The Netherlands, day 6: Goodbye

And so my holiday in The Netherlands came to a close. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and I was leaving this country that I’d come to enjoy so much. If only it could have lasted longer!

Going to the airport was tough; I did not want to leave. But, alas, I had a flight to catch, a job and an apartment to return to. I left my Dutch friend, sadly, and went through immigration and got to my gate, where they performed security. I got to my seat with 20 minutes to take off. Luckily, I sat by myself, so I had room to veg out and sulk alone. The flight went by rather quickly, with the help of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on my own little LCD. It just happens to be my favorite TV series.

Just before landing, I filled out my US Customs and Border Patrol form. While reading the top of the form, I chuckled at “Controlled substances, obscene articles, and toxic substances are generally prohibited entry. Thank you and Welcome to the United States.” I got into Houston, Texas, my first port of entry into the USA. It was ROASTING! I was used to temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s (Fahrenheit) and I stepped into 89 F and humid. Keep in mind I had on two shirts and a jacket, as I became accustomed to wearing in The Netherlands, so I was dying standing in line for customs and immigration, which seemed like it took five years. Once to the CBP agent, he started asking me questions about where I’d been, if I’d traveled alone, and what my occupation was in the USA. I answered honestly, and he stamped me back into the country. Then it was onto baggage claim and customs. Shockingly, I did not get searched at customs, though I was expecting it.

I wasted the time waiting for my next flight by logging onto MSN messenger on my blackberry. It was a nice distraction until I had to go shoe horn myself onto the plane. It was a very full flight, but, luckily, I got to the row of seats before the other two. The flight seemed like it was never ending, and I was being punished for some horrible sin. When we began descending toward Salt Lake International, I was ready to start freaking out. I felt cramped and dirty and ready to just burst. Finally, I got out into the terminal and headed to baggage claim and walked outside into the rain to find my roommate. I’d let her have my car while I was gone, so she came to pick me up, right on time. She even made me dinner – how about that?

I peeled off my clothes and took a shower. I opened my suitcase, and found a note inside. It was from the lovely people at the TSA telling me they’d searched my bag for prohibited items. Not shocking – I was just in Amsterdam, the city of drugs and sex. I tried to sleep, but that didn’t happen until about 6 a.m. Then, I slept for the better part of two days. It was an awesome holiday and I can’t wait to go back – and you never know, it may be sooner rather than later.