Sue in the USA

Happy Holidays

2011-12-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

Wow, last post here was a year ago...

Well I guess now is as good a time as any to wish you all

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2012.

Another year gone by...HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2010-12-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'll get this for a Christmas tree next year. There is nothing better than Christmas among lighted Palm Trees :-)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND ALL THE BEST FOR 2011

HAPPY 4TH!!!

2010-07-04T04:49:00.000-07:00

(Thank you to who-ever posted this image online. It's not mine obviously. I'm not that creative)

MartinAir

2009-07-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

As of October 15 2009, MartinAir a Dutch airline will re-instate the direct flights from Orlando to Amsterdam. Living in Orlando and being from Holland I am very excited about this. See I hate lay overs...I am not the most patient type around when it comes to sitting and waiting at airports as I get bored easily and do not want to fork up a lot of money to acces the internet on my laptop or something.

Anyways very excited. Not sure if I will be flying out to Holland any time soon, but at least once I decide I do need a little break, I can fly direct again LOL.

For more info

http://www.martinair.com/nl_en/about/

New Blog

2009-06-07T16:24:00.001-07:00

It's been too long since I have posted on this website. Lots of things happened since January. I went to two more NKOTB concerts which were awesome, I lost my dearly beloved grandpa and I became I licensed Real estate sales associate.

At this point I have no idea what the future is going to bring. The economy is still thight. But real estate is definitely looking up and is the thing to get into now. I guess no better reason than that to take the plunge and see what real estate can bring me. Am I scared...you betcha...no sales means no income. But at the same time it also means opportunity. If I can make it, and make sales, I make money. I don't have to become a millionaire. All I ask for is being able to pay my bills and go on vacation every now and then. If I make more than that great...if I ever become a millionaire awesome...if not...like I said as long as I can pay the bills.

I have no idea what the future holds, but then again who does? All I can say is that I will be blogging more from now on. Can't promise I'll be on here blogging 24/7 but I will do my utmost.

Laters.

It's Cold, very cold

2009-01-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

Central Florida has set a new record...It is currently 32F...it's freezing in Central Florida.

I'm used to cold winters, but this just does it. You'd think being used to cold winters I could stand a few days of freezing temperatures. Well, nope not really LOL. I guess spending over two years in the Los Angeles and Orlando sun got me spoiled rotten. It's been freezing cold for the past 3 days and I hate it. I just went outside to get my mail and was wearing a T-shirt, a sweater, a warm leather jacket and gloves and I was still cold...

Yet I still can't complain. As of tomorrow the temperatures will be in the high 50s low 60s again.

Anyway just wanted to vent LOL. Now it's back to my nice warm cup of hot chocolate (yes with marshmellows).

Greetings from a not so warm Orlando, FL

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2008-12-21T16:09:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to all...

Best concert ever

2008-11-04T13:23:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I went to the Ft Lauderdale and Tampa concerts of New Kids on the Block. I had a meet and greet with the guys on both days and they were awesome. Real friendly, talkative and the show rocked. Of course I am a New Kids fan so yeah I'm partial...but even a couple of girls husbands agreed that this show rocked after they had seen it, and how they really had not expected that. So there ya go...LOL

I am still on Cloud Nine and having a hard time coming down LOL. But life is back to normal now. I can only hope they'll come to Florida again for the summer tour.

And for those interested below are some pictures of the shows.

It's been a while LOL

2008-06-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yeah I really need to get better at keeping this blog. Truth of the matter is, I don't have a lot of interesting stuff happening to me. At least I don't think so LOL. I'm just your average Jane I guess. I go to work, I hang out with my friends, just normal everyday stuff.

I'm off tomorrow. Maybe I'll go to SeaWorld again. It's been a while. What I like best about SeaWorld is that if you go there early in the morning, the dolphins at the Dolphin Cove are very playfull and will actually voluntarily swim up to you and allow you to pet them. No need to bribe them with 3 little $5 fishies at that time. Once they start selling those little fishies however it's over and done with and the dolphins will pretty much ignore you of you do not have their tasty treat LOL. Then again, can you blame them?

And I have never done that Kraken rollercoaster yet either. I'm not too much into roller coasters. (I love the Rockin Rollercoaster at MGM Studios however). Maybe I' ll give it a try tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

And weatherwise...well it's Florida so it's hot and humid. But that's ok. I can stand this type of heat a lot better than that oven I was in in Las Vegas last year. 2 days of that burning Las Vegas heat was enough for me LOL. Nope I prefer the Sunshine state.

I'm off tonite and guess what I am going to do...yep nothing. I'm gonna try to be a couch potato for once and sit on my couch and actually watch some TV or a movie. For some reason I just never really have to patience to actually stay seated and watch the whole movie LOL. In a movie theater I am fine, but at home...

That's about it for now. Talk to you later.

Official NKOTB group photo

2008-04-02T09:15:00.001-07:00

I just could not resist LOL. Older but still the same. Hhm I wonder if they'll perform any of their solo stuff while on tour.

For more info please go to http://www.nkotb.com/

New Kids on the Block are back!!!

2008-04-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

Yep it's official. They are back. It took some 14 years but it actually happened...And yes I am excited LOL.

New Kids on the Block to Appear on Today Show

By Michelle Tan
Originally posted Monday March 31, 2008 02:40 PM EDT
New Kids on the Block circa 1989 Photo by: Neal Preston / CORBIS
Looks like the Today show's got the right stuff: All five original New Kids on the Block members – Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight – will appear together in the morning show's courtyard on April 4, a source tells PEOPLE. After months of speculation, PEOPLE confirmed in January that the band is reuniting – just in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of their mega-hit album Hangin' Tough. The group also recently updated its Web site, nkotb.com. The boy band, which made legions of tweens swoon in the early '90s, selling more than 50 million albums, became a worldwide phenomenon before calling it quits in 1994. Since then, the oldest "Kid," Jonathan Knight, 39, retreated back to Boston to become a real estate developer. Former members Wahlberg, 38, and McIntyre, 35, have seen acting success, while Wood, 38, has worked as a music producer and Jordan Knight, 37, has continued to record.

