Because I finish what I start: December 2012 in pictures

Last one - you'd think I could have gotten around to it before now. But... See the post from 2 days ago...

We went with some friends to Maastricht to the Christmas Market which ended up being very small and not very awesome. But I did get some local honey so win to that. Also, there is/was a bookstore in a cathedral which was pretty cool to see.

At some point in December Islay started doing this:
She looks really cute, but dont be fooled, she only accepts 2-4 belly rubs before she kills you.

We made our yearly pilgrimage to the OBER Christmas Beer Festival in Essen, Belgium. Sadly, we could not go this year (2013) because of the chaos in moving to another country, but we hope to be back in 2014.

 I knit a super cool dino hat for my nephew Jake.

Islay inspected the Christmas gifts I made. -- Vanilla extract.

Islay attempted to sneak into the suitcase and go with us to Stevenage for Christmas and Boxing Day. Sadly, we had to leave her behind.

We said our goodbyes to dear Poppy, whose kidneys started to fail at the age of 18. Shortly after we left she peacefully passed away on the lap of Jamie's mom.

And Islay loved her Christmas presents!

Finally! I have wrapped up 2012. And before 2014 even. Goodness sakes, I am not a dedicated writer at all.

So much!

Wow, I haven't posted since APRIL. So much has happened since then.

Quick rundown:
Wrote papers (of the scientific variety)
submitted some papers
wrote thesis
submitted thesis to committee
sent emails to profs asking if they had any post-doc positions
got revisions on some papers
interviewed for a post-doc position
some papers published (hooray!)
thesis accepted by committee
learned InDesign and turned my thesis into a printed book
books arrived
handed out books
Thesis Defense!
PhD graduation!
"Holiday" with my parents and Jamie
Offered post-doctoral research fellow position in Birmingham
Return from holiday, open Etsy shop ( https://www.etsy.com/shop/LoveBacteriaArt )
applied for UK visa
UK visa successful and received
visit Birmingham and find a place to live
fill out forms and pay fees on rental house in birmingham

And still so much left to do this year! I start my new job January 13, 2014.
We hopefully move the first week of Jan.
I have realized since writing my thesis that I really do not like writing and that's why I hardly ever blog. Even though I have so much to say. I am going to try to remedy this. I want to like to write. I want to be a better writer.

November 2012 in pictures

November was another busy month for us. We traveled outside of he Netherlands, again. We really did make the most of autumn 2012, having not been able to travel much in the summer due to a kitty that couldn't stay healthy. I was a bit nervous to leave Islay during her recovery from surgery, but she seemed fine when we left and only starved for company when we got back. We went to Stockholm to visit a friend of mine, it was dreary, cold, and dark quickly, but the company was superb. I miss my friends "from Boston," but even if I moved back, it would never be the same. Being a scientist, most of my "Boston friends" weren't even from the USA let alone Boston, and many of them are not there anymore. The food was great, the coffee was great, and the yarn stores were cute, cozy, and reasonably priced. Stockholm is not as expensive as people would have you believe, but then Utrecht is  also extremely expensive IMO.

 We arrived in Stockholm just after Halloween and the Mexican embassy was hosting a party. So we went. Another Swede scientist friend from Boston also joined us so it was quite the little reunion. We ended up leaving around 1, being old fuddy-duddies, before the Mexican band even started playing.

Andreas and his partner live in the district Sodertorn, which is technically a suburb (but is literally right across the water from Sodermalm), and so the fastest way to get anywhere is via one of the many free ferries. This is looking out of the back of one.

We took a walk up a huge hill to a scenic look-out across Stockholm and from there could see the amusement park, closed for winter. I don't know why but i love pictures of empty amusement parks.

No trip to Stockholm is complete without a trip to the Vasa Museum. Incredible really. I highly encourage everyone to visit Stockholm just to see this.

After we returned home from Stockholm, Islay's life changed forever. We let her outside! She was a bit hesitant at first, but then was in total bliss smelling All the things.

She also decided she was a shoe. And therefore belonged in the shoe cubby that hangs from the ceiling.

September 2012 in Pcitures

September was a pretty busy month for us. We don't usually travel much, or even leave Utrecht that much. But this month we left the country twice and traveled to Scheveningen for a groupon dinner with friends. (Dutch test: can you correctly say Scheveningen?)

Caipirinhas! Yum

 Here we are at Rodezio Brazillian Restaurant in Scheveningen enjoying lovely cachaca cocktails. We went with our Brazilian friends. The food was very tasty, not as good as when you are in Brazil, but close enough for Europe.

