17 may 2005

So here’s my life at 28 in the Netherlands:

A few weeks ago I was in my room, poking around the Hospitality Club website. The site connects people from all over the world who are either traveling or wanting to help out travelers. Basically you build a little profile about yourself and where you live, and what you have to offer: advice, tours, meeting up for a beer, or room for folks to crash. When I went to Bruges with my parents, I found someone on HC who lives in Bruges, and he invited me out for late-night drinks with his friends. Fan fucking tastic.

Anyway, a few weeks ago. I was poking around the site, looking at members from the Netherlands who had recently logged on. There was this guy Evan, in a town I’d never heard of, and he lives in a houseboat and he’s an environmental scientist. And I think, It would be cool to see a houseboat! I’ve always wanted to live in a houseboat. And I would like to hear about being an environmental scientist here. So I wrote to him. I said, How is Den Bosch? Is it a good place to visit? And he said, Come visit.

And here I am on a Tuesday afternoon on a train to Den Bosch. Some guy I have never met will meet me outside the grocery store at the station. I have a bookbag with a camera, a sketchbook, pajama pants, a sweater, and my toothbrush. Also some snacks, cause food is unreliable in these situations, and I hate to sugar crash on the road.

I am trying to expand my already exceptional faith in strangers.