August, you're too good to us!

It recently dawned on me how ideal the entire month of August is in The Netherlands. The warm weather and late nights allow a plethora of outdoor events around town. These are some of our favorite events of the year.

So if you are in The Netherlands in August, be sure to plan your trip around these each of these foodie fairs/movie/festivals:

Amsterdam

World Cinema Film Fest Openair - Over three long weekends, this film festival features foreign film viewings each night in the openair at Marie Heinekenplein or the Vondelpark Openair Theater.

Best part: it's free! 

Pluk de Nacht Film Festival - I'm obsessed with this 10-day event. They set up shop right near the water, sell Belgium beer, have a couple of food trucks and have cute beach chairs to rent. Arrive early and you can score a spot right in front of the screen. Each film night starts around sunset with a short film and a feature film followed by a DJ until past midnight. 

Best part: it's also free! 

De Parade traveling circus

Tons of food stalls, mini theaters every few meters, stringy lights and a make-your-own-poffertjes stand means this traveling circus the last 2 weeks of August is one of our all-time favorite Amsterdam events.

Entrance is 7.50 EUR...but well worth it!

Lounging along the Amstel River

Grab a BBQ, some friends and some drinks and head straight to the Amstel. People camp out on the edge of the water for hours and enjoy some of the most beautiful sunsets in Amsterdam.

Maastricht

Preuvenemint - one of the biggest events of the year in South Limburg at the very bottom of The Netherlands. Maastricht's main square, 't Vrijtof, is converted into a big foodie and wine extravaganza! Makes for a great weekend trip ;)

If you're not in The Netherlands in August, you're still in luck! Check out my guest post over at Eyes/Ears/Mouth+Lens for my 48-hour weekend guide to Amsterdam!

{Openair movies + ice cream...what else ya need?}

{Yumminess + theater at De Parade in Amsterdam}

{Preuvenimint in Maastricht}

{Sunset along the Amstel, Amsterdam}

So long, Summer

A couple weeks ago, we spent one of the last weekends of summer drinking biertjes, eating Mexican food and making our own poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes) with Jeanelle and Steven at De Parade. Only a short stroll from our place, we jumped at the chance to check out this small fair and traveling circus again (shamefully, the first time we visited De Parade was only last summer!). And that amateur video producer soon-to-be-husband o' mine put together this small clip of our evening...his videos crack me up ;). I sure got lucky with that guy! 

Also, be sure to check out my guest post for tips on how we saved for our upcoming 6-month backpacking trip around Asia over at A Home Away From Home--Jenna is one of my all-time favorite bloggers...and a fellow travel-obsessed native Californian, if I might add ;)

::Blogger Q&A:: Halley from Life of Something New

I started this blog as a way to not only document Christian and I’s travel adventures but to also inspire others out there to explore the world and just go for it. One thing I never anticipated though was how many other travel enthusiasts I would meet in the blogging world! I love comparing travel stories and hearing how others took the plunge and moved overseas…moving far away is no easy feat, but ofcourse it sure does have it’s perks :)!

One such blogging buddy I came across was Halley from Life of Something New. Halley, also a full-blown travel nut and adventure enthusiast from the US, made the plunge and now lives in probably one of the most beautiful countries on the planet--New Zealand! Amongst the many things I love about Halley’s blog is that it’s filled with inspirational travel banter that will get you reaching for your passport and heading off to the airport. I love that she travels with a sense of adventure on her shoulder and no destination in sight… now that’s true blue spontaneity at it’s finest.

Curious about how Halley hopped on the boat to New Zealand and just to get to know her a bit better, I asked her a few questions I was dying to know :)…stop by her blog and pay Halley a visit!!

Why did you move to New Zealand? And what's the best thing about being an expat?
I moved half-way across the world because I read a fiction book set in New Zealand (Flight of the Albatross) when I was 12. It made me feel inspired so I quietly promised myself that I'd live there when I got older and live the adventure.
The best thing about being an expat living in New Zealand is the quality of life. In NZ, work respects taking time off to be with family, no one cares about what stuff you own, and a cultural love of outdoors/travel/adventure.

Describe the best adventure you’ve ever had?
Sailing. on a tall ship. with twenty other people. Hauling ropes at 2am. Drinking Hummingbirds = hot chocolate mix + instant coffee + sugar. Falling asleep at the microscope while smelling dead fish in formaldehyde. Calculating our ship's course. Deciphering MAX (an automated weather radio system). Being an Engineer's Assistant. Making Jambalaya and then running around the decks yelling "JAMBALAYA!" Discovering I'm really bad at waking people up smoothly.