After many months of trying, Islay finally made it to the top of our screens. And once she got there, she didnt know how to get back down again....

We went to Cologne, Germany for Jamie's birthday. I don't know why we hadn't gone earlier. We both love Cologne. I found a really awesome hotel to stay in called Antik Bristol Hotel. Every room has antique furniture from a different period. I told them it was Jamie's birthday and they gave us the honeymoon suite! It was amazing.

 This is a church with a room full of bone decorations in Cologne.
 Creep-tastic.

Islay tried to climb inside our packing cubes while we were packing to go to England. I think she wanted to join on the adventure.







We went to England at the end of the month for Jamie's older brother's wedding. They had a small ceremony at the registrar's office and then a reception. It was a chilly and windy day but also super sunny and bright - a bit strange for England in autumn.

So bright! Too much sun!

March 2012 in Pictures

Picking just a few pictures for the month of March is almost impossible. In March Jamie and I took one of the most amazing trips of our lives to South America. There was a scientific congress for my field, and it's only held every other year in different locations. I was accepted to present a poster and I was determined to go to present it. It's a great experience to present your work at a congress full of people who not only understand the work, but are also interested in it. It doesn't hurt when the congress is held in an amazing location. This edition was set for Iguazu Falls, Brazil.

I really should do a blog post about our trip. ... I have such a bad memory you'd think I would blog all the time to help me remember, but I am just too busy being lazy when I'm not working my ass off for the PhD.

Ok enough talk, lets get to the amazing pictures!

Strelitzia flowers at our hotel in Sao Paulo

One part of the amazing Foz do Iguazu

A toucan friend pondering me at the bird sanctuary in Foz do Iguazu (the city, not the national park)

Our hostel in Porto Alegre, Brazil

A massive tree among other massive trees spanning more than a city block in the Recoleta area of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Smoke and deliciousness in the Mercado del Puerto in Montevideo, Uruguay

A tropical storm coming in at Ipenema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The strangest flower I've ever seen at the botanical gardens in Rio

2011 in review

Well it appears as though I havent posted in this blog since my last years review..... I cant give up this one yearly tradition i have! Does that sentence even make sense? Probably not. English grammar and vocabulary start to shrivel when you are surrounded by non-native speakers. I'd give a link to last years post, but it seems a bit unnecessary.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Planted / cultivated a rooftop vegetable garden. Cat-sat. Nothing crazy exciting I guess.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My resolutions for 2011 were: keep learning Dutch (be able to hold small conversations); make significant dents in paying off my credit cards (paid one off this year!); better manage my time so I can relax/exercise too.

And i really didnt keep them and that is a shame. PhD sorta gets in the way of everything else.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Ummm no i dont believe so. But there will be soooo many in 2012!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, my Gramma died (mom's mom). We were quite close. She was pretty miserable and wanted to die, but I still would have liked to see her one last time. And I really wanted her to meet Jamie. She died ~3 weeks before we went to the States for Thanksgiving.

5. What countries did you visit?
New countries that I had never been to before: Switzerland.

Countries that I have been to before: England, Belgium, France, USA.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Same as last year: A first author scientific publication.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I'm really bad at remembering actual dates, but I can remember events that happen on specific days. The ones that stand out are the first beautiful day in Interlaken, seeing the sunset at the top of the Eiffel Tower with Jamie, and the death of my Gramma.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Same as last year: Not quitting my PhD - ie surviving 2011.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not sure

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh yes... New years day ~2 am slipped and fell on ice walking home from NYE party and tore ankle ligament... a week or so later fell again and tore the ligament on the other side of the same ankle. Not a great way to start the year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Plants and seeds for our garden. Our couch.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Jamie for being awesome and taking care of me during my hellish PhD. Knitting friends who welcome me back after long absences each time i try to have a social life.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The new manager/realtor of the flat I live in for charging Jamie an arm and a leg for rent just b/c he can (even though I pay much less for the same size room).

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, new couch, traveling, beer, yarn.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing my family again after 2 years. Greenfield music festival (Foo Fighters! Apocalyptica! System of a Down! Frank Turner! Volbeat! Social Distortion!). The International Burlesque Circus here in Utrecht.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2011?
Anything by Frank Turner or Volbeat

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
Happier, fatter, tad richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise. Sleep.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry about my PhD.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
We spent Christmas and Boxing Day with Jamie's family in Stevenage, England again. AND we spent Thanksgiving with my family in Orland Park, IL!

