Part of an email to Terry's aunt Sandy

Besides our new apartment there's not too much to report here. Terry is at language training this week, though he will be coming home late in the evenings for the night before heading back early the next morning. In general he's over worked and super stressed, and he had to turn down a "promotion" which would have basically meant him doing another job ON TOP of the one that is already caused him to take one sick/mental health day so far, so I'm proud of him for being able to say no to that.

I still have NO job leads, but I'm also not that stressed about it. I'm involved with a non-profit in the area and am doing some really interesting volunteer work for them, so at least I'm feeling engaged. Here's their website: http://www.kalinga.nl/www/english/. I'm helping them with grant writing, which is is something I could see myself doing in the future, if I could just find someone who wanted to pay me to do it!!

I'll be starting weekly language classes next week and I'm really looking forward to that. I've made a couple friends in the area so far, and one of them might be in the class too, which would be great. It's basically just a small group (5 people) conversation class at a Dutch woman's house (she'll provide tea, coffee and cookies), and we chat exclusively in Dutch (hard for someone who has NO Dutch skills yet, but hopefully I'll learn fast...), and then she'll give us "homework" like exercises and assignments and whatnot, and she will also help us with anything that we need help with like navigating Dutch websites, reading our Dutch mail, making reservations in Dutch and whatnot. It's only 10 Euro a week! I can't wait!

Other things we have to look forward to are a Christmas market in Aachen, Germany next weekend (http://www.aachen.de/en/ts/90_festivals_events/90_30/index.html) and then Terry's parents' visit over Xmas!  When they leave we're spending a couple days in Brussels on our own before flying to Barcelona to spend NYE with two of my close friends from my gap year in South America in between high school and Pomona, as well as, randomly, Terry's best friend Nick!