camp I will travel onwards to Kenya through the area of the Masai warriors. On 4 July I will then fly back to Amsterdam from Nairobi.
All in all this trip to Africa (my first time on this continent) should be a wonderful and unforgettable experience.
Later this summer I also plan to go to Kaunas, Lithuania to study Lithuanian Language and Culture for one month at Vytautas Magnus University. I have never had an opportunity to study abroad, so this summer course is an ideal opportunity for me to experience what it's like to study abroad. From a reliable source I have understood that it involves lots of sightseeing together with new friends and also a considerable amount of nice parties.
PS. Yes mom, in September I will start looking for a new job.