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I stayed in love (:

23. What was your favorite TV program?
New ones this year were: Game of Thrones (oh the LOVE) and Grimm. And we have our TV staples: Doctor Who, True Blood, Big Bang Theory, Walking Dead, How I Met Your Mother, any nature program narrated by David Attenborough.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I sometimes hate my PhD supervisors. This week wasn't a particularly good one, so I'm def not liking them right now.

25. What was the best book you read?
I actually finished some books this summer - i re-read all of Song of Ice and Fire in preparation for Dance With Dragons which was, as expected, so awesome.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Frank Turner and Volbeat

27. What did you want and get?
A new couch.

28. What did you want and not get?
A travel grant to the International Pneumococcal Congress in 2012 in Brazil.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
hmmmmm. I'm terrible at remembering what we saw this year and not other years. Maybe the Muppets?

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 29. I wasnt feeling very social so it was a private dinner with just Jamie. I actually dont even remember it.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Same as last year: A magical understanding of the Dutch language. More contact with the people, friends and family, I left in the States.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Mostly the same as previous years - whatever doesnt make me look pudgy and lots of black with a creeping towards a bit of "Dutch" and "European" fashion.

33. What kept you sane?
My office-mates and my boyfriend.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I read Dan Savage weekly - he's a mini celebrity, right?

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Same as last year: Marriage equality - no reason the States should discriminate. Immigration rights.

36. Who did you miss?
My friends who are not in the same country as me. My Grampa and Gramma.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Why?
Umm i'm not sure I met any new people?

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Don't put carrot seeds too close together in pots.

39. A Quote or song lyric that sums up your year.

to the east, to east, the road beneath my feet

to the west to the west, but i haven't got there yet

to the north to the north, never to be caught

and to the south to the south, my time is running out

.....

i face the horizon, every where that i go

i face the horizon, the horizon is my home

from The Road by Frank Turner

2010 summary

It's that time again- time for the annual year-wrap-up blog post. One of the Only things I am decently good at doing every year on time. (: Here is the link to last years post, which gives further links to 2008 and 2007. Hard to believe I've been blogging that long.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Went kayaking. Went to a European music festival (involving multiple days and camping). Hosted/cooked a proper Thanksgiving dinner outside of the USA. Spent Christmas with someone else's family. One thing that was done to me and not by me was I was robbed - my purse was stolen. I'd never before been a direct victim of crime ):

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Okay so I did fairly well on my resolutions for last year. I sadly did not finish learning Dutch. BUT I did find my equilibrium here and regained joy in my life and stopped complaining so much about being single. it especially helped that I'm no longer single though, so I guess I cant count that one.
My resolutions for 2011 are: keep learning Dutch (be able to hold small conversations); make significant dents in paying off my credit cards (paid one off this year!); better manage my time so I can relax/exercise too.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope, no births this year. But there were several weddings.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I wasnt too close with my uncle Steve, but he did die suddenly. Also, my dad's mom died.

5. What countries did you visit?
Israel and Czech Republic!

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A first author scientific publication.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The day Jamie moved in with me is the only one I can think of right now.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not quitting my PhD - ie surviving 2010.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Again - I finished knitting a couple things I have not yet seamed..... Oh well, maybe next year?

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Again yes. Haven't been sick as much this year as last but I do seem to be very good at injuring myself. Nothing that has required hospital visits though. On Christmas eve I slipped and fell on ice and smacked my face on the ground/ice - my glasses cut me and gave me a black eye - it's still all nasty and ouchy.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
New bed and furniture. Mucha posters. My awesome camera that I owned for just 3 months before it was stolen with my purse. My new tattoo.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My office-mates for tolerating each others idiosyncrasies and for supporting/helping me when I was ready to give up and quit. Jamie for taking care of me when I work 10-12 hour days 60 days in a row.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The owner of the flat I lived in over the summer - refused to give me my deposit back just for the hell of it b/c he can. The person who stole my Purse in Prague. The police lady in Prague that yelled at me for being a stupid tourist and being at fault for my bag being stolen.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Moving. Rent. Getting my ID cards re-issued after the theft (thanks stingy Dutch govt).

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing the Bruins in Prague (which i didnt get to thanks to the purse-snatcher). Jamie coming back from his world tour to visit me.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2010?
Soon by Triggerfinger. Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. Billionaire by Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
Happier, fatter, tad richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Cry over failed experiments.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
For the first time ever I was away from my parents and family. I spent Christmas and Boxing Day with Jamie's family in Stevenage, England.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?
I did, actually. I fell in Love with a guy I'd met during the great Eurocrazy tour of 2008 and he became the most amazing, sweet, awesome boyfriend ever.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
True Blood def was a major new thing for me. Big Bang Theory, How not to live your life, and Walking Dead are all enjoyable to watch too.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Sure, the person(s) that stole my purse!

