Brooke's European Adventure: June 2006

Destination USA

Friends,
I hope everything is going well with you. As I have been very busy with the upcoming move back to the US and the frenzy of European travel which occurred before the move, I am looking forward to touching base with everyone and hearing how things are going. I hope that many of us might even have the chance to do this in person when I return to the US in July. So, I hope that you are doing well and I can't wait to hear how it is going.

Life for me (at the moment) is very hectic. I thought that it was difficult to coordinate the move to the Netherlands, I didn't realize how difficult it would be to move back. After completing my largest assignment in the Netherlands, I was able to take some time off with Derek and his mom, Marilyn, and our friend Todd and travel throughout Europe on a whirlwind tour of France, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, Holland, and Italy. It was a blast (pictures below). That trip was followed by a weekend getaway to Sweden to visit my friends Mike and Sara (who previously lived in Indianapolis) and the Sweden countryside. Now, I am back in Amsterdam, ready to spend a week packing and attending various farewell dinners and going away parties.

On Friday, June 30, the movers come and the goods board a ship back to the States.
On August 1, I will be starting back to work as a team member of the New York, New York office. In the meantime, I will be trying to coordinate the sale of my house and the selection of an apartment to rent in New York where Derek and I will be living. Additionally, I will be trying to have some fun in the US as well and hopefully be able to visit with everyone. When I am not in New York, I will traveling to visit with everyone.

Well, that is a birds eye view of life for me right now and while that covers the logistics of the move, it really doesn't express the emotional roller coaster which is on-going with the process. Excitement to return to the US (when can I go to Hacienda??), regret for the things that I didn't do here (Greece - never made it), happiness to see friends and family (yes, everyone on this email!!!), fear for life in New York (what will it be like??), concern about starting with a new job and new people (what will the client and team be like???)... yes, I understand why moving is one of the top 5 stressors in life. But I am trying to remain cool, calm, and collected and I think I am successful about 50% of the time, so I am pretty pleased about that. I can just take each day, each phone call, each email one at a time and go from there....

So, more details about my travel schedule will be sent shortly (as nothing is finalized yet) and hopefully we can get together soon. If not, I will still have access to my email and my international cell phone will work until I move to New York. Send me an email or give me a call and hopefully we can see each other soon!!!
Destination USA - wish me luck!
Love, Brooke

Marilyn comes to Europe - a private canal cruise on the Athena in Amsterdam!!

Marilyn comes to town

Derek mom, Marilyn, came to Amsterdam in her first international travel experience. We had a whirlwind trip throughout Europe planned - 6 countries in 2 weeks: Ghent, Belgium; Paris, Luxembourg (a stop for coins); Germany, and Rome. We had a great time. With over 700 pictures (between all of us), I tried to be selective and post the best of the best to summarize the travel and the trip (there are more Rome pictures from my first visit in August already on the website). The highlights of the trip included: walking into the bed and breakfast through a seedy looking hallway in Ghent (which opened up into 2 very nice rooms- luckily), the Paris night bike ride and boat tour, the show at Moulin Rouge, staying at the only hotel on the Champs Elysees (complaints of Derek ownership in the Marriott), the stop in Luxembourg for coins (got one), getting to know Navie (our new navigation system), Marilyn asking - "what time is it" while writing in her journal, the mean people in Paris who wouldn't serve us a baguette, the search for a little Coke bottle, finding it, and getting it from the restaurant, "what do you mean you have to pay for the bathroom?", the search for leather purses in Rome (Derek and Todd should be honored for enduring that experience), the German castle, the intense card playing which occurred (Derek and Todd continued their winning streaks), some fantastic meals and wine in Rome, and alot of good old fashion fun. We all had a great time and a great vacation together.

The "seven" canal bridges of Amsterdam - there are 7 canals in a row which are all designed the same and created as the model for the majority of bridges that were built in the city.

Amsterdam canals on a boat tour. The city looked great and our tour guide was realy nice.

Marilyn, Derek, and Brooke in Amsterdam on the first day of vacation.

The castle in Ghent - it was very neat and very old.

Marilyn and Derek at the castle in Ghent. Marilyn says this was the best vacation ever!!

Ghent

The Louvre at night - cool!

Brooke and Marilyn and the Notre Dame church during our city bike ride. How did they clean the church....LASERS - Brooke got the trivia answer right (although was just thinking of the Austin Powers movies at the time and trying to be funny). I also made the toast on the boat ride - "to the laser!" :-)

The real Moulin Rouge in Paris - Marilyn and I went to the show there and sat with 2 other couples. It was a great show.

The Seine River at night - I just thought this was a great picture

The Arc at night in Paris - Derek drove around this again (sucessfully!). This is a great picture.

The sun was setting as we arrived at the German castle - after a day of driving in the rain - it was great (and they served us dinner at 9 pm - after closing hours).

Our room in the castle in Germany. It was great (and appeared to be filled with old items from a church!)

Derek - on the Rhine river enjoying both work and vacation...

Obelwessel, Germany from the boat on our Rhine River cruise. Derek and I stayed at the castle on the top of the hill 2 years ago!! It was great to see this place again :-)