On Broadway

2008-03-14T16:44:00.000-07:00

I would like to share a trailer for the movie "On Broadway" starring Joe McIntyre. It is currently playing in theaters around the Boston, Mass area waiting for a national release. So if you happen to be in the Beantown area...check it out...you do not want to miss it...

Computer crash

2008-01-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

Just a little not to let you know my PC crashed earlier yesterday. I have been able to get it going again by reformatting the entire hard drive. This means however that I have lost all my work AND my e-mails. So if you have send me an e-mail recently and you have not had a reply yet, this is why.

I'm working hard on getting everything fixed again so I should be in touch soon. Other than that life is still good in Orlando, work is fun but very busy and that's pretty much it.

Laters.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2007-12-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

My New Year's Resolution?...Well, I really need to get better at this blog thing LOL

I just wanted to wish every one a

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

Just to give you a little update...

I am still in Orlando, FL and loving it. I started with Wendy's as a General Manager here in Orlando and it is great. They have a 6-month training program so it is pretty intensive but that's good. I always thought McDonald's and Burger King had good training programs for management. Well Wendy's definitely tops that I think.

I am glad I moved to Orlando. I do miss L.A at times (mostly being able to walk in the city and nieghborhoods. I can walk here in Orlando too but it's different) but I could not picture myself living there again unless I become a milionaire and would not mind spending a lot of money on a relatively small home LOL.

Anyway, things are good here in Orlando. Work's keeping me very busy but it's all good. I have landed a job with a great company and have awesome peers and employees.

Congrats to Joe and Barrett

2007-11-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

Joe and Barrett are the greatest people I have met and I am so excited for them. I just had to share.

Joey McIntyre Welcomes a Baby Boy
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2007 11:25 AM EST
By Michelle Tan

There's officially a new kid on the block: Former boy band singer and Dancing with the Stars contestant Joey McIntyre and his wife Barrett welcomed a son on Tuesday in L.A., his rep confirms exclusively to PEOPLE. "The family is happy and healthy," according to McIntyre's rep, who says the new parents are still deciding on a name. "Everyone's doing well and they're excited he made it here in time for Thanksgiving."The 7 lb. 12 oz. baby boy is the first child for the new father, who has nothing but admiration for his wife of four years. "My wife is a rock star!" McIntyre tells PEOPLE. McIntyre, 34, and his wife, 29, found out they were expanding their family on St. Patrick’s Day, and later announced it on his Web site. "Being an Irish guy that's a good luck charm! " McIntyre told PEOPLE in June.

Joey McIntyre and his wife Barrett have named their son Griffin Thomas McIntyre, PEOPLE has confirmed. The couple welcomed the new kid on the block Wednesday, but the former boybander was admittedly anxious when PEOPLE caught up with him Nov. 15 at the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors annual Road to a Cure Gala in Beverly Hills. "I'm just blessed, you know, absolutely blessed and, you know, life is the biggest blessing of all and you know there's no end to it. Being a dad, I can't wait," McIntyre, 34, said.As for advice he and his wife, 29, are receiving, he added, "A lot of people just say, 'Listen, you know I could tell you a million different things, but you have to learn it on your own,' which makes a lot of sense." One thing they did on their own was a travel-themed nursery for young Griffin – but not too over the top, he described. "There's a picture of a plane, there's a picture of a train ... I like the sense of travel. ... I've had the fortune of traveling a lot, and then going around the world and learning different cultures and people, and I think if we all had the chance to do that, it would be a better world. So, I hope my son does that."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2007-11-20T17:06:00.000-08:00

I could not have said it better myself...The One Thanksgiving Song...by Joe McIntyre

Other than that all is well. The restaurant is closed on Thanksgiving so that's very nice. Unfortunately all my friends are out of town as well LOL...I heard Denny's serves some great Turkey though LOL

Since recently I have an annual pass for SeaWorld and I have been visiting the dolphins every morning now. There's this one area at SeaWorld where you have the opportunity to feed and interact with dolphins. If you are there just after the park opens the dolphins are very playful. As a result I have been able to pet the dolphins every morning now. This morning they were extra playful however. 5 dolphins came up to me at the same time. 2 of them kept coming back and kept playfully biting my hand. And one of the two even swam up on a ledge and just kept lying there in front of me waiting to be petted. So I stroked his flipper and his side and when I stopped he looked back as if he wanted to say "Don't stop now". He kept lying there for about 5 minutes and that was so awesome. I did get a lot of attention from trainers as well because apparently it is very odd that this happens and that they keep coming back to one person. It was very cool. Whenever I am off from work I will definitely keep coming back to SeaWorld early in the mornings because that is so worth it.

This is how close they can get...

Time for an update

2007-11-04T16:04:00.000-08:00

It's been too long and a lot has changed the past couple of months.

I moved from Los Angeles to Orlando, FL a while ago. Los Angeles was great, but Orlando is where my home is. I met a lot of nice people in Los Angeles with whom I will definitely keep in touch, heck I even lived about 5 blocks away from Joe Mac, an artist that I really admire and have since I was little. I could definitely never have imaged that when I was younger LOL. Still that could not keep me in L.A.

Like I said Los Angeles was great and I will definitely miss some aspects of the city such as my weekly walks thru Hancock Park (at least the area close to where I lived) to look at the very nice houses that I'd never be able to afford LOL. Or walking to the Hollywood and Highland Center next to the Kodak Center. Meeting celebrities that came to the movie theater I worked at and realizing that most of them are so normal, just like us, and so very friendly. But then again I am not easily star struck (except maybe if I meet Joe Mac face to face LOL) so maybe that has a great deal to do with it.

It's really good to be back in Orlando again and to live in an actual 1 bedroom apartment again oppossed to my small studio near Hollywood. Yeah I can't wait to get my career and live started here in Orlando. It's good to be home again.

Anyone here?

2007-09-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

My sincere apologies. I have not been keeping a very good record of updating this blog on a frequent basis.

Honest truth is that I am not sure how many people visit this blog. This of course could mainly be due to the fact it is not updated frequently. However if you are one of my many scattered friends across the US and Europe and you would like to keep checking back and receive regular updates just let me know. I will then do my utmost to keep this site as updated as possible. If you know you guys (and girls) are out there I am willing to give it my all but you have to let me know.

For the time being (due to time constraints), my main focus will be my Dutch weblog as it is visited often by family and friends.

