tour de den haag

Rachael headed out for a meeting on Thursday morning as I packed up my things. Suitcase in hand, I stopped into Quarantacinque for coffee before making my way to King's Cross-St. Pancras Station. Hurrah. It truly is satisfying to be self-sufficient in a new city.

After soaring beneath the English Channel, across a sliver of northern France, and through Belgium (with a brief stop in Brussels), I arrived at Amsterdam Centraal. And though I'd originally intended to go directly to the Hague from there, I waited in the station for a familiar face. My brother had asked if he could please meet me for dinner. My heart nearly burst as he revealed how much he already understood the highs and lows of living abroad. He went on to treat me to the Vietnamese street food I'd introduced him to.

I don't think Jorgie realized how much that one meal and conversation means to me. My almost-23-year-old brother (his birthday's this weekend) is growing up! I'm so incredibly proud of him for taking on the challenge and enrichment of life abroad as he does.

With all that warm sisterly pride in tow, I finally took the train to meet Lorelei (who I hadn't seen since this past New Year's in Brooklyn!) in The Hague. We had a couple of glasses of wine in a cute city square as we caught up. Being with friends is so much sweeter than keeping in touch by email and texts, for the record :). From there, we took the long way back to her apartment so she could show me around the third largest city in the Netherlands. It's beautiful yet quaint--an expression of Dutch humility perhaps?

As we got ready for bed that night, we made a plan for tomorrow: We would meet for lunch after my leisurely morning of wandering my way back into the city center. Then she'd return to work and I'd go back into Amsterdam to meet up with my brother and ma soeur.

I almost wish I could spend my time like that always. Lorelei had warned me about the adorable boutiques I'd pass along the way, as well as the endless possibilities for coffee (and sandwiches). She'd also mentioned the Dutch commitment to "cozy". It was so cool to see it all firsthand on that sunny morning. By chance, I ventured into the Namasté Café for tea and a lovely conversation with the Dutch-Indonesian owner. It left me just enough time to check out Lola Bikes & Coffee on my way to Hometown Coffee.

I passed on more quality caffeine while Lorelei had an espresso. Then, we leisurely made our way over to a café with an open terrace for... sandwiches. I appreciated the simplicity my dear friend has tired of; more than that though, I appreciated the glimpse into her daily life and current home, just as I had in London with Rachael. Our whole worlds have changed so much since graduation.

I was struck, too, by how amazingly "at home" I felt. The sentiment must have little to do with where one is, and everything to do with who one is with. It's as if I'd forgotten such a heartwarming fact, and my entire time in the Netherlands generously reminded me of it. More to come.

mes parents

My parents touched down in Paris a mere 30 hours after I did (having just returned from K's wedding in Lake Tahoe, California). It was hectic and ambitious to have them around: (1) because I was very adamant about them enjoying themselves, especially as it was my dad's first ever experience in Europe and (2) because I was very dedicated to enjoying myself as well in the last two weeks of my actual-living in the City of Light. We somehow managed to eat and drink well :) a brief overview of how we spent their five days:

{Friday, 4:30pm: wine tasting on the Seine; 7pm: Clamato oysters with Lorelei}

{Saturday, 1-5pm: overpriced bus tour}

{Saturday, 8pm: dining at Le Quincampe with my French family; competitive Mikado game included}

{Saturday, 11pm: boat cruise on the Seine by night}

{Sunday, 9:30am: breakfast at Rose Bakery}

{Sunday, 2:30pm: simple lunch en famille in Melun}


{Sunday, 5:00pm: stroll down the Promenade plantée}

{Sunday, 8:50pm: El Nopal tacos on the canal}

{Monday, 11:30am: visit to the Châteaux de Chantilly}

{Monday, 8pm: Wine, cheese, and charcuterie at Comestibles et Marchand de Vins} 

 {Tuesday, 10am: AUP graduation and delivery of MA degree}

{Tuesday, 2pm: graduation lunch at Bistrot du 1er with Marie, her mom, Rachael, and Lorelei}

{Tuesday, 8:30pm: Paris Beer Week celebration at La Fine Mousse}

My dad fell in love with Paris (despite ever-gray skies) and my mom is happy when he is, so I'd call the visit a success. I basically celebrated my birthday all week basking in their company and generosity, too. Yay for "traveling" with my parents for the second time this year! Growing up is a funny process in and of itself, but I'm finding the evolution of our relationship most intriguing. This just in: they're two especially wonderful and imperfect people, doing their best and figuring out life as they go along. Lucky me.

le mexique

Tell someone you're going to Mexico, and s/he'll probably hear you're vacationing with sand and sun soon. Most south-of-the-border trips are that simple. This one's different special though. My parents and I are visiting my dad's hometown; my dad's small, rural hometown tucked beside the Sierra de Mazamitía in the Mexican state of Jalisco. I haven't been there in 15 years.

We're escaping a snowy New York to spend a week at my grandparents' house. I distinctly remember milking cows with my dad and abuelo upon waking, retrieving fresh eggs from the coop, helping my grandmother make tortillas, and playing along the canal with my cousins. I'm excited to (again) experience the festive reunion in San Francisco. Wish me luck with, por favor! Living in Paris hasn't exactly helped my Spanish... at all :). See you in February with photos of our beach-less Mexican getaway.