*Welkom* to our blog! We are the 2008 Group Study Exchange team representing Rotary District 7620 which includes Central Maryland and Washington DC. We will be visiting District 1600, located in the southwestern part of the Netherlands as a part of a professional exchange with members from their district. This exchange is a part of the greater goal of the Rotary Club to promote world peace through the exchange of ideas and the understanding of other cultures. District 1600 includes Rotterdam and The Hague, which are the second and third largest cities in the Netherlands, following Amsterdam. We will be in the Netherlands from April 26 through May 24, during which, we will live with host families, give presentations to several Rotary Clubs and visit vocational sites related to our respective professions. Most of all, we will be immersed in Dutch culture and have many wonderful experiences. We hope you will enjoy reading about our experiences and adventures! *Dank u*

Sunday, May 11, 2008

The End of Week Two


Wow, week two flew by! We have been so busy. I have to say that each of us fell in love with Wassenaar and were sad to leave. Our program was great, the people were wonderful, and the experience unforgettable. There were definitely tears when we left. A shout out to John and Hans for all of their hardwork. The town of Wassenaar is definitely one of the wealthier sections of Holland and I felt a little bit like I was on Wisteria Lane. The houses were quite large and immaculate. The people all knew each other and the town felt very safe and cozy. I fell in love. My family was great...again. When Renee hopped out of her car and came running to me saying "I'm your mom for a week!" I knew I would love this family. Renee and I clicked within the first ten minutes and I felt like I'd known her all my life. Her husband Laurens is the current President of the Wassenaar Rotary Club. He is a historical restoration architect in the Hague (where he has a very historical and lovely office in what used to be a hidden church). The two of them together make a great pair. I was lucky in that their 25 year old son is currently living at home. He invited over some friends and it was great to talk with a group of younger people. It was interesting to see what kinds of questions they asked me about the US compared with what Rotarians asked. I managed to get Friday off and go sailing with one of their son's friends. It was such a great way to see the countryside...from the canals! The weather was perfect. We had a farewell BBQ Friday night and Saturday we're off to Hellevoetsluis for week three. I spent the first two weeks here trying to learn how to say the name of this town and I finally got it! There are several new sounds that our language does not have and they're hard to learn!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kim,
She looks fabulous. Bring her home with you.