Happy 4th

2007-07-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy July 4th.

My first one as a permanent resident...

For some odd reason I am one of the few that are off tomorrow. Not sure what I will do yet. I am going to Universal Studios to spend the day there. In the early evening I might go to one of the firework shows if there are still tickets at the door. Why not make reservations...well I am not that much into fireworks (I hate the big bangs) so I have to see what mood I am in tomorrow.

My neighbor just told me they always go and watch the fireworks on the rooftop and invited me over, so maybe I'll join them.

Control F5

2007-06-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the web can be very nice to solve a problem. I just could not get new posts to show up on my weblog. Someone suggested to try Control+F5 and look... it updated...

Major relief.......

Oh BTW, I checked my credit score with experian and it seems I have gone from no visible score what so ever to a "Good" rating within 6 months. Not bad at all...

Vegas, LA Zoo and Griffith Observatory

2007-06-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

I know I haven’t been updating this web log as often as I should. Truth be told is that my Dutch web log is taken up more of my time than I thought it would. My initial idea was to start with a Dutch and English web log and keep it side by side. In practice this is not working at all, as it is simply too time consuming. Also my Dutch web log is visited a lot by family and friends back home that want to keep up to speed with my life here in the US. My English web log isn’t visited as often, however that might go hand in hand with the not being updated frequently thing LOL.

A lot of people ask me what the differences are between Holland and the USA. Not something that is easy to answer. The USA is such a vast country and there are differences between the individual States as well. What the differences are between Holland and Los Angeles would be much easier to answer. For me however, I have not yet noticed a lot of differences that I wasn’t already aware off. The one thing I can say about LA is that it is one of a kind. I am not quite sure what to think of LA yet, whether I love it or hate it. But then again I have only been here for 6 months and a lot of people tell me that it takes years to get somewhat used to LA. What I can say is that it is definitely different from Orlando, East Lansing and any of the other cities I have been to when visiting the US. And the entertainment industry is definitely number 1 here, and not an easy industry at that either.

So what have I been doing in between the last update and now? Well a lot of touristy stuff. I recently bought a new digital photo camera and figured I needed to put my investment to good use. I went to Las Vegas, NV, LA Zoo, Griffith Observatory and Malibu just to mention a few things. Not all in one day of course LOL

In Las Vegas I stayed at the Tropicana by the way. I found a nice deal on Expedia for $40 a night. The hotel is not the best, but it wasn’t bad either. It is right there on the Strip close to MGM. The room was nice and clean, not sure about the buffet and restaurant as I went out to eat at the nearby Food Court.

Let me share some pictures with you:

LAS VEGAS

LA ZOO

GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY

Other than this I don’t really have a lot to say at the moment. I am keeping busy but not really anything I can say anything about right now. Boring? Yeah kinda.

I look forward to the release of the new Harry Potter movie however and the very final book about a week after the opening of the movie. Don’t know what it is with Harry Potter and me but ever since I read the first book I was hooked. And that while I was very skeptical at first, I mean how on earth could a kids book be so popular with adults…

Needless to say I can’t wait for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to open at Universal Orlando. I really wonder what they have in store for us with that attraction.

And here's the update

2007-05-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

It’s been a long time with no news from me. My sincere apologies for that. So here’s a little recap since the last somewhat decent log about my apartment.

I am still living in my studio apartment near Hollywood. I do hope to be moving to (at least) a one bedroom in the New Year when my one year lease term is up. But that kind of depends on the rents at that time. Los Angeles is not the cheapest place to live.

I am also still working as a Manager for a Movie Theater up in the Valley. A job I really love doing. The hours can be long and the schedule is very flexible, but I guess that comes with the job. The job definitely provides me with some high volume management experience in a very busy industry. And I am enjoying one of my benefits, to be able to watch free movies on my days off thoroughly.

My decision (after getting the right to apply for a Green Card) to go for it and move to the USA, is still and always will be the best decision I have made. Yes I do miss my family and friends back home in Holland, but I feel really at home here and cannot see myself moving back to Holland at all.

Some people that move here from a different country can face major obstacles and face a culture clash. Thus far my journey has been quite smooth, knock on wood. Yes I had to get used to the busy traffic in LA, yes I faced turn downs when applying for apartments with no credit score and no written job offer, and I was even turned down when applying for a secured credit card as I had bo credit score at the time, which was pretty frustrating because I needed a secured card to start building that same credit score LOL. And yes even though I was used to most US products in the supermarket aisles, I still had to get used to brands and different tastes here in the US all over again. But it is all so worth it. At least it is for me.

Looking at some other immigrants, I am very lucky and have come very far in such a short period already. I met a guy last week that came fresh out of Bolivia. He understands English, but is very hesitant to speak it and is struggling with it. He left a good job in Bolivia behind and now works various minimum wage jobs as he just cannot land a fulltime job. Seeing him struggle like that, I am so happy to be where I am at this point in time. I do have some advantages over him though. I speak the language pretty much fluently, with no accent what so ever. I have a college degree and some experience working for US companies and in the US as well. And even though at the time almost every one declared me insane to start working for McDonalds and Burger King with my recreation management college degree…it is just this experience that turned out to be one of the major factors for my current employer to hire me. They know here that these companies have the best management training programs available.

Well, what else can I tell you but I am doing very good. Because of my job and the hours I work it is a bit hard to start building a social network and make new friends here unfortunately so I kinda miss the social part, but hey I’ll just see it as paying my dues LOL.

On my Dutch log I have been posting pictures of some of the products I have in my fridge and kitchen cabinets here in the US. However somehow it just does not seem to be logic here as this log will mostly by read by friends already in the US. Who cares that I have Maxwell House coffee, Little Debbie’s brownies, cheap fresh O.J, and Mountain Dew and the different kind of Easter candy you have here LOL. Or of you do just let me know…

One more thing I would like to mention is that I found a great place for a nice view of Los Angeles…the top floor of the The Grove parking structure on The Grove Drive… below please find some pictures. I made them with my cell phone so the quality might not be the best but enjoy…

I will update this log on a more regular basis from now on. I should have lots of nice things to mention. One of the events I am looking for this summer is the release of Shrek 3 and Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix. Other than that I am very anxious to find out if the indy film “On Broadway” starring my ‘man’ Joe McIntyre will come to the LA film festival. If so Joe, most likely will not be there as he’ll be doing the Summer stretch of the Dancing with the Stars tour. This is so ironic. When I was still living in Europe Joe was doing a lot of shows in the Los Angeles area as this is where he lives. Now I live in the US, in L.A in fact and where is Joe…everywhere but L.A (performance wise that is…he still lives here but I have no idea where exactly)…that is so typical LOL…

Update is in the works

2007-04-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I realize I have not been very good at keeping up the English log. My focus has mainly been my Dutch log for the people back home. However I am working on an update and will post that here soon.

