When I was young, my grandparents took me to an IAPES Convention (International Association of Personnel in Employment Security) in Minnesota. They decided to drive from New Mexico, and stop at numerous interesting tourism spots along the way. The one that forever gave me my love for the Dutch culture was a stop in Pella, Iowa. Their website advertises it as this "Pella has it all - cultural heritage, business opportunities, recreational abundance, and more!. Whether you're here to learn about
Lake Red Rock, our
Dutch heritage, manufacturing in Pella,
Central College, relocating to Pella, economic development or just to experience 'A touch of Holland,' you are sure to find plenty of things to admire about Pella!" This is all very true, it's a beautiful town with lots of shopping, some windmills and fields of tulips! And this is where it all began...
Senior year of high school we were required to choose a country and do a semester long project on it-- researching its people, culture, food, government, and so forth. Naturally, I chose The Netherlands. Luckily my group obliged the idea, and we all jumped in feet first. Each individual in the group gave their all (which rarely happens in group projects) and we even made a replica of a traditional Dutch house out of my brother's duck blind. Pretty redneck I know, but we bust our tails and didn't purchase a Tuff Shed so I'd say we did quite well. My parents were incredibly helpful throughout our endeavors, while my dad let us use his tools to build the house and matching windmill, my mom helped us perfect our recipes and costumes. The judges were very pleased with the outcome, and we took 2nd (although we all felt like we got 1st with how great it all came together). With that amount of research work put into the project, my curiosity for The Netherlands increased.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am a huge advocate for dairy products. Ik hou van zuivel, I love milk! Many of New Mexico's dairies are actually own and operated by the Dutch, and why not?! They're great at what they do! So with my two loves, The Netherlands and dairy products, I had this grand idea to learn Dutch in hopes of receiving a career in the world of dairy marketing and working with the Dutch people. Thus far, I've been in contact with some people, but none-the-less, I've enjoyed my journey to getting where I am, so even if I don't land my dream job, I've had a blast trying to!
And finally, the beautiful pictures of Holland (Amsterdam and outskirts). I'll most definitely be back to cover all 12 provinces!
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| It was freezing in Zans Schans |
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| Huge Wooden Shoe! |
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| Amstel Beer, brewed in Holland. Quite tasty! |
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| This building is literally IN the water! |
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| Lonnie couldn't figure out why she kept hearing her name, Holland in Spanish is Olanda! | | |
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| Gettin' ready for our canal cruise |
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| Delft! |
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| Horse Drawn Carriages Galore |
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| Steven's prawns and friten |
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| Delicious tiramsu! |
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| Traditional Dutch meal with different vlees (meat) on bottom with puffed pastry, then puree (mashed potatoes) and slaw (cabbage). Delicious! | | | | | |
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| The best milk I've ever drank, I think it came from the cow that morning....mmmm |
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| My friend, the goat... |
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| Steven totally purchased some, booze with cocaine |
