Thank you, USA.

Hello summer. Hello Holland.

I've had one crazy, long yet short, fun-filled, stress-filled year. Not only have I made a lot of new friends, but I have also learned new things about myself and about what is important to me.



I really do have some great memories from this school year. My roommate and I made roommate-diaries, which consisted of little movies in which we talk about our lives and make a bunch of silly faces, we shared our biggest secrets, and we learned to live with each others differences (which did take some time and patience at first!). I started to enjoy little moments of the day: taking a walk to the pond, my roommate leaving a banana chocolate chip muffin in my mailbox, sniffing the New England air, going out for pizza and giggling about the waiter who looks like a Mexican popstar, watching Boy Meets World with a friend while doing crunches at the same time, my friend bringing me an iced caramel latte from Dunkin Donuts (without asking!), sleeping on the other end of my bed with my head next to the window to hear the rain falling down, finding the dorm parent's dog in my room (on my beanbag!), reading the notes left in my closet from as early as 1935, talking to our neighbors with walky-talkies at midnight, banging on the ceiling with a field hockey stick to annoy the people living above me, and curling up on my bed after a long and tiring day and getting ready to watch another episode of my favorite show: 90210.

There are always things that make me smile.
What also makes me smile is that nothing has changed back home.
The cows still look the same, the cheese still tastes the same, my friends are still the same (except taller!).


I left behind my childhood two years ago. Climbing in my window and spying on the city, pulling pranks like throwing chocolate ice cream from the roof which landed on someone's white garden chair (oops!), or tossing dog poop over the hedge into the neigbor's garden (hehe). Not having a care in the world was great, and it's weird how all of that ended after moving to the USA. I'm glad we (as in: my family and I) did though. The USA symbolizes freedom (the Statue of Liberty, for example), and I know that I have become so much more independent and self-assured because of it. Being at boarding school changes everyone. Doing your own laundry, putting together your own breakfast, cleaning your own room, having tons of responsibilities, washing your own bedding, learning how to deal with a roommate, having to motivate yourself to do schoolwork, keeping your head up when you're feeling sick (you can't just not show up for class..), and the list continues. It's been very hard, not going to lie, but it has been great (as you can tell from my other blogposts). I'm just so grateful, for this entire experience, and how it has changed my vision of the future, and I have realized that there are millions of possibilities and opportunities: all you have to do is take them! The choice is completely in your hands. 14-year-old Laura would never agree on going to Oxford University for a pre-college program SOLO! Neither would 14-year-old me ever sign up for a 3 month exchange to Cape Town, South Africa. Thanks to my school, my fantastic teachers, my very inspirational friends, my parents, and of course my 3 AWESOME sisters, I have changed in the past 2 years. I have learned so much from leaving my comfort zone, and I think everyone should do something they otherwise never would.


I'm going to challenge you right now.
Rethink everything in your life. Take chances. Do whatever you thought you would never do.



XO Laura

The Average Day of a Boarding School Girl!

Hey guys!
I haven't written a "real" blogpost in quite some time...2011? Anyone? Last year is over, and I'm ready for more adventures and experiences this year! Because most of you that read my blog do not go to boarding school, or have any private school experience (private schools are very rare in The Netherlands!), I figured that you would be interested in a weekly overview of what my life is like!

T H E  A V E R A G E  W E E K  D A Y .

7:00 Wake up!!

7:15 Breakfast

7:40 Assembly
            This is where the entire school gets together and people make announcements. E.G., teachers that are out that day, events, club meetings, etc.

8:00 Class
           At my school you take about six classes every term, right now I am taking Chemistry (natuurkunde), South African History (Zuid-Afrikaanse geschiedenis), English, French, Honors Geometry (wiskunde), and drawing. The school system is very different here. Every class is about 40 minutes long, and there are only about 10 girls in every one of my classes. Each class meets everyday, and a lot is expected of you. If you are doing particularly well in a subject, you can move up to the Honors level, and thats why I am taking Honors Geometry. I remember being very happy with a 6 or a 7 in the Netherlands. Here, they expect a lot from you, and expect you to get at least above an 8,5 (85%), which is still considered low. It may sound to you that it must be easy if you can receive grades like that, but it is not easy, you have to work very VERY hard. It is equivalent to the Dutch VWO level.
8:40 Class
10:00 Break
10:10 Class
12:00 Lunch!
1:20 Glee period
              During Glee period, many singing groups meet. Glee period is also designated time to meet with your teacher to clear up things you do not understand. I never ever understood math back at my old school, and now it is my best subject! My teachers are very friendly and helpful, I like them a lot.
2:10 Arts
              Art is very big at my school, and you can take a wide variety of classes such as drawing, oil painting, ceramics (pottenbakken), kneedle arts (breien, ja echt!), black and white photography, platinum print photo, digital photography, and most of these courses are also offered on AP level (college credits).
3:35 Sports!
              Everyone has to do a different sport every term, of which 2 have to be team sports. Fall term I am in the musical, winter term I play interscholastic squash, and spring term i play interscholastic tennis. It is a lot of fun to be part of a team, and to have games against other schools at least once a week.
5:35 Dinner time!
7:00 Study Hall
            During Study Hall all of the boarding students have to do their homework until 9:00. This is a great quiet time, during which everyone is dedicated to their work, no distractions!
9:00 End Of Study Hall
           During this time, we all hang out on corridor, visit each others room, watch tv-shows, shower, whatever. It is time with which you can do anything.
10:30 In-Room
           At this time we all have to be in our rooms with our roommates.
10:45 Lights-Out
           This is when we are supposed to turn of our lights and get ready for the next day.