If you could travel to anywhere in the world right this second, where would it be?
Croatia! If I can do it by tall ship sailing I'd be in heaven.

Some travelers like to experience a place off the beaten path, following a travel book, by meeting locals, etc., how would you describe your way of traveling? 
Spontaneous and purposeful. I like to fly by the seat of my pants but I have the most fun if I have a objective like "learn Maori" or "learn wind-surfing." So I'm not precious about the location but the stuff to do is important. I also tend to try and integrate into the culture and live like the locals do (which is why I started this travel network - Travel Like a Local)

Thanks Halley!! 

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::Guest Post:: Jenna from A Home Away from Home

Surprise! I'm in California! Some recent news had me dashing out to the West Coast to help my very best friend prepare for battle. Flying out here Saturday morning was the best decision I've ever made :)...and I'll be out here for 2 weeks supporting, loving, hugging and laughing every minute possible. 


I arranged one of the sweetest bloggers I've ever met through the blogger-world, Jenna from A Home Away from Home, to do my very first guest post! Also a Southern California native (like me!), she's been living in South Africa with her Afrikaans boy...sounds like a fairytale doesn't it? As Jenna mentions below, I have no doubt that her and I would be fast friends given our love of travel, California and our Dutch & Afrikaans men! ;). I hope I get to meet her in person one day! Until then though, I asked her what her favorite things about South Africa were...go ahead and add South Africa to your travel list!! It's definitely on mine!!


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Rachael's one of those bloggers who I'm sure I would quickly become best friends with if we lived closer to each other.  Her zest and passion for life is so evident in her blog posts and she's full of adventure, having {quite literally} traveled all over the world.  

Plus, we happen to have almost identical stories.  

Both of us met our love interests while studying abroad, both of us went through stints of long distance, and both of us eventually made {semi} permanent moves overseas to be closer to above said love interests.

Which I guess leads us to introductions...

My name is Jenna and that's Jurgen.  I met Jurgen while studying abroad in South Africa in 2008 and what started out as an international fling quickly turned into something much bigger.  After {tearfully} returning home to California at the end of my study abroad semester I finished my degree and then hopped straight back on a plane bound for South Africa and have been here ever since, which brings us up to now.  

A very short version of a very long and complicated story, but you get the gist of it right?

Since Rachael's so graciously given me full rights to her blog today, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things about living in South Africa.  Although I do miss certain things about California {such as being so far away from my family}, for the most part I've really enjoyed the ex-pat life and am just trying to focus on embracing each moment as it happens without thinking {too much} about the future.

Here's just a few of my favorites...

1) The Wildlife

The opportunities to interact and play with wildlife are endless here, and so are the number of reserves offering safaris or game drives.  Be it lions, cheetah, elephants, or even more absurd animals such as ostriches, photo-ops are never in short supply.  The other great thing is that the reserves aren't over commercialized {yet}, meaning that you can drive your own private vehicle through the parks rather than having to pay the big bucks to go on a multi-day guided safari.  

2) The Cosmopolitan Cities

When I first arrived in South Africa I knew that there would be large bustling cities, but I wasn't expecting them to be so European.  South Africa truly embraces the laid back European cafe culture and I've definitely become  accustomed to daily cappuccinos, outdoor sidewalk seating, and the idea slow, enjoyable dining.  In parts of Cape Town {pictured above} one could easily forget they were in Africa and rather feel as though they were on a main street in Paris.  It really is incredible!

3) The Volunteer Opportunities

  

There are so many ways to give back in South Africa and it's definitely enriched my time in the country.  The  photos above are from the Help Portrait initiative, but I've also been blessed to be involved in some HIV/Aids assistance programs.  It's nice to feel like you've made a difference, even if it's only for a small few in the bigger scheme of things, and it's amazing to see the children's faces light up when they see you :)

4) Rugby

Growing up in the states I was never a huge fan of football, but since moving to South Africa I've officially become a die hard  rugby supporter!  The country is absolutely rugby obsessed and it's almost impossible not to get sucked into the madness of it all.  Plus, the fast-paced style of the game makes it a lot of fun to watch.  If you're ever in South Africa make sure to squeeze in a game!

5) The Wine

You wouldn't guess it, but South Africa is famous for their wine!  They have almost any and every varietal you can think of and even have one that is uniquely their own called Pinotage.  Wine tasting is extremely affordable {in some cases free!} and students often go together in groups on Fridays.  Talk about an awesome student vibe!  Pair that with a cheese platter or cellar tour and you've got yourself a perfect day! 

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When I'm not taking over Rachael's blog, you can find me over on my blog, A Home Away From Home.  

I hope you'll stop by and say hello!