The beautiful city of Maastricht!
In just over a month’s time I will be leaving behind the warmth of the Australian summer sun (although, in light of recent weather events we have all been left wondering if summer is ever going to arrive!) for the magic of the Dutch winter!
Since I applied for the International Environmental Law program in late September 2011, time has just flown by; and in considering that (let’s be honest here) I always leave everything to the last minute, I feel that my preparations for my first trip overseas have been going really well.
For me, one of the most important (and daunting) aspects of preparing my trip has been organising my flights to Amsterdam. This is because the longest flight I have ever been on had a total duration of three hours (and that was long enough for me!). I do get a little claustrophobic and I have coeliac disease (which means that I need to have gluten-free meals on the plane).
So to make this experience easier for me I have organised with the airline to have gluten-free meals, paid a little extra to ensure that I receive a seat on the aisle (just so I don’t pass out!) and brought some intellectually stimulating and life inspiring novels (such as Russell’s Brand My Booky Wook ;)) to distract me from the frightening fact that I will suspended in the air for over 24 hours…eeeekkkk! However, after talking to several of my friends who have done long haul flights before, I think it will be fine :).
In addition, after watching Rob’s video on how to manage our money overseas, I have also organised a travel money card, ordered a small sum of Pounds (as I am going to London for a while before I commence the program) and Euros to take over with me through my local bank branch and even drawn up a draft budget of how much I might spend (or should spend) each day. For a last minute girl, I am certainly impressed by my high level of organisation thus far ;)
However, amongst all this planning, the thing I have struggled with the most is deciding (and purchasing) the types of clothes I should take with me. I have never been to the snow before or anywhere even remotely cold, so to determine what I should take I have mainly been seeking advice from friends and work colleagues that have experienced the cold of a European winter!
If I have learnt anything from these conversations, it is that the key to staying warm is to dress in LAYERS! So, I have spent the last couple of weeks asking shop assistants of several outdoor adventure stores, "So, if I wear this thermal and then this long-sleeve top over this thermal and then this vest over this long-sleeve top and then this wool jumper over this vest and then this long coat over this jumper – then will I be warm enough outside?!"
I know this does sound a little ridiculous, but to be honest I have no idea how cold a European winter is going to be – so, I hope I have brought the right clothes to keep me nice and warm! I also hope that it won’t be so cold outside that it is just unbearable and that I can’t spend some time exploring the Dutch landscape. This is probably one of the things that I am most looking forward to – just experiencing and been immersed in the Dutch culture and seeing the amazing sites that Maastricht has to offer (and, of course, studying International Environmental Law!).
The next time I write, I will be in Maastricht (exciting!!!). So, here’s to hoping that I survive the flight and, of course, have the trip of a lifetime :).
Marissa Parry is participating in our January 2012 International Environmental Law Program at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Marissa is going into her 5th year of a Bachelor of Science/Laws degree at the University of Newcastle.
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