Last day

So..... today is my last day of my exchange. There's no way I can really explain this whole year with words. All I'm thinking about right now is where all of the time went, it really feels like I got here a month ago. A lot has happened since my last post in march. I went to Spain, there was Queens Day, our school Gala (prom), the Afs end camp, Best Kept Secret concert, my going away party and a lot of other things. I went to see my friend Sam from America in Mallorca, Spain for almost a week. We did a lot of cliff jumping and I just tried to get some sun since I was white from the whole Dutch winter. On the 30th of April there was the last Queens Day and the first Kings Day. The queen Beatrix stepped down and her son Willem-Alexander which only happens once in 60 years or sometimes more. The night before Kings Day I went to Groningen and there was a bunch of concerts going and lots of people drinking and singing. The next day was pretty similar but just during the daytime. A couple weeks ago I went to a concert called Best Kept Secret in Tillburg, which is pretty far from where I live. I went with a friend and we camped there for the night. There were a couple medium sized stages but we got to the very first row for a couple really famous rappers and singers. The next night I had my Afscheid Feestje (going-away party) in De Wok, which is an all you can eat and all you can drink restaurant. After the party we went out to the city to a couple clubs and then had to say goodbye to a lot of people. Up until now I've just been buying a lot of stuff and presents to bring back for friends and family. I've said goodbye to all of my friends and everyone at school, so now I just need to finish packing, then I'll be off. It really was a crazy year and if I had the choice, I would do it all over again.

Tomorrow will make 7 months in the Netherlands.... It's really hard to take in the reality that I only have a little over 3 months left till I go back to Florida. It's a bit scary to be getting the travel information about going back to New York, then back to my little island Key West. There's really so much to talk about since I last wrote a post in November. Christmas here was really great and different. We had Sinter Clause, which is similar to Santa Claus, but Sinter Clause comes on a boat from Spain. He has helpers that are freed slaves and are dressed up. For Christmas, we had a nice brunch but it isn't as normal to give gifts.  For new years, I went to my friend Cristian's house in Assen. For dinner we had a really typical Dutch meal. There's a grill in the middel of the table, and you have a lot of raw meats an vegetables laid out on the table. Everyone has a little cooking pan for their own food. Almost everyone has fireworks from Germany, and they use them the entire day of New Years Eve, and also a bit the day after. People make their own fireworks, and it's a bit like dynamite. You can hear a constant sound of these big booms going off. In the night, everyone goes to different neighbors to parties, and there's so much food! Lots of olliebollen (fried balls of dough), appleflap (bits of apple deep fried), and also Knieperjes (cookies with whipped cream). The winter was really cold here, but I managed. I had to go to school with the bus every day, which is much more clean and normal than in America. It took me so long to actually learn to dress well for the winter and the cold. Sometimes I would underestimate or overestimate the weather, and just dress badly. My dutch now is getting really good. I understand everything, but the speaking part isn't always easy. Some of the time I forget certain words, but I actually know them. The Dutch grammar is so different from English. The words are completely flipped around, and there are a lot of rules. I went to Austria last month on my school Trip. The first day we went to Riesneralm, second Loser, and the third Tauplitzalm. There was so much snow, especially towards the top of the mountain where the chair lift didn't go to. I climbed up almost to the peak of the mountain with a friend to get the best, untouched snow on the mountain. We climbed for 20 minutes or so, and were so tired because of how deep the snow was. When going down the snow was up to my waist, and it really felt like I was floating. Overall, it was the best skiing I've ever done. My brother came this past week from the 15th of March till yesterday the 22nd of March. I went to pick him up in Schipol, then we stayed in Amsterdam for the weekend. We went to the Van Gogh museum, and also did a lot of walking. My brother stayed in Groningen (big city near me) in a hostel for the rest of the trip. We had a lot of really good dutch food and enjoyed a little bit of good, warm weather, and a lot of bad, cold weather. It was sad saying goodbye, but I know that I will see him really soon, and that the time will go really fast. Well, these next three months, are going to be really amazing, and then it's back to America!

The seasons!!

I have just officially turned 17 in the Netherlands, which is pretty cool! Friday was my birthday and I went into the city with a friend then went out to dinner with my host family. The Dutch language has started to get much much easier. I understand a lot more, and I am keeping up conversations. It is not so easy to write, and to be able to say everything, but there are many people in school who like to help an exchange student. This week, at my school, is test week, and on monday I took the english exam, which was a piece of cake, and I now have no other tests since I have not been able to follow the classes, due to me learning Dutch all day at school. Luckily, I have a couple days off of school, and I am going on a day trip to Amsterdam with my friend from Equador, who is also an exchange student. I will also be playing football (soccer) and working on some Dutch homework. Some of the things I still haven't gotten used to here, are the amount it rains here and the distance. It always seems to be rainy and windy, but sometimes it gets sunny and clear out. The distances are also very hard to get used to, since in America I lived so close to everything, it is still a big shock to have to take the bus places and to bike 40-50 minutes to school every day. The good things is I get tons of exercise here with biking, soccer, and some tennis, but I also have been eating lots since all of the food here is really good. Things have been good here, and I hope that things only get better!!

So it's has been just over a month. I just went to the first camp this weekend with all of the other exchange students in the Netherlands, which was nice to talk to other people who have the same problems and also enjoy the same things. I am just about to go play tennis so I will make this short. Being here has gone by very quick, but it also feels like I've been here for a long time. I've got some good friends at school, and plans to go in Groningen on the weekend, so I'm really starting to love it here. And there are also many beautiful dutch girls here!!

So it's been just over two weeks since I've been here and I've gone to four days of school which have been really nice. It's surprising how many people speak english, and there's also a ton of American music and clothes here.  My classes are taught in Dutch so I'll still learn the language. I've been trying to join a tennis club nearby so I'll be playing again soon and I'll hopefully join a soccer club too. I've gone to a couple music festivals and I've been into Groningen a few times which is the big city about 12km away from my home. I've made some friends but hopefully there will be more to come!

        My name is Kyle Campbell, I am a 16 year old sophomore at Key West High School in Key West, Florida. It's been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember to live in a different country and learn an entire new culture while attending school with others who are just as interested in my foreign life. As a part of the Campbell family, I was born with the love of traveling, and an extreme interest in the world I live in. So, I was presented with the opportunity to travel half-way around the world to The Netherlands to study for a year in a public school. I will be traveling through American Frield Service (AFS) intercultural student exchange program. As of now I am not sure of where in the Netherlands I will be and who my family will be, but soon I will be given that information. I'm really looking forward to talking to my new family and getting a rough idea of what my life will be like there!

      As a  sophomore here in Key West, I'm involved in several clubs and sports at my school. During the fall, I am on the soccer team and during the spring I play tennis with many of my good friends on our team. I am also a member of Beta club, a community service-based club. I'm in French club, a club that also is based off of community service and takes a trip every year to france and other european countries. In my Wakeboard Club, I am the captain, we have around 5 or 6 trips to a watersports park in Orlando, Florida.
      It is unfortunate, but this dream of mine is an expensive one... I need to fundraise a good amount of money in order to pursue this adventure. It is highly appreciated if you would donate to help me, any amount helps so much. Passing on the link to friends and family that would be interested in donating or just reading about my trip. Just pass on this link http://kylecampbellstriptonetherlands.blogspot.com/. In order to sponsor me, got to http://www.afsusa.org/study-abroad/fundraising/sponsor-an-afser/  look up Kyle Campbell, and go ahead and donate how much you want!

    On my trip, I will keep this blog updated with what I'm doing in the Netherlands and how I am adjusting to my new life as a foreign student!
   
Kyle C.