6 Months in Amsterdam

This Thursday the 1st of October will mark our 6 month anniversary in Amsterdam.

It's hard to believe we've been here 6 months already but at the same time it feels like a city we've lived in for years. I often find myself walking the streets around our home, walking down the Overtoom, walking through Vondelpark, running into people I know and needing to remind myself that these streets that I feel so at home in aren't the streets i've walked all my life. It's a beautiful feeling to finally feel at home somewhere.

Here is the last 6 months of my expat life broken down simply;

I am still jobless:
I try not to let this get my expat adventure down but the truth is - it's depressing how exceptionally difficult it has been to find positions in my field that do not require fluent Dutch. It's depressing to think my career ambitions have been halted, my ambition is pretty specific, and I'm dying to keep moving toward it. If my Hawaii dream is ever going to come true then I need experience in my field and I need funds, so I want an exciting geo job now please!

On the positive side, I am waiting to hear back about an exciting opportunity this week, if I don't get it, my next course of action is to enrol into an express Dutch course.

I have also been busily building a website directly related to my studies, mostly as a way to keep myself updated on current research and to keep myself in the field.

I've become a social bee:
We have met some wonderful new people and made some wonderful new friends, actually sometimes I can't believe how easy it is for me to make friends outside of Australia. I am really enjoying how rewarding and pleasant socialising here is, so much so that thinking of it right now makes me want to bake cookies and buy presents for all my new friends here!

The visitors haven't stopped coming:
We have been bombarded with visitors and people on stop overs, and it's been bliss! It seems like Amsterdam is a place many people are keen to visit. In the 6 months we have had three friends and Mats' brother come stay in our apartment, Mats' parents come visit, and five friends swing by on stop overs while touring Europe. And there are even a few more visits expected on the way! (I am working on printing a photo of each of these people in Amsterdam and putting them in our foyer and making an "Amsterdam Wall of Fame").

Other bits & pieces:
We travelled a little.
We got a kitty to solve our mouse problem.
I spent too much time lamenting about my life in Sydney &
I found life blissful enough to offer advice no one asked for.

Amsterdam is fabulous, life is great and I can't wait to see what the next 6 months has to offer!