25. What was the best book you read?
oooh, thats a bit tough considering I started a bunch and finished none. Too much PhD reading going on.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I rediscovered a love of Rammstein after seeing them live; I guess I now take pleasure in listening to Katy Perry (but only b/c Jamie sings the songs to me); and I really like Bruno Mars and I had never heard of him before.

27. What did you want and get?
A significant other. A place to call home (ie: a place to live in Utrecht that's not temporary).

28. What did you want and not get?
Oh hundreds of things went wrong in the lab.....

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
hmmmmm. tough one. Probably Machete

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 28. I had some friends over for beer and cake. it was nice.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A magical understanding of the Dutch language. More contact with the people, freinds and family, I left in the States.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Mostly the same as previous years - whatever doesnt make me look pudgy and lots of black with a creeping towards a bit of "Dutch" and "European" fashion.

33. What kept you sane?
My office-mates and my boyfriend.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I read Dan Savage weekly - he's a mini celebrity, right?

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Same as last year: Marriage equality - no reason the States should discriminate. Immigration rights.

36. Who did you miss?
My friends who are not in the same country as me. My Grampa. Jamie while he was in Canada and USA.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Why?
I havent met very many people this year compared to last year, or at least, Ive met so many new people the past 1.5 years I cant really remember who was in 2009 and 2010....

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Some people are jerks and criminals, always be vigilant in foreign cities (i should have known that one already but I lapsed).

39. A Quote that sums up your year.
"With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." Max Ehrmann, 1927.

2009 wrap up

Wow it's already Jan 1, 2010. Figured I may as well do the year end wrap up Ive done now for the last two years. In case you want to keep track, here is 2008 and 2007. I have to admit, this year has been a bit of a blur, so there may be some things that I have forgotten!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
Moved to a new country/continent; drank alcohol at 9 am local time (it was 4 am "my time"); wrote a masters thesis.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't really have resolutions last year, but I have been really bad about getting sleep since I moved to Utrecht. I will make resolutions this year. They are: learn to speak Dutch; complain/worry less about being single; find my equilibrium in the Netherlands - get my confidence back; find the joy in life again.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My best friend Anne (and her husband) gave birth to Noah.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My Uncle Tom died of brain cancer.

5. What countries did you visit?
USA, Netherlands. (Kinda Ireland too, I had a beer in the airport there on my layover). No new countries though ):

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Stability. A significant other.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
My sister's wedding, the day I moved to the Netherlands, the day Noah Serrell-Dube was born, the 12 days Kevin visited me in Utrecht.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Graduating from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a Master of Health Sciences in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I finished knitting a couple things I have not yet seamed.....

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh yes. After moving to the Netherlands i've been sick with all sorts of crazy things. I'll spare the details.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Dutch bike. My Obermeyer winter coat.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My co-worker who let me crash at his place when the trains weren't running and drove me to the airport in a huge snow storm.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Lots of Americans - in general. Many random Dutchies.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Moving. Rent. Moving. Air tickets.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Moving to Europe. Meeting Noah.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
First taste by Triggerfinger

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
Sadder, thinner, more debt but also more spending money due to a steady paycheck.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Seen the USA. Seen the Netherlands in the summer.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it with my family in Illinois.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I have fallen completely in love with baby Noah. I told him I wont be having kids for at least 5 more years, so he can be the love of my life.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
In the States I watched Lost, Deadliest Catch, How the Earth was Made, South Park. In the Netherlands I watch Weeds and Californication.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope, no hate.

25. What was the best book you read?
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Triggerfinger!! Them Crooked Vultures!

27. What did you want and get?
I'm drawing a blank here

28. What did you want and not get?
too many things this year

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
didnt see many films this year. But I did see some amazing ones this past week: Avatar, 500 Days of Summer, Up, District 9. Also saw Old Boy for the first time, pretty mind-blowing.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 27. It was pretty crappy. I didnt do anything. My sister's wedding was the day before and no one was interested in me. Wouldnt even drive me to the train station so I could go downtown Chicago. No cake either. Why bother? - they had cake the day before at her wedding.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Feeling like I belong somewhere in this world.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Same as 2007-2009: Wear whatever doesnt make me look like a pudgeball - it involved lots of black.

