Behind the Windmills: Adventures of an American Girl in Holland

Is This the Real Life… Queen’s Day in Amsterdam

Back in April, my daughter and I came to the Netherlands to visit her new school and search for a house. Our trip ended with a day in Amsterdam, a city that winds around the North Sea with countless canals threading through narrow streets. And yes, there are thousands of bikes, parked everywhere. Honestly, I… Continue reading Is This the Real Life… Queen’s Day in Amsterdam

Behind the Windmills: Adventures of an American Girl in Holland, Uncategorized

First Steps in Germany: A Rainy-Day Adventure for this American Girl

One rainy day, my friend Wendy invited me over to her house in Venlo to learn how to blog. Wendy’s blog is wonderful—I love reading it! To me, she’s brave, adventurous, and full of stories that make me wish I had half her energy. She’s an avid walker tackling the Pieterpad https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieterpad, hopping on trains… Continue reading First Steps in Germany: A Rainy-Day Adventure for this American Girl

Behind the Windmills: Adventures of an American Girl in Holland

Chocolate, Canals, and Cobblestones: An American Girl in Bruges

Rainy skies didn’t stop us, oh no! At the end of August, just before school started, we piled into the car and headed to Bruges, Belgium, aka “The Venice of Northern Europe.” And let me tell you, it lives up to the hype. From the moment we arrived, it felt like we had stepped into… Continue reading Chocolate, Canals, and Cobblestones: An American Girl in Bruges

Behind the Windmills: Adventures of an American Girl in Holland

A Little Day Tripper… An Afternoon in Den Bosch

‘s-Hertogenbosch, more commonly known as Den Bosch, is one of the many charming cities just a short distance from Eindhoven. The town’s name means “The Duke’s Forest,” and it was named after Henry I, Duke of Brabant. Founded in 1185, the city has managed to hold on to much of its history, with beautiful old… Continue reading A Little Day Tripper… An Afternoon in Den Bosch

Behind the Windmills: Adventures of an American Girl in Holland, Uncategorized

Lost in Translation… Press 1 for English

I’ve decided I’m officially adding Dutch to the list of languages I “know.” My current level of fluency mostly involves calling a company, getting put on hold, and randomly pushing buttons until I finally reach a real person who speaks English. One of the many adventures of moving to a foreign country is learning a… Continue reading Lost in Translation… Press 1 for English

Behind the Windmills: Adventures of an American Girl in Holland

Eet Smakelijk

I’ve discovered that grocery shopping is actually a sport. Not only do I have to steer my cart sideways through the aisles, but I also have to bag my own groceries! (Yes, yes… I know. I’m spoiled.) But the real challenge? The little old ladies. If you’re walking too slowly, they’ll plow right into you… Continue reading Eet Smakelijk

Behind the Windmills: Adventures of an American Girl in Holland

French Fries, Ketchup, and Mayo… Oh My! Life in Holland

I’m getting a late start to this little story of mine because the first couple of months here were all about getting to know the area and, more importantly, the food. One thing I learned very quickly is that in the Netherlands, there are many more food groups than the usual four. Sure, there’s meat,… Continue reading French Fries, Ketchup, and Mayo… Oh My! Life in Holland

In My Office Today, My Writing, My Writing Space, Writer

January ~ Happy New Year

New Year, New Goals, and Stories We Are Still Becoming There’s something tender about the beginning of a new year.Not loud. Not demanding.Just quietly asking, where do you want to grow? As writers, January can feel heavy with expectations …new goals, fresh plans, ambitious word counts. But I’ve learned that the most meaningful writing goals… Continue reading January ~ Happy New Year

Author, Behind the Scenes of my Books, My Writing

November… Gathering Gratitude

Gathering Gratitude: Lessons from the Writing Journey November always brings me back to gratitude ... for the stories that find me, the people who read them and the lessons tucked between every new chapter of this writing life. Lately, I’ve been deep in the formatting phase of my book, which has been its own little… Continue reading November… Gathering Gratitude

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Saturday Snippets ~ Meet Dolores

In this week’s episode of Saturday Snippets, I’m inviting you behind the scenes of my next children’s book. Last time, you met my grandmother, the heart and soul of the story. Today, it’s time to introduce the other half of the fearless duo who once piled six kids into a car and set off for… Continue reading Saturday Snippets ~ Meet Dolores