Groningen, The Netherlands
February 14, 97

Yo, my dear Friends,

This is the first newsletter and you may well be disappointed about it. For it's going to be rather short and not edited, since I have about an hour to write it and moreover I belong into bed and not in front of a computer or behind the steering wheel. My flue is just getting worse, but there isn't time for rest until we arrive at the community of Taize in two days.

We are 10 days into the trip by now. We almost quit 5 days ago. Major difficulties in our relationship, pretty much from the meeting at Schipohl, the Amsterdam airport, had created so much tension that we were all questioning the whole thing.

Several things had led to this. Misha and Keni had a very exhausting and partly frustrating travel from Vancouver to Amsterdam. Passengers and crew members were unfriendly, the exchange rate in London overseen, a fleece jacket lost etc. Misha didn't find the way out of the baggage hall at the airport and both realized minutes after being out there that their tent was not.

At the same time, I had just finished with a load of work for the preparation of the Euro Study as well as the bicycle trip(s) through the States, the flue starting to come in, ongoing frustrations about communication with one parent and the responsibility to create a study trip, with or without the support of the girls.

Therefore I had decided to get them into a working mood and over their jet-lag by giving practical tasks, such as navigating, finding a place to stay, help organizing the bookkeeping and our guidelines etc. Starting easier the first night a private place to stay overnight was arranged and a city map already bought.

Picking them up at the airport I was amazed not to see any excitement at all. The navigation to our first host - with a short introduction only - was a success, since we found it and had not an accident! Well, the girls, being exhausted and coming from the States - and Canada by now - out of the upper middle class, gave our Dutch hosts and me the impression of spoiled kids. In detail, we were first of all missing interest in people and environment, second in taking too may things for granted.

This was, for sure, quite a hard cultural shock, being with central Europeans right away. I was very soon very upset, for I wanted to be a travel teacher, not a tour guide who is meeting reluctance and resistance in anything except the wish to talk about their freedom and hit the city at night on their own. So I became a rough, impatient and demanding "teacher", creating more fear than actually learning.

Getting together for our second crisis talk the fifth day, we were fighting hard and honestly. All needed a change of attitude of the other party or there would be no way to go on. Ib, Dutch friend of one family, was asked to testify that the girls were spoiled in his opinion and he stayed on facilitating really well.

Finally, after three or more hours, Misha was the first one to apologize for her mistakes and give it another try. Keni was then able to follow her, though being far more on the watch still. At that point I was able to acknowledge and apologize for having been a tight ass.

Within a few hours at Ib's place, where Keni and Misha made spaghettis for all, the tension disappeared more and more, so that already by the next day we had a good time together and when I had to leave to have the car fixed in Germany two nights and a day after that, we were all sorry that we had to split for a couple days.

Returning here last night we had the same good understanding right away and look forward to drive to Brussels today. Right now, Misha and Keni get all kinds of currency for the next 10 days: 50 Guilders, 1,100 Belgian Francs, 900 French Francs and 6,000 Pesetas. They are so amazed about the different value of "1" in each currency. It will be funny to pay 50 for fries in Belgian and 250 for a coffee in Spain; Italy is still "weirder".

It is obviously no difficulty for them to find their way to the bank and stores and also handle the banking after we've talked about it. Their navigating is improving quite a bit already and I can see two experts returning to North America in 6 months. So while they are still adolescents of their society, they are growing and becoming more interested by the day. The secrets for getting along seem to be good communication, tolerance and giving choices.

This won't always be possible on a trip like this and we go through up and downs anyway, but after successfully managing the first huge obstacle, we are confident to overcome what's coming up.

Personally, I've been to the Netherlands the first time this time. For about 10 years I am asking myself two questions to check whether I am really visiting a foreign country: (a) Am I trying to speak the local language? and (b) Am I meeting locals?

The Dutch language with it's closeness to German and English has been so much fun. The Dutch themselves are relaxed, tolerant and amazingly helpful; and the Dutch women beautiful through being natural and fresh besides good looking. Moreover, the canals of Amsterdam and Groningen as well as the astounding dykes of Holland - a lot of the country was won from the sea!, I really dig this country and even find it a desirable place to live - especially in the not so crowded north - though it is lacking extraordinarity in a way - be it the climate or the countryside or ... .

There is no way ending this newsletter without giving thanks. To Bart and Annemarie who hosted us the first night. And to Ib Huysman and his co-workers Dirk and Emma from the "Natuurschool". Ib, a friend of the Leathermans in Nelson, B. C., and Reinko founded this school 10 years ago to help students to approach nature in a practical way. Starting out with 1,500 students the first year - age 6 to 17, they have 6 different spots at the Warrensea, the coast , forest etc. by now and take 6,500 students on day trips per year. Reinko is not with them anymore, but Dirk and Emma. Besides this, the core of their work, they take people on bird watching tours over the week-end and organize bicycle trips for adult groups.

Without their generosity, helpfulness and enthusiasm, we'd never experienced the Netherlands as deeply as we did. Our activities ranged from carving animals in wood for "Natuurschool" over visiting the market, city, pubs and restaurants of Groningen, preparing American, Dutch and German dishes at Ib's apartment, visiting with the International School and doing a day trip to the island of Schiermonnikoog.

I also want to thank those who supported us in practical ways as well as in thoughts, interest and enthusiasm. Write back if you feel like it. Just be aware that we may not be able to receive e-mail for a couple up to a few weeks. Nobody in Germany could tell me how to work my notebook and modem in Spain or Italy. So I don't know when I'll actually receive my mail or send off letters and another newsletter.

Thanks to my whole family for all the help and support, including fixing the car's valves in the last few days. And thanks to Cathy Colgan and Brooke and Sandi Leatherman for helping so much to make this trip happen and for now giving us space to really arrive in Europe and experience it. Sharing a smile,

Andreas