33. What kept you sane?
I'm pretty sure I lost my sanity this year

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No one really

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Marriage equality - no reason the States should discriminate. Immigration rights. Now that I'm an Expatriate/Immigrant these things are important for me.

36. Who did you miss?
My friends who are not in the same country as me. My Grampa.

37. Who was the best new person you met? Why?
I met so many new people!! - I cant pick just one! Brent has been awesome for teaching me Dutch; Sue and Tamara live in my building and are great neighbors; the knitters on tuesdays have listened to my immigration woes and offered advice; my Dutch office-mates Eveleine, Marieke, and Axel help me with cultural integration; co-workers Wouter, Bas, Bart, Claudia are fun to drink with; Andras has helped me with all the Dutch animal experimentation laws, regulations, and paperwork; and I reconnected with Kevin after loosing touch for over a year - he really helped me through the bad times when I first moved.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Life as an immigrant is like a sine wave: it's in constant motion, there are very high highs and very low lows and you can flux between the two states very rapidly.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I dont have a song lyric, but I do have a quote I've been thinking about (Amanda posted it on her blog a while back). "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my own ship" ~Louisa May Alcott.

Excitement

I have to admit, I keep seeing Amstel Light commercials on the TV and I get really excited. Like, goose-bump excited. Holey-cow-I'm-going-to-live-there-excited. I don't even like Amstel Light. But the commercials are chock full of Amsterdam, football, and Dutch awesomeness.


It reminds me of when I was in Utrecht last summer and Holland was playing Russia in the Euro Cup. I went to a bar with a Canadian couple to see the game. I had gotten a Holland shirt at a tourist stand and the guy had gotten free lederhosen at the bar (it had a tail on the back for the lion). Here are our best lion grrrs. haha. Too bad Holland lost and the streets were full of madness.

Procrastination

Since I'm having trouble concentrating on Anything today (I'm currently watching TV, reading, blogging, and I've got knitting sitting next to me) I thought, why not post about a few of my favorite things in Europe. I've been thinking about Europe "in my spare time" haha considering the Big Move is ~10 weeks away.
These are a few of my favorite things (in Europe):



Really old things randomly interspersed through the cities.
Brick from where the canal used to be, the water has now moved several feet and there's a path where it used to be.
Utrecht, Netherlands










Art. Lots of it.

One of Monet's waterlilies at the Musee de l'Orangerie in Paris, France









Faces on buildings. Everywhere! I could write a whole post on faces, maybe I will.....
This one is on some historic building in Bruges, Belgium










Chocolate!! Believe it or not, this is the Only picture of Chocolate I have. I ate the rest too fast. Maybe I have this b/c it's the only piece of "special" chocolate I bought. The rest was good stuff from grocery stores. This was from a specialty shop in Gent, Belgium.








Alcohol!! Specifically beer, beer, and more beer, and some jenever. Both are in this picture from Gent, Belgium. No surprise that plenty of my favorite things are from Belgium as Gent and Bruges were my favorite cities.

Expatriate vs Immigrant

I've been thinking about my Europe move a lot lately. Mostly because there is a LOT to take care of and now that my eyes are getting better I'm finally getting on it. A little late but hopefully still time enough. I've noticed that I use the words expatriate and immigrant pretty equally to describe myself. I was thinking maybe I should pick one so I looked up the definition on Wikipedia. According to Wikipedia, foreign born covers both immigrants and expatriates, but doesnt adequately describe either. An immigrant is a foreign born committed to living in a new country permanently and an expatriate plan to eventually return to their birth country. And therein lies the problem. Neither of those define me in the Netherlands. I dont intend to return to the USA, but I also dont intend to permanently live in the Netherlands. That's because I dont Intend to do anything. I cant. Being a scientist I have little control over where I go. Also, being a scientist dictates movement. You cant do your PhD and your post-doc at the same institution. Or, at least, its frowned upon. Also, I havent even decided if I want to stay in academia. And infectious diseases is not exactly big money, so not many biomed or pharmaceutical companies even have infectious disease units, let alone bacterial divisions. So, seing as my career future is so open, I'm not making any sort of commitment to geography. I will however try to integrate into Dutch society and I do intend to learn as much of the language as possible. The only thing at present that I am seriously considering is never permanently returning to the USA. So, doesnt that make me an immigrant? Or maybe, just a nomad? (Nomad, wanderer, roamer, vagabond, call me what you will!!! yeah!) (sorry, random Metallica interlude there). Expatriate until further notice? Sigh. Maybe I'll just settle on nomad.

