My photo map on flickr

I can’t recall how many times I’ve gotten lost now. Today, on my way to an intern’s apartment to purchase her bike, I lost my way. I learned from last time’s mistake and wrote down directions, but Google maps has a funny way of screwing people over. Thanks.

Of course, it warns you.

These directions are for planning purposes only. You may find that construction projects, traffic, weather, or other events may cause conditions to differ from the map results, and you should plan your route accordingly. You must obey all signs or notices regarding your route.

I guess it was construction that prevented me from continuing south. I took a large detour, ended up beside Hollands Spoor station, and continued south. I think when I passed a giant broken coffee table and tea pot (literally), I knew I had taken a wrong turn somewhere.

I am continually thankful for my good sense of space and direction. It has saved my skin time and time again.

Departure time: 12:45
Return: 16:50
Total walking distance: 7.5 km
Total biking distance: 7.5 km

My recommended to-do list for when you have obtained an international internship as a foreign national student in Europe, based on my own step-by-step pre-work/education-related-travel preparation done from mid-October to December 31st, 2011.

1. Determine details about the internship

This includes your start and end dates. You’ll need to know these details in order to book your flight. The paperwork you’ll need to do depends on the company. Everything from arranging methods of payment, to required papers for gaining a work permit, are the kinds of things you’ll have to look out for. Some things I had to do were gain a signed letter confirming the internship from my university, get bank information concerning wiring payments to my Canadian account, making a copy of my passport, sign an internship agreement, etc etc etc.

2. Book your flight

Do this as early as possible! Both the there and return flight. TravelCUTS was super helpful in finding me the best option. I must have visited them 4 times just to ease my own mind about what I was doing. For Canadian students, there is no cheaper option.

My flight included a quick stop in London. If possible, try to avoid having to switch airports. Talking to a couple travel agents at travelCUTS helped me to find an option where I wouldn’t have to travel from London Gatwick to London Heathrow. Since travelling is stressful to begin with, making it easier for the day of in any way you can is always helpful.

3. Research

It’s not over once your flight is booked and your work agreement papers signed. Check out what the temperature is like, the culture dos and don’ts, how to get around (bus systems), and your essential stores and areas.

For example, the go-to grocery store in Holland is Albert Heijn. Foreign credit cards don’t work here most of the time, so carrying cash is a necessity for expats (expatriats, also foreigners). Looking for ATM locations where you live/work is made easier through the internet (link here to find visa plus ATMs), and when not used to carrying cash, having go-to ATMs for yourself can help you make sure you don’t accidentally find yourself without cash. Also, when everything is in a foreign language, getting to know everyday keywords will be really helpful when shopping for clothes, food, or necessities. First time I went grocery shopping, I bought cream cheese that I thought was butter, going on what butter packaging looks like in Canada.

4. Take care of the finances

This has to be the most stressful part of pre-travel preparations. Especially if you’re doing an unpaid internship, figuring out how to pay for your living and travel costs during your stay overseas is not going to be easy (and isn’t much easier if you’re receiving intern’s compensation). A good way to figure out how you’ll manage things is to see a financial advisor at your branch. Letting them know you’re financial situation, and how you usually manage your spending/saving, will help them figure out what the best option for you might be. For me, changing my account type to let me take out money in foreign countries without fees was my best option.

Also, keep in mind that you may need backup finances, in case you find yourself in a spot. Lines of credit are good in these situations, especially if you, like me, still have bills to pay at home while your abroad.

5. Let everyone know where you’re off to, and mooch off their travel experiences and tips

Feeling prepared, and gaining social support, helps relieve some of the stress of extended periods of travel alone. You may be surprised at the advice and experience that your friends, family, and acquaintances may be able to share with you.

6. Pack

This is where the enormity of what I was doing hit me. Pack LIGHT.

I’ve quickly discovered that there are certain essentials everyone needs in the Netherlands in the colder months of the year (November to April), if people are to be tolerably not cold wherever they go. I found out the hard way. Compared to Canadian winters, Dutch weather is an entirely different kind of intolerable.

1. A strong and reliable umbrella

The Dutch winter is characterized by rain, blustering winds, and snow. Between these three, and the occasional sunny periods, the weather is unpredictable. Having an umbrella with you, and checking the kind of cloud cover you’ll be getting (see Den Haag’s local weather website http://www.weeronline.nl/Europa/Nederland/Den-Haag/4057864) is a pretty good way to make sure you’re prepared for the day. Keep in mind that strong winds can make carrying an umbrella nearly intolerable (either the winds will break it or fighting the wind will slow you down significantly). If you’re going to purchase one in the Netherlands, go with the brand MiniMax (which you can find at the D&V in Grote Markt) or London Fog if you can find it. The weight of the umbrella is a pretty good indication of quality.

If you’re walking around on a rainy and windy day, you’ll notice most Dutch don’t even walk with umbrellas anyway and seem perfectly fine with the rain patting down on their head.

2. Waterproof boots

Self-explanatory.

3. Layers

Layering smartly is absolutely essential, especially if you get caught in the rain. I did some research and found this article very helpful. It focuses on extreme conditions, but is absolutely applicable to urban life if you’ll be walking about a lot. Put simply, lots of layers is the way to keep warm in European winters (indoors or outdoors).

4. Warm slippers and fingerless mittens/gloves

If you’re saving on heat and keep your house cold (as is my case), slippers and fingerless mittens/gloves are must-haves. Often people only perceive themselves as cold when their extremities are cold. Keeping these warm will make winter life a lot easier.

5. Alcohol

Wine and beer consumption is normal and expected in Dutch culture (and in any European culture for that matter). Having wine or beer with your winter dinners can help drive away the indoor cold. Red wines are best in winter, for what reason I’m not sure. If you’re not usually one to drink (like myself), but want to embrace the Dutch culture regardless, there are some articles that can point you in the right direction as far as what to buy.

6. Trench coat

Bomber jackets are all the range in Canada, but won’t help you in the Netherlands. The wind and rain is to blame. A good and reliable trench coat is easy to layer, warm, and sometimes wind and water resistent, protecting you from neck to knee and leaving your boots and umbrella with the rest of the work. If you’re from Canada, keep in mind that Goose jackets, though so toasty and warm, won’t do for European winters. Layering allows you to take on and off layers as the weather demands (and it demands frequently).

See the whole set on Flickr!

Today, I set out to find my way to work from my apartment. Looking up the directions on Google maps, I decided I would go find my workplace somewhat blind. Those paths through the forest don’t have street names after all, and I wasn’t about to attempt to memorize every left and right turn through forests I’ve never been in before. “Just go west,” was what I told myself. And it worked, sort of! I passed within a block of the SES building without knowing it, and thinking that I hadn’t gone south enough, I decided to keep going south. The route you see above is the route I took, which comes out to about 10 km of walking (4 km more than I intended). That top leftmost corner is where I decided to go south, not knowing that SES was one more block west. When I finally turned back east was when I could no longer convince myself that I wasn’t lost.

Getting lost is only a good way to get to know the city if you eventually find your way back.