When I lived here as an Au Pair a year ago there was a specific group of friends that I hung out with. It was a great group. We were all Au Pairs, so we had that much in common anyway but other than that we were all very different. We had different backgrounds, most of us came from different countries and if not at least from different parts of the country. That’s a big part of what made it so much fun. We all had different opinions about things and different points of view so I had some of the best discussions ever. At the same time every one of us were open minded and accepting of the others opinions and beliefs. So while there were discussions where everyone didn’t agree, I can’t think of a time that anyone was looked down on or thought less of for thinking something different.
I miss having a group of friends like that, to be honest. Actually I miss having a big group of friends period. It’s strange as you grow up how people change and move away and suddenly I find that I haven’t got very many friends at all. I have one great one but I hardly ever get to see her usually. I don’t want to sound pathetic or like I feel sorry for myself but I do wonder when I will find my “place”. How does someone like me (a young adult, married, no kids, etc.) find a group of friends? *shrug* I’m open to suggestions.
Anyway, today I went to Utrecht and visited with Kathrin, the last of “the group” to still live in The Netherlands. She is, of course, not an Au Pair anymore. She lives with her Dutch boyfriend Peter who is in a band called Illicit. She’s going to school and is working at a daycare center. It was really great catching up with her. We sat at a Dutch cafe, ate apple pie and talked for hours. It’s really a shame that we have to live so far away from each other. Oh well, maybe in a few years we won’t, who knows where Joel and I will end up. *wink*
joel
That is very true. *smile* We could very well end up over there in a few years.
Always Learning,
-joel
dutchie2
I have a lot of friends from school still.
Annemiek i have known since i was 6 (and in my case, that’s veeery long), Deir since high school and Gerdien en Manon from college. In reality though it is very difficult to see each other more than 3 or 4 times a year! Still, we try to and simply understand that we are in a phase were work and family takes up almost all your spare time.
Apart from that, i made some friends at work over the years or sisters or brothers from friends i used to know when they were too young to take serious back then. Sport or church i can also think of for places, to meet people.
I do think it’s easier here, coz people live much closer by.