Also, on Fri I received my official appointment from UMC Utrecht. As of July 1, 2009 I will be a PhD student jointly with UMC Utrecht (the medical school where I'll perform my research) and the Eijkman Graduate School of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (the part of the University that oversees the PhD program). I'm so excited! Its official. It never feels official until you have that acceptance letter in your hand. Oh sure, I have to submit my project proposal to the PhD Board and have it be accepted no more than 2 months after July 1 (sort of like a grant application) but I think that's more like a formality. At least, I hope so.

Sigh, now I just have to find a place to live. Which I hear, is no easy feat in Utrecht. So, keep your fingers crossed for me! Or, if you know anyone living in Utrecht maybe you can ask them if they have any advice? I'm sure I'll have plenty to say on this when I get into the thick of the search soon.

Triumphant return??

I know, grad school has been crazy. Life has been crazy. I've been gone for some time. I am going to TRY to get back to blogging (hence the questionable triumph). I figured I'd start with the 2008 wrap-up, using the same questions as last year.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Visited Europe; went on a vacation by myself; drove a giant moving truck cross-country; killed a cockroach (well ok, many); flew over-seas; started grad-school; switched to an Apple computer - bought a laptop.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did fairly well last year. Since this is year is going to be particularly crazy what with graduating from Hopkins, leaving Baltimore and moving to Europe, I have no resolutions this year, other than to savor the calm moments and get plenty of sleep.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Just cousins again.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year.

5. What countries did you visit?
England, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A significant other.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The days I left for and returned from EuroCrazy08. Election day (hooray Barack Obama!)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Acceptance into and success in grad school.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Medical school rejection, again.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No "real" injuries thank goodness (there were a couple sprained wrists and ankles from nights of drinking and dancing). Illness - yes. Two head colds, one bought of coughing, a UTI, and food poisoning all during my EuroCrazy08 trip.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Gregory backpack and my MacBook.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The American people.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The locals in Barcelona. My neighbors in Baltimore. Israel and Palestine.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. EuroCrazy08 Trip. Grad school tuition.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My trip to Europe! Getting A's at Hopkins. Getting a position at the University of Utrecht Medical School to do my PhD!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Ghosts by Ladytron

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer?
teensy bit happier, a little thinner, and a LOT poorer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sightseeing in Massachusetts.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry about my future, argue with my family.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I was in the Illinois with the family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
I did. But thanks to bad timing and our lives going in two completely different directions we decided to do the difficult but necessary thing and say goodbye. I think this is the hardest reality of moving to Europe: leaving the people I love.

22. How many one-night stands?
That's personal information thanks.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Pushing Daisies. CSI. Lost.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No but my family sure is trying hard to make me.

25. What was the best book you read?
Microbe Hunters by Paul deKruif.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Ladytron and Apocalyptica.

27. What did you want and get?
Acceptance into grad school. A career path. To prove to myself that not only can I make it at Johns Hopkins, but I can ace it.

28. What did you want and not get?
A certain guy.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Tie: Persepolis and Dark Knight.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 26. It was amazing. I went on the Sam Adams Brewery tour with Anne and Erik and then we met all of my wonderful Boston friends at the Milkyway for candlepin bowling and pool and beer and fun.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To have the vaccine paper accepted somewhere.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Same as 2007: Wear whatever doesnt make me look like a pudgeball - it involved lots of black.

33. What kept you sane?
My friends!

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Well wasnt everyone enamored with Barack? Jon Stewart was pretty awesome too.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
the same one that always does: the Environment and Global Weirding

36. Who did you miss?
Everyone in Boston. Friends in other countries. My Grampa.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Marty.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Life is not always bunnies and cupcakes.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'm drawing a blank here. But I do have a quote from a little quote book I have that I ripped out and tacked up on my wall (its even here in Baltimore): "Failure is the mother of success."

Paris update

so whirlwind rundown: Gent was relaxing and amazing. Brugge was beer and food tastic! Brussels kinda sucked due to a bout of vomiting of unknown origin (food poisening??). and Im now in Paris and its too bad i have to switch hostels today which didnt sound so bad a week ago, but the hostel ive been in for the past 2 days is really nice. its brand new! its the nicest ive been in so far!

the eiffel tour was you know, the eifel tower. but the musee de orsay and the rodin museum were amazing and wonderful, except for all the rude tourists shoving you around just to get a picture of the famous paintings! and they didnt even stop to enjoy the works! they just shoved and took a picture and shoved to move on! rude! did a great walking tour today despite the random rain and crazy town wind that flung sand and dirt everywhere. now i have to get going, have to run off and switch hostels, my new one is in montmartre. i hope its nice too. back to england in only 3 days! cant beleive its all almost over!