Thank you all for you patience.

Update

2007-02-18T18:22:00.000-08:00

I guess you could say I am a bit behind with this weblog.

I need to find some time to update it. So I figured for now a small update will have to do.

I bought myself a car a few weeks ago. A 2005 silver Dodge Neon and I leased an apartment close to Hollywood, CA. I moved in over a week ago. It is a small studio but I like it a lot. A friend of mine took my apartment hunting. I had already taken some very frustrating tours myself as well. Either apartments were taken already or they would not accept me as a tenant due to not having a credit score. My friend took me to the Hollywood area. We looked at some apartments but none were really what I was looking for. Plus most apartment managers would give me a hassle for not yet having a credit score. Then we came to this one apartment building in Hollywood. It looked nice and a girk that was just moving in and needed a hand to unload her car told us that if we'd help her out she'd show us the apartment. It looked really nice. Quite a nice size for a studio and the kitchen was huge as well. We called the apartment manager and found another apartment was still available. we checked it out, I did not get any hassle regarding my non existend credit score so I signed the lease and moved in.

Here are a few pictures:

The day before yesterday I started my job as manager of this movie theater. I just started of course but it seems to be very nice.

And naturally I bought myself and annual pass to Universal Studios and Disney. Some people might call me crazy but at least I will have a nice place to go on a day off. Most likely I will not have any consecutive days off for a while so trips outside of LA are out of the question for now.

I went to Universal a few weeks ago and it was a lot of fun. And I went to Disney last week.

Below are some pictures of Universal:

And Disney:

My first weeks here

2007-01-23T20:16:00.000-08:00

It’s been a while since my last update so here it goes…

I’ve been in California now for three weeks. This is actually my fourth week. It seems much longer though, I guess that is a good sign. I have been pretty busy the past couple of weeks. The first week I took care of getting a laptop so I could get connected with the rest of the world againJ, I picked up my rental car, made arrangements for my written driving test (for 2 weeks later), got a new Social Security Card, opened a bank account, got a cell phone and basically battled jet lag as best as I could.

My second and third weeks were filled with sending out applications and actually going to job interviews. I have advanced to 2nd rounds for various positions. So hopefully something will come out of it soon. I really hope so. I am currently staying at a hotel and I really want to find my own place asap. But in order to do that I need a job…

Last Friday I took my written test for my CA driver’s license and yesterday was the actual behind the wheel test. I passed for both so am now also a licensed CA driver LOL.

All I need now is my own car, a job and an apartment. Most likely in that order.

I went to Universal Studios Hollywood Sunday. Bought an annual pass so on my days off I will have somewhere to go LOL. I will also get a Disney annual pass naturally, but I want to wait with that until I can actually proof that I am a California resident. I guess they have special discounted passes if you are.

Universal was nice. Different from Orlando but still nice. There is this area there where you actually have a view of Burbank and Studio City and whatever else is in that area. It was then that I realized that I am actually here and here to stay. That was a good feeling. See that hadn’t really sunk in yet. What a trip to Universal can’t do to people LOL.

Well I’d better get going. I have another job interview tomorrow morning so I’d better relax a bit and get ready (it’s at 8am tomorrow morning).

Laters.

I'm here!!!

2007-01-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy New Year and all the best for 2007. Time sure flies, doesn’t it?

After an 11 hour flight from Amsterdam I have arrived safe and sound in good old US of A on January 1st 2007.

My parents took me to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam and my bags were checked at 9am. I went through customs at 11am and the time in between was spend with my parents at the airport, basically shopping and drinking coffee.

My flight took off from Schiphol Airport January 1st at 13.23 local time. The flight went pretty smooth. And for the first time ever I was actually able to sleep a bit on plane. I arrived at LAX at 3pm local time. I had expected to be able to queue up at the Permanent Residents/US Citizens line. But they directed me to the Vistors line anyhow. The Permanent Resident line will be reserved for my next trip (whenever that will be).

I knew I was in Los Angeles when I spotted Hugh Laurie (House MD) and Sean Austin (LOTR) in the line in front of me. Why Sean Austin was in the visitors line is still beyond me, as I figured he’s from the US. What amazed me is that everyone just let them be. Only a couple of Dutch ladies were whispering about them. Don’t ask my why they whispered though. It was in Dutch plus they were standing directly behind the two actors (and then came me).

I have only been here for 5 full days now, it seems longer though. Part of me is still having a hard time believing that I am here to stay. I guess I won’t realize it until I have my own apartment, my own car and a job and will start building my life here.

The past couple of days I have spent arranging to receive a new Social Security card, opening a bank account, buying a laptop and getting a cell phone and navigation system. And I have used most of the time to relax from all that I have had to take care of the past 6 weeks and get adjusted to the time zone. Next week I will start looking for a job, an apartment and my own car.

Today (Saturday) I spend driving to the IKEA in Costa Mesa and drive around a part of Orange County (Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Orange, Fullerton and Anaheim). Tomorrow I will drive to Burbank, Sherman Oaks and the beach cities. I want to figure out which area I like best.

The IKEA was one fest of recognition. It really is the same everywhere. Plus I am able to pretty much buy ‘own’ things back such as my couch, my chair, my salon table, floor lamp and even my dinner table. That is so funny.

BTW, my cell phone has a camera. Yes. I took some pictures with it already. With little problem though…I am not able to get them off the camera. The sales person told me to just connect a USB cable…well that did not work. Apparently I also need to buy additional software. Well, I’ll save that for later. It’s not such a big deal. I do have another digital photo camera but of course the software for that camera is in a box that I have shipped out and won’t get here for another 8 weeks or so. Oh well, until that time this web log will remain picture-less.

