Trains, Planes & Frugality ...

The other day I successfully made it from one side of Amsterdam to the other, without looking at my phone.  
To some that may not be very exciting, but to me... well... I almost crashed on my bike out of pure excitement seeing that familiar right turn that takes me to my street.  
It's amazing to me how our minds can just soak things up, how we can change without knowing or meaning to, and how a foreign place can suddenly become home. 

As I approach my second month here, and Rollie approaches his fourth, we have had to cut down on our NYC-esque lifestyle, which at first seemed to be scary and hard, but since then has proven to be exciting and honest.  
To work on living simply ... maybe wearing the same sweater a few days of the week, but maybe realizing my collection of sweaters back home is somewhat unnecessary.  
And maybe we say no to the newest brunch spot in our hood, but in exchange, we spend more time in the kitchen together eating well and finding confidence there.
And yes, maybe finally tackling the 50+ greatest movies ever list we created is what we call a productive Saturday night... but.... do you ever think about how GOOD old movies make you feel?

With all that said, we came here not just for a Masters Degree for Rollie or a chance for AL Stampa to grow.  We wanted to experience this part of the world more, travel around, and immerse ourselves in a different pace of life.
We began to make a list of what we want to see.  With Bruges, and Canary Islands already booked, we have found ourselves dreaming of christmas fairs in Strasbourg, skiing in the Dolomites in Italy, or simply walking the historic beaches of Normandy.  Another huge desire? the Faroe Islands!  

Now...how to balance that with our new frugal lifestyle? I guess I'll leave that for another post once I figure it all out :)  In the meantime...a girl can dream, and I'm perfectly happy in the meantime.  

static1.squarespace-16.jpg
Amsterdam, TravelAlex Labriola