I have been back in the Netherlands for a week now and continue to try and mold back into my "other life". To everyone back at home, you're missed! The life I have here is the complete opposite of how I live in America and it makes me feel like a different person.
My flight to Belgium started off with a three hour delay. Everyone had already boarded the plane, so cranky adults and screaming children were trapped in this large metal tube for a few extra hours together! Lucky for me, the two seats next to me were empty, so I stretched out and took a nap for basically the entire flight.
Upon arriving in Brussels, I had devised a plan for what I would do if they denied my returning to Europe due to my slight overstay last year. I wanted to be prepared for any possible situation. I ended up talking with a very kind gentleman at border control who let me right in as if he and I had been lifelong friends. He was so welcoming after I had imagined the worst scenario and had built up all my defenses to get them to let me in. Thank you Belgium for being so nice!
The walk to baggage claim seemed to never end. It had to be on the opposite side of the airport! I was so drowsy from my airplane nap and my mind was convinced that it was only four in the morning, American time. My suitcase was one of the first on the carousel and then I was on my way for Pieter to welcome me for what seemed like the twentieth time we had done this. A rainy drive "home" welcomed me back into Holland and from the looks of the flat fields, windmills, and small cars, nothing had changed here!
News on Pieter's visa continues to remain stagnant. The day we countdown to now is
March 23rd, which is forty-five days after the papers were received the second time. That is the latest possible day we can hear about when Pieter's interview will be scheduled. That day CANNOT come fast enough. We are so close to the finish line, I can taste it. I can see the welcome back balloons and the plane tickets in our hands, but still... we wait.
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