Happy Holidays

2006-12-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone:

Happy Holidays (Hanukkah, Christmas and all I may not even know about)
and
All the Best for 2007

Due to limited internet access the next couple of days, this will likely be my last post before I leave for the US. I can't believe I am almost there. Just a little over a week left. Time sure flies (a little too fast sometimes).

Talk to you all again in the US. I should have internet access again (somehow) the second week of January. Probably from a Starbucks equipped with WiFi...Caramel Macchiatto here I come LOL.

Packing...

2006-12-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

Let me get one thing straight. I hate packing... It's a necessary tasks that needs to be done when one is moving but still. It will never be my favorite.

The thing I dislike the most is having to choose what you will and will not bring. See I only have limited space in my two suitcases and I will be shipping out some boxes with clothes, DVDs, CDs and books and all but still...I don't want to bring everything, yet there are just some things I cannot bare not to bring. Maybe I am a bit more materialistic that I thought. I figured it was going to be easy for me to decide on which DVD to bring and which not. Same with clothes. Well, it turns out to be a bit more difficult. All of a sudden clothes that I have not worn in like forever, I see items that are perfect for the California weather. Same with my CDs and DVs...I have not listened to or watched some in forever yet now all of a sudden I am sure that I will listen and watch them when in California. Can I make this any more difficult for myself?

Oh well. Just one more hour and then I will get ready for dinner with my parents, uncles, aunts and cousins tonight so whatever I can't pack today will have to wait until tomorrow.

My DV2007 story

2006-11-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

This is quite a long entry so you’d better sit down, and maybe grab a drink of your choice before you continue to read.

For as long as I can remember I have been interested in the USA. Maybe it’s because of my dad’s and grandparents’ stories about living and working in Los Angeles in the 50s. Their pictures and home made videos made it all so real. I really don’t know. All is know is that when I went to the USA for the first time when I was about 14, everything just clicked. Even though we went to Orlando, and not LA, it was exactly as I had imagined it from all the stories I was ever told. In a way it was a bit scary how it all just seemed to fit. I mean it was nothing short of being exactly as I had pictured it.

The one thing that made it really special for me during that very first trip was the realization that I could be myself in the US. What made me realize this was a certain pop band that was popular at that time called New Kids on the Block. In the USA it was totally ok to be a fan and to admit that you like them. In Holland it was not…And not only that one of the guys was/is totally into US history. So was I but I never really had a real history book so naturally I had to go out and get a US history book and study J

The most important however was the feeling that in the USA I could be myself. And every time when I am in the US I just get this “It’s OK to be me” feeling over me.

When I was younger I had already decided that I wanted to do an internship in the USA. So when I got to do both an exchange and an internship in the USA when I was in college that was really a dream come true.

After my exchange and my internship the only thing I wanted was to return to the US one day. Temporary work visas are relatively easy to get for internship and the likes, but getting a work permit for a steady job is much, much more difficult if not impossible.

I had already been participating in the Green Card lottery since I was 18 or so but of course to no avail. But the more I learned about obtaining work permits for the USA the more I realized the Green card lottery was my one and only option. With a success rate of like 1% or something it was not a very realistic one. However if I would not participate in the lottery my chances of ever getting a permit would be 0%. So for years on end I entered but never succeeded.

Until DV2007 that is... And it might be hard to believe but I almost had not entered last year. I had just landed a job as Restaurant General Manager and ‘my’ restaurant had just opened its doors and it was extremely hectic. Normally I would start thinking about the DV lottery again as soon as September and it would become a main priority. But for some reason last year it just slipped my mind. Well not completely I did think about it but more in the sense of “I’ll get it done eventually”. It was not until mid November I think it was that one of my assistant managers were talking about the US and all of a sudden he mentioned the Green Card lottery and that a friend of his had mentioned it once, and if I had ever participated. I told him I had entered every year since I was 18 (except maybe for my US internship year). He asked me if I had entered this year as well and I told him that I had forgotten due to all the hectic times at the restaurant. He pretty much told me I had better hurry up and find out of I could still participate then. He mentioned something in the likes of “You’d better act soon because you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity. I’m telling you’d better enter soon.” And he basically left me flabbergasted and astonished. I went home that night, got on the internet, found the information and I entered the DV2007 lottery.

I did not really think about the lottery anymore after that. Work was way to busy or maybe I was coming to terms with the fact that I’d probably never win.

And then it became April. One day I opened my mailbox and found a stack of mail. One envelope said something about “Kentucky…” Being in the fast food industry I first wondered why Kentucky Fried Chicken would be writing to me, and second why they would not use their company logo on the envelope. A split second later it dawned on me that maybe this could be The Letter…I removed the mail blocking the rest from the envelope and…what do you know…”Kentucky Consular Center” appeared in the top left corner.

I was selected to begin the application process for a Permanent Resident Visa (aka Green Card). That is me and about 99,000 others. Only 50,000 of all these selected individuals will actually get a Green Card.

I filled out all the necessary forms and returned them to Kentucky and started obtaining all the necessary paperwork and certificates.

Only a little over 5 months passed (but it seemed forever) when I found out I was going to have my medical exam and interview at the consulate in November.

The medical exam was a breeze. I had to go to this one medical clinic in Amsterdam to get a chest x-ray and than I had an appointment at this G.P’s office in Amsterdam. I was asked some questions about my general health, received an additional shot to complete all the ones I had in previous years and was presumed a healthy individual. Always nice to know.

A little more than a week later was my interview at the consulate. I was so extremely nervous. I had heard all these stories about how people that do not have their paperwork in order, get send home and they are even picky when it comes to the photographs that have to be handed in. So I was nervous…and I mean nervous. Luckily I was in Amsterdam about 3 hours too early as for once traffic was quite alright. So I decided to have a coffee and lunch at this nice restaurant at the PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam. This is sort of like the Rodeo Drive of Amsterdam so expected lunch and coffee to be quite expensive but it wasn’t. And the people there were nice and just let me be. I had told them when I came in, that I had an appointment and that US Consulate at 1.30pm and that I would like to stay here until it was time to leave if that was ok with them. As long as I ordered something they were ok with it. So that was good because I was thirsty and hungry despite the nerves.

