I arrived safely in Rotterdam! Unfortunately my suitcase did not. However, I've become so used to the Missing Luggage scenario, that the news hardly fazed me. I figure this is just the first of many unexpected occurrences that will arise over the course if this adventure!
The customs booth was surprisingly small. Two lines, one for EU residents, in which they simply check to make sure your passport is valid, and another line for Other folks, like myself. I was expecting to be interrogated of my address, length of visit, etc, but the customs officer simply asked for my reason of visiting, then let me through.
After hiring a taxi (I paid with a 50 and asked for 15 dollars change. He laughed and reminded me they're Euros not Dollars here), I arrived at the residence that will be my home for the next half a year. I am in a temporary room until my actual place is ready next week. I'm usually especially bad at conquering jetlag, so this time I resolved to combat it by taking a brief nap in the afternoon so as to stay awake later in the day. Naturally, I woke up 5.5 hours later, very well rested, and very much at the mercy of jet lag once again. I blame my alarm clock.
I also visited the nearby grocery store to stock up on some essentials that I'm missing (as they were in my suitcase), and a bit of food. The 10 minute walk was quite nice. Even though there was a slight drizzle of rain (note to self: get yourself an umbrella!), it was warm enough to walk around in just a sweater - definitely better than the snowy weather back home! There are bikes everywhere - strapped to posts, fences, gates, and every road I walked on had a designated bike lane as well. I'll need to brush up on my biking skills before attempting it again so as not to terrorize the city.
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