Gent - |Brugge update

just got to Brugge. Gent was awesome. just lovely and amazing. not tiem to discuss will tell later. having hell trying to find a place to stay in brussels. ugh. so i may try the couch surfing thing so that i dont have to go all the way back to gent for the one night before i go to paris, cuz that would stink waaay majorly. and i has no grammer today my mind is fried from travelling. oh and maybe its fried from all the beer, jenever, and frites im having. yum yum

Germany Update

Currently in Cologne, Germany visiting Karen, a lovely Aussie chica I met in Barcelona. Took a train to Dusseldorf today - quaint little town next to teh Rhine, north of Cologne. The food and the Alt Beir were amazing! Pork sausage and potato salad - holie molie good stuff. Too bad there wasnt much to do in Dusseldorf, but it was very scenic and quite a nice day. Tomorrow I will explore Cologne and sample many kinds of the local brew, Kolsch. And hopefully find me a nice bottle of reisling! oh and Germany is just a really pretty country too. Kinda odd though it feels like the most "American" out of all Europe so far. Just based off the way the people dress and behave in public and such. But still very european which is nice too.

oh and the Dutch are really not nice people during a soccer match, esp when they lose. I'll be here in Germany for tomorrows game vs Turkey, I really hope they win or i might be a little afraid of riots. Plus, I do so like Germany way better more than Turkey. Except for the eternally confusing rail system here - the Dutch really have everyone beat on that! In Holland its cheaper and easier to navigate and they still manage to be on time and have nice and clean trains.

Leaving for Brussels on thursday. having a bit of trouble with train tickets there and hostel reservations, so keep your fingers crossed it gets worked out. Yeah so not planning everything in advance may have freedom but its also a huge hassle. all the hostels are booked up and its such an aggravation to figure this out on the fly. just in case you were wondering..... although, this random trip to germany and not really being "stuck" anywhere is awesome too. so, everything has plus and minus to it.

Hup Holland!

ok so this whole trip is just one big rollercoaster ride i swear. im feeling much better about Holland now. im all decked out in my orange and blue holland shirt for the big Euro football match tonight. quarter finals holland vs. russia. Hup Holland!!!! going to a pub with some canadian kids i met, should be rediculous. and awesome. being in holland for this match is just going ot be nuts.
yeah so i love Utrecht. i can def see myself here for 3 or 4 years. its so cozy and the canals are beautiful. and the houseboat coffeeshop (place to buy weed) was pretty chill too (i was just looking honestly. but if i was going to buy, it would be from there). And Hema! what a store. its like if Ikea and Target hooked up, got preggers, and had a baby. That baby would be Hema. Just love it. was able to buy some things ive either forgotten or ran out of on the cheap. the hostel here is a bit sketch, but at least most of the people ive met have been really nice. except for creepy spanish dude i my room that decided to sleep above me even though there were empty bunks. yeah....

Also excited to be making a random foray into Germany. Met some nice Aussie and Americans who are interning in Cologne (Koln) and invited me to stay with them. so i am.

holland update

in Utrecht right now. still not doingso well on these european keyboards.i cant get half the punctuation marks i want. im alive, so far. amsterdam is nuts just nuts. wish i could have been there with friends, it would have been a lot more fun. so when\if i move to holland, people need to come and visit and we will go up to amsterdam.
utrecht is a very lovely town. canals and water everywhere. its like northhampton, only older,and, prettier,and beter. def a college town.just very dutch and lovely. but the hostel im in is a bit sketch. the showers are kinda outside since the building is kinda falling apart.... good thing ive been camping. its like showering in an outhouse. but there are more females here now so i feel a bit better. whenifirst got here it was full of geeky, hippie, smelly, gamer dudes. looks like a place for transients. hoping my stuff is ok up in the creeky room.imsure im just beingparanoid. ah well at least allthe food is free. which i think is why people rate it so high on hostelworld. ah well.
holland is quite lovely though, its def possible i think to live here for 3 years.

also going back and forth with a bit of homesickness. it was really intense after the celtics won and i couldnt watch the game....feeling like im missing out on so much while im gone. feeling like this is the most important summer for me to be in boston and im not there. its my last summer, i should be HOME in BOSTON. wtf am i doing over here [questionmark] i should be looking for apartments in baltimore and enjoying the last bits of my favourite city. instead im spending gobs of money, eating poorly, and cursing trains and planes. i miss my friends, travelling is lonely. i really need to shut the fu$k up and enjoy my vacation, i know.