I left the restaurant at 1.00pm and walked to the consulate. I got there at 1.10pm. As I was the only one and it was raining I decided to walk up to the nearby supermarket and wait in the hall.

I was at the consulate gate at 1.20pm, with another couple. And we were allowed in almost immediately. It might have been the rain though because as far as I know they don’t normally let people in ahead of the scheduled appointment time.
I checked my bag with the security guard and took all my necessary paperwork with me.
Then I was off to window 1. Unfortunately the couple in front of me was having a problem with one of their certificates and made quite a fuss about it. Not really helping to ease my nerves. And then it was my turn…

Well, the interview could not have been easier. Yeah ok that’s 20/20 hindsight. All the people I met there from the security guards to the employees I talked to at the consulate, they were all extremely nice.

The gentleman behind the first window was very nice to me. I brought a whole stack worth of paperwork with me. I just wanted to come as prepared as possible so I had brought everything I could think of. Of course I brought way too much but me bringing way too much also brought a smile to the man behind the first window. Which instantly made me feel a lot better about the whole interview thing. I handed in all the necessary paperwork.

Then I was told to go to the second window and pay the fees. After paying I waited for about 20 minutes and was then called to the third window where I was met by this very friendly guy. He spoke Dutch with an American accent but insisted on doing everything in Dutch. The only thing he did in English was the oath. He asked me some more questions which I answered, took my fingerprints, had me take the oath and the told my my application was “Approved” and welcomed me to the USA. That was it? Yes that’s it…

I will finally be moving to the USA permanently. Words could never express how happy this makes me.

Approved...YES!!!

2006-11-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna keep this brief because I am very tried yet so very happy:

I had my interview at the Consulate today and...

My green card application was "APPROVED"

I am now allowed to travel to the USA and live and work there permanently. YES!!!

I will give you the full story in a later post.

Medical Exam

2006-11-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

I had my medical exam (or is it called physical?) earlier this week. All went well. I had to go to two different locations in Amsterdam. The first one was a clinic at the Jan van Goyenkade for the X-ray. After that I had to go to a G.P's office for the medical/physical. Both locations were within walking distance of the US Consulate.

The next step is the interview at the Consulate. I am so nervous. What if there is like a technicallity with one of my forms. Don't ask me what it could be, because I seriously don't know. It's more like a what if...Apparently people have been told of and send home for filling out forms incorrectly, when they thought they had it all done correctly. That would be so frustrating. Yeah I know I worry too much, but this is something I want so badly and it would be such a shame if a small technicallity would screw it all up.

Well hopefully I'll know more soon.

All's quiet...

2006-10-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

I got a definite date for my green card interview so that is definitely good news. I'm going to keep the date to myself. All I can say is that at the end of November I should know more.

Other than that there is really not much to tell. I just hope all will go well with the interview. This is something I have been wanting for so long, I just don't want to screw it up. I honestly cannot think of a reason why I should not be able to get the green card, but then until I am actually informed that I'll get one, I just have to wait and see. After all it is still just the application process, nothing has been set in stone yet or is definite... I guess the wait is just antagonizing.

All I can say is that it is such an honor and a privilige to be given the right to live and work in the US permanently and to be able to eventually become a US citizen. I just want it so badly, and I feel so honored to have been selected to start the application process.

That's all for now.

I could post more stuff about me and my likes and favorite artists and all that but I won't. Not yet anyway. I'll save that for future posts.

Get A New Life

2006-09-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

A recent Dutch article that I read stated that the number one reason for Dutch to move abroad is the Dutch weather. Granted it is quite dreadful, but it made me think of this one reality show on TV. There's this one show in which families relocate from the UK to Australia. The first reason these people give for moving to Australia is the weather and how it is so much better that the weather in the UK...And most of the people they have on this show move back to the UK after a few months. From the remarks that these people make on the show ("Weird types these Australians", "They won't even allow me to work because I need a certificate for bar tending here and how can they not let me I was a bar tender in the UK") I get the impression that these people are so not prepared at all. Of course I am not sure how realistic the show is, after all it is reality TV, but still. It all comes down to proper preparation. Or in this case, a lack of preparation.

Proper preparation is definitely what "Get A New Life" is all about. "Get a New Life" is the title of a BBC show that I used to watch. The program is about families that have plans to move abroad. Families can sign up for the program and when they are selected they are given a two weeks notice and basicallly have to pack their bags within these two weeks and relocate to the country of choice. The two hosts of the show will join the family to the new country and help them get settled in during the first month. They assist in finding housing and help them land jobs. Sometimes a family will actually have a nice house and job within a month, sometimes it takes longer to land a job. After the first month families are given the choice to stay and continue their new life in their new country, or to use their return ticket and go back to the UK. I think I only saw one family actually use the return ticket, and that was for a family emergency. All the other families stayed in the new country.

I always liked this show. As far as I know, the show will only select candidates who have thoroughly thought the whole immigration process through, and have been working on it for years but for some reason have not gotten around to actually executing the plan yet. The program also provides tips and tricks for all people wanting to relocate. It always came across to me as a very serious program in which it is actually about making sure people succesfully relocate. It's a reality show, but it stays real and has nothing to do with being sensational.

Another thing the Dutch article stated was that on the whole only 5% of people that relocate, return to the Netherlands. Of these returning 5%, half decide to re-migrate to the new country after a while and thus leave the Netherlands again. So technically only 2.5% actually return to the Netherlands, meaning 97.5% have sucessfully relocated to a different country. I definitely like these odds.

I wonder how many of these 2.5% that return to the Netherlands, had the Dutch weather as their number 1 reason to start the reloaction process and move to a different country...

Power Black Out

2006-09-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Yes we have them here in Holland too. Power black outs. Not as big and as frequent as in the US mind you but still pretty annoying. Luckily the weather was nice so I decided to go for a bike ride. I knew that I would not be able to go to the grocery store as it would likely be closed. Well lucky for me I did not need any groceries...I decided to go to the shopping area downtown. I knew I would not be able to buy anything at stores but figured I might be able to spend some time just looking around. Of course all stores affected by the black out were closed. I guess I could have known. If they're not able to make any sales due to the cash registers being out, why would they stay open? For some odd reason the local BK was not affected by the black out and thus still open. I decided to go in and treat myself to a nice cup of diet coke with ice-cubes.

