Now that I've been here 3 months, I'm getting the feel for The Netherlands. I've worked in Germany twice and Australia, so the whole idea of living overseas isn't new to me. There's still some culture issues and so forth, but I can deal with that. It's the wooden shoes that I can't get used to. Especially since I have supinating ankles.

I work at the European Container Terminal (ECT), which is the largest container shipping port in Europe. It's very industrial out there. Now that it's getting warmer, my biggest challenge is avoiding the seagulls who are now starting to nest in the parking lot.

And I live in a little city, Brielle. First mentioned in Dutch archives in 1257, it was built as a star-shaped (like a citadel) earthworks fortress, surrounded by a moat. It was where the battle of independence originated against the Spaniards in 1572. Today, it's still surrounded by the moat and star-shaped earth walls and has some rusted cannons mounted around the walls. It's a unique experience for the Americans, but nothing special for the Brits who have a ton of older castles back home. Well, I LIKE IT. So there.