Barcelona update

well here i am! barcelona is absolutely magnificent. just beautiful.

first hostel, centric point, was great but they didnt have rooms over the weekend. met some awesome people, drank some san miguel at their bar, caught a cold from some sick people in my room.... typical hostel stuff.
im now at Barcelona Mar for the weekend and def not staying here ever again or for my last days. altho the hostel itself is nice and clean and free lockers good showers and such its a really dangerous area. prostitutes everywhere and a girl in my room was attacked and nearly mugged the other night. so i quickly made some friends and try to not travel alone. but they are leaving so i am going back to centric point after tonight.

tuesday i fly to amsterdam to stay at the flying pig hostel which i hear is the place to be. sweet.

hoping to get to the beach here before i leave but def not going alone. too much hassle.

hope everyone is well and maybe soon ill post some pictures!

London update

On international flights: i had no idea they fed you! and gave free wine! and this nlittle packet of socks, toothbrush and paste, and eye patch. quite brilliant! they served dinner and breakfast. too bad i didnt know about the wine and took a sleeping pill but it turned out allright as i just passed right out and had a nice nap after the wine. really was quite pleased with British Air.

On hostels: quite dissapointed that the web site was not updated and there was in fact, no bar. but the people were splendid (except for the crazy welsh organic farmer old lady who used to live on the streets as a drugged whore who wanted to talk to ppl all night), shower was actually great, and so far so good. though ive heard quite the horror stories about paris....

on London: really love it. the beer is fabulous, food not bad so far. and the palace! magnificent. Big ben and Westminster! lovely! ok, time to e off now, sorry no pictures today. hoping to get to the Tate today. The National Gallery was wonderful (Divinci!).
cheers friends

dash of this

dash of that. basically lets go over everything that's happened whilst i've been gone from blogging. i've been so busy!
ready to recap? set? go!
Made the decision to attend Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in the fall and get a 1 yr masters in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Accepted Debby's offer to get my PhD in her lab at the University of Utrecht (Holland) after my masters.
Lots of Europe trip planning.
My super awesome birthday. Anne and Erik came up for that - we went to the Sam Adams brewery and started the day off right with free beer after the tour. Then we ate too much yummy food. Climbed a mountain (well ok, Summit Ave). Went candlepin bowling at the Milky Way Lounge with lots of wonderful people. Oh and, holy crap! - I'm now closer to 30 than 20. Feeling old.

Finished first sock and started second (of the pair).
Totally effed up my sisters mittens (They've been a 2 yr wip, ugh) and stopped knitting out of frustration.

Submitted an abstract for the New England TB Retreat and was asked to give a talk too. (stunned that they asked me, a lowly technician, to give a talk but honored. And scared. And where am I going to get the time to prep for a talk too!??). Hired and started training my replacement at work.

Went to the Webs tent sale with the lovely ladies Danielle, Alexis, and Catherine. Money was spent. Projects were planned. Northampton was beautiful and a great day was had by all. Revived my desire to knit crazy new things.

And now for the pictures!

Here's the first sock when it was almost done. I have a huge calf, I know. Its meaty. -Ew - what a word.














Here's some beautiful STR color Mossay that Ariel was kind enough to obtain for me while she was at Sock Camp.

And the stash it grows in the night!












Here is the yarn i ended up with from Webs. One of these days I Will buy yarn for a sweater. Maybe.
We have here a huge cone (for only $3!) of super soft cotton - probably for a blanket and pillow cover its so nice. And another cone - mercerized cotton. Probably going to see if this works for a shawl.
Then we have the Hempathy for The Bag (linking to Grumperina's Bag photoshop explanation).





Super excited that I was able to find the liner material for the Bag as well! I'm stoked to start this project but I think it's going to have to wait until after Europe.















Here is my fabric haul. Goodness me I got a little carried away. In my defense, this is my first major fabric purchase since I was, oh, 16. Most of them are fat quarters destined for knit bags or to line knitted items. Except for the black and white floral pattern at the bottom.
I fell in love with that fabric and immediately SAW the skirt in my head. so I bought it. Problem is, I dont have a sewing machine and dont really know how to sew. But it WILL happen. It must. Inspiration struck. Its going to be a rockabilly style skirt with a black sash around the waist (tying in a bow at the back) and white and black ruffled petticoats peeking out from the bottom. Anyone have a sewing pattern for this type of skirt? Or know where I could get one? Help please!

Well, now I must be off for bed. Tomorrow starts the longest 2 weeks of my life. Sigh. Way too much to do and not enough time to do it.