I realize that there are a lot of power black-out in the US as well. A bit more frequent and severe than what I am used to here though. Well at least I will not be able to claim in the US that we never had any power black outs in Holland LOL. Actually come to think about it, when I went to college in Leeuwarden we had frequent power outages in our neighborhood. Very annoying when you are working on a term paper that needs to be finsihed.

I guess I would just have to bring and old fashioned deck of cards for the power outages in the US. Luckily the weather in the Los Angeles area is usually very nice so it won't be bad either to go out and go places. Then again, do gas stations work when the power is out? If not, I'd better make sure I have a full tank of gas before the weekend starts. It would be extremely annoying to find out that the gas stations do not work during a power outtage, when you are out of gas and thus have no where to go. Maybe not so bad when you are off, but what if you have to get to work? That would suck (pardon my French).

November

2006-09-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not such a long wait anymore. To my surprise it turns out that I will likely have 'The Interview' somewhere in November. I can't wait. At the end of November I should know when and if I can book my one way ticket to the US. If all goes well in November, I hope to leave Holland either early January or early February. I can't wait. Talk to you soon.

A weblog without pictures

2006-09-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

You noticed huh...my weblog does not have any pictures. Not yet anyway. Until now I have not really felt the need to put any pictures on this blog. That combined with the fact that I hardly ever take pictures (I am pretty much more of a video camera person) pretty much sums it up.

I will be posting some pictures in the future however but it might be a while. I have a digital camera but it was a freebie once and I now know why. It provides pictures that are not clear and not focussed and even a slight tremor in once's hand results in pictures on which it appears that you have been running around like crazy when pressing the shutter. Anyway to make a long story short I am now back to my old fashioned photo camera that requires one of those films...and if I want to post these I kinda need to get them developed and then scanned first.

And nope my cell phone does not have a digital camera either. Come to think of it, that would be a good solution. Ok, ok maybe not the best but still. It has to be better than what my freebie digital camera currently produces. Unfortunately I do not need a new cell phone yet, so that option will have to wait a bit.

For now this weblog will remain pictureless, but just be patient there will be pictures here someday (just don't hold your breath though)

The 'wait' has begun

2006-08-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well the DV cut off numbers for October have been published. They had been published a while ago but for some reason I had not been able to access this site. So I am posting this just now. The cut off for October is just a few 1000 or so shy of my number. So I have to wait to see what happens in November. My number is fairly low so my chances of being invited for an interview are quite good. Yet I can't begin to describe how anxious I am. I guess for the next couple of months I'll be living from cut off number to cut off number ;-) I cannot begin to imagine how the people with the higher case numbers must be feeling. In a way we are all in the same boat however. Well good luck to every one and I will keep you posted of course as promised.

New Hobby

2006-08-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

I have a new hobby. Reading weblogs from people that have moved to the USA. Either as expats or as permanent residents. It is nice to read about what these people are going through on a daily basis and all the preparations they had to make to get where they are now. Sometimes it apparently is quite frustrating, and at other times all is well. Amd no matter how frustrated people sometimes get, I have not seen many that have said they were coming back to Holland. On the contrary.

And the more I read to more I want to be there. Of course starting all over can get frustrating. No matter how old or young you are, single or accompanied by your family. Everything is new and different from what you are used to and I guess being frustrated every now and then is only natural.

Just fresh out of college starting my life in Holland was no picnic either. And remember I grew up in Holland, so I am used to how things are here. But still there were some pretty frustrating times here too. Not being able to get my own place right away because of the shortage in housing in Holland. I had to wait for two years to finally be able to move into my house (a rental, I could not afford to buy my own house otherwise it would have been faster). Then I had to deal with the electricity company that just kept overbilling me. The city council that billed me a city tax for a family of 4, instead of a single person as the old tenant was still registered to my address and could not be removed as he had not given permission to be removed from my address (he was pretty much MIA and could not be traced). And a couple of other issues that were very very frustrating to deal with as nobody even remotely seemed to be wanting to help me out or assist me. But I survived (sort of LOL).

I guess I pretty much expect starting out in the US will be the same. Very nice, but frustrating at times too. We'll see. Either way I am so ready. But as always I have to be very patient. Not my strong suit, when it comes to things that affect me personally.

But reading the weblogs is very nice. And the number of weblogs keeps growing every day. I have yet to find weblogs of people that have done the opposite. Americans moving from the US to Holland. I know they are out there. I just wonder if they keep logs. It would be fun to read what they are going through.

Why I like the USA

2006-08-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

Why do you like the US so much? That is a question that I am being asked more often than not. I used to answer with a “Why Not?” basically being a little annoyed by being asked that question in the first place. I guess I just tend to get defense when it comes to the US. Us USA-lovers always seem to have to defend why we like the US so much, and that can get tiring sometimes.

So why do I like the US so much? It’s a question that I can’t easily answer. It has more to do with feelings than anything else.

From a very early age I have been (made) aware of the US. My grandparents and dad used to live there in the late 50s and they would tell me about it when I was little. Stories that were always filled with enthusiasm and stories about all the jobs my grandfather had held and my dad swimming in the swimming pool in the yard and how the weather was always nice. And for some reason I knew who President Reagan was before I knew who any of the Dutch leaders in parliament were. Not that a 8-or-9-year-old would know, but would you average 8-or-9-year-old know who the President of another country is? I just felt connected with the US somehow and to this day I can’t explain why. It must have been the stories I guess. It couldn’t really be the television as I wasn’t watching much of it back then. At least nothing much US related when I was younger.

And then when I was 14 my parents took me on my very first vacation to Orlando, Florida. Basically the US was exactly as I had pictured it, people being very friendly not judgmental, and everyone is so service oriented and everything is pretty much possible. I felt at home right away and fell in love with the US right then and there. After my first vacation another vacation followed when I was 16. And again it was just as I had remembered it. Then I went on a student exchange at MSU in Michigan and did my internship in Orlando. Years later this was followed by vacations in California and Arizona. And again I felt right at home.