WEEEEEEEEKENDSSSSS!

Saturday:

9:30 Wake up!
10:30 Art class
12:00 Lunch
13:30 Get on the bus and go to your sports game.
18:00 Get back from the game.
20:00 Go away to a dance at another school (een dance is een feest)
1:30 am Back from the dance, have a sleepover with a friend, watch movies whatever.

So this is what my weeks look like! Quite different than before, but I am definitely enjoying this experience!

Please comment below!
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Silenced By The Storm

Hi my dear readers,
Currently I'm sitting in my corridor hallway doing my homework underneath an emergency light. We haven't had power in three days; it is as if I'm camping indoors. This mess started on Saturday, when the entire East Coast was hit by a freak-snowstorm! Suddenly, it started snowing like crazy, at least 30cm of snow fell from the sky. It messed up the power lines, and now 85% of Connecticut is left without any power, including my school. We have one generator, and the plugs only work in one room. You should see that room: filled with extension chord, after extension chord, after extension chord. Everyone is loading up their computers. Food is becoming scarce, and we have to do with only a couple hours of daylight since the winter is coming around. First of all, it made me realize that indeed we are very, VERY, dependent on power, and light, computers, etc. Second of all, it made me a little scared also; are we really messing with the world to much? Mother nature obviously is hating us right now.. Hurricane after hurricane, earthquake after earthquake, snow storm, after snow storm. What's going on?! Unlike all the other New-England prep schools, my school doesn't have any sympathy; we are not getting the day off, we do not get to go home. We have to stay in a 100 year old boarding school without power + cold showers.. We are still having classes tomorrow in the dark..What is this?! Everyone's upset & confused & doing their homework in the hallway where there is some sort of light at night. I am just stunned by this extreme weather, never experienced that in the Netherlands! I'm also stunned by how dependent on internet we are, it's nuts! We become beasts when trying to plug in our computers! Crazyness... what has our world come to??

I love you guys, and be safe okay?
I'll be updating more often.

Love, Laura.

We'll keep our hearts close, and remember those memories for eternity.n

I've had a great summer. I know it's not over yet, but it truly feels like it.
I'm so overwhelmed. Just wow.
I've met so many new lovely people, reunited with the old.
Seen so many new countries & places, new impressions, new views on the world.
I think this summer has done me good in so many ways.
I'm just going to recap:

June 3rd: Bye school.
June 6th: Hello Holland!
- Pinkpop! Wow, just wow.
June 12th: Hello Prague!
June 18th: Hello Vienna!
June 24th: Back in Holland
- Saw allmost all of my lovely friends
- Had a week alone with dad (this has never happened before)
July 15th: USA baby
- Party hopping
- Swimming pool crashing
- U2 concert
- Tennis
- Reading
August 5th: Back in Europa
- France, St Paul de Vence.
- Holland
- Saw all of my best friends.

Now, August 22nd:
Sitting here, sorta sad, because I had a great 3 days with my friend Lonneke. We wrote & composed a song together. It sounds awesome. It's kinda funny because I met her during a camp in Scotland, and she lives on the other side of the Netherlands and we only see each other 3 days out of the year, which makes our friendship so special. We have so much in common, including our passion for music.

So, I am just sitting here, my brain exploding when thinking about this amazing, crazy summer. So many memories, summer 2011, I know that when I'm 30 having a midlife crisis, I will be crying for nights wanting to go back to 2011. But the people I need to thank the most are my parents. They have made my life so beautiful and filled with all these wonderful opportunities.

Am I excited for school?
No. Sorry to say, but I love my freedom right now and do not want to think about being at boarding school again. So closed off from the world. And I like boys. Don't want to miss them anymore. Oh well, once I step back into the nunnery I am sure I'll be back in the hang of things and with my nose in the books. High Honors for 3 terms is my goal. Reachable? No doubt. My healthy vegan lifestyle will get back on track, and I have to say that I am excited for the fall drama production. Greatness. Yes.

I have trouble saying goodbye
To memories
These times flying by


Swimming in the moonlight
Writing songs
Street artists in my eyesight


The colors
The music
The culture
The freedom.


I have trouble saying goodbye.

Hey little poet hiding in me, how are ya doing?