Of course the US isn’t perfect. What country in the world is? But for me it is perfect enough. Yes the rules and regulations in the US are different from Holland, but that is something that you just have to take into account when going to the US and respect the rules there. And I have definitely experienced some of the not so nice sides of the US during my exchange and internship, and let me tell ya that was no picnic, but I survived. And no matter how tough it sometimes got, and how much I sometimes felt like getting on that plane and just go home, I never did. Overall I still had a lot more positive experiences in the US and that’s what got me through. If I had left prematurely I guess I would have regretted for the rest of my life. It definitely was a blast being part of the American Society for almost a year and a half. And after my internship it was time for me to go back to Holland, graduate college and find a job.

I guess ever since coming back from my internship in Orlando (or maybe even before that), I was never really able to get settled again in Holland. I just felt like I did not fit in anymore. For some reason Holland seemed changed. But I guess it was me that had changed actually. What really did not help was that I was not even able to get my own house when I came back and was forced to move back in with my parents after having lived on my own for 5 years when I was in college in Holland and then the US. It took me almost 2 years of waiting before I finally had my own place again. What also made it worse was that I was not able to get a job in the industry I had studied for (hospitality). It has taken me several jobs in different industries to finally be in hospitality and even now I know that my potential for growth is slim. Why? Well quite simply not enough higher management jobs and too many qualified candidates. Not to say that it will work out in the US but I do have a better shot at things there.

So in short why do I like the US:
*People are very friendly, courteous and respectful (of each other and the arm of the Law)
*Houses are easily available there, no shortages or waiting lists that go on for years and years and years.
*If you work hard, you are rewarded. If you slack, you are not sharing in anything
*More and better career options in hospitality (even though I might not even end up there)
*More space and room to move around, not as crowded as it is here
*Low gas prices…but now I am getting carried away so I’d better leave it at this.

Posts

2006-08-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have been to this weblog previously...Yes I have deleted some of my posts. In retrospect I felt it was better not to post about my earlier travels and exchanges in the US. All these events have taken place years ago and as I never kept a log back then it was a bit hard to recapture it all. It just did not work out as I had hoped it would. It just did not capture it quite. I have been to the USA recently. Well recently... last year but still for some that might be considered as very recent. In a future post I will tell you all about my previous experiences in the USA but I will keep it brief, it won't be the long travel logs that you see on most weblogs.

Plus another thing to delete my travel log posts was the reason why I started this weblog in the first place. It is aimed towards an event that will hopefully take place not too far away into the future...me moving to the USA on a green card...and I kind of want to keep it that way.

Until my next post...

DV2006 and DV2007

2006-07-20T07:47:00.000-07:00

Just a little update regarding the DV lottery. I just checked the Visa Bulletin for July and noticed that they have posted some info regarding the DV 2007.

For the DV2007 KCC has received 5.5 million qualified applicantions. Meaning that the actual number of applications received is even higher. Applications can be disqualified if for example the required photo is not up to standards or the application form was not filled in correctly.

Out of these 5.5 million qualified applicants 'only' 82.000 people world wide received the First Notification letter. There are 50.000 visas available and as always it is expected that a large number of the first 50.000 applicants notified will not pursue the Green Card application after all. Why is beyond me but at this point, the fewer people actually continue with the application the better it is for me and all the others that really do want that Green Card. Anyway, for this reason alone some 32.000 additional applicants received the 1st Notification Letter. From August 15 on the cut off numbers for the DV2007 will be published every month. If I look at the historic data up until DV2005 my number would be up in October already. If I look at last year (DV2006) my number will not be up until December. Let's just hope that DV2006 was the exception to the rule and that DV2007 will follow the same trend as all other DVs before 2006. Personally I just can't wait to move to the USA permanently, so let's hope my American Dream will come true...
For DV2007 some 88 fellow Dutch received a Notification Letter and 57 people from Belgium. The next couple of months are going to be quite exciting for all of us :-)

Sue in the USA

2006-07-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

I just realized that eventhough the title of my weblog is Sue in the USA, I have not posted anything here relating to that subject. That is nothing that relates to me actually being or having been in the USA. I have been to the US on several occassions. In 1990, 1991, 1999-2000, and 2004 I went to Orlando, FL. In 1990, 1991 and 2004 for a vaction. From 1999-2000 for an internship (nope not with Dinsey). In the summer of 1998 I went to NYC and Atlanta. In 2000 and 2005 I went to Los Angeles, CA and in 2001 I went to Tuscon, AZ with a trip to San Diego CA. As you can see I still have a lot of travelling in the USA to do. But I am pretty sure that once I actually live in the US permanently there will be plenty of time for short trips around the country. After all it only takes 6 hours or so to fly across the country so plenty of opportunity to travel during weekends then.

For my next posts I will start writing about my trips to the USA. It might take awhile so keep checking back.

What I might miss in the USA

2006-07-04T03:34:00.000-07:00

A possibility to move to the US for good...I can tell you that it is never far from my mind. I can't help it, it is such a life altering opportunity that I just can't help but think about it all the time.

For example, this morning I read this post on an expat site about the Dutch:
"French fries can be found most anywhere and the favorite place to find the Dutch is at a French fry stand. If you order “patat met” it is French fries with mayonnaise, which is the favorite of the Dutch."
And the first thing that crossed my mind that my favorite kind of mayonnaise (called Zaanse Mayonnaise which has a bit softer bite and is not as souer) is definitely not available in the US. Ok there are other kinds of mayonaisse which willd efinitely do, but there is no mayonaisse available at the local fast food joint. There will be an abundance of ketchup and dip sauses (ok these are oficially for the chicken nuggets) available but no mayonnaise. And if there is one thing that I do not like it is dipping my fries in ketchup...Well, I guess I had better get used to it then ;-)

Then I started to think about what else I would miss. And basically other than my family and friends I could not really think of anything. So I guess that is a good thing.
I will definitely not miss the Dutch bread. I'm not much of a bread eater and have always prefered the US breads. I might miss the Dutch cheeses a little bit but I am sure I will find a good substitute such as Swiss or Emmentaler or the likes. Plus most US supermarkets have Dutch cheeses as well.

I guess the hard part of my move to the US is having to start all over again. I have to find my apartment, pay deposits and connection fees for the rent, gas, electricity, cable TV, telephone etc. I have a credit card here in Holland but in the US I have to earn my right at a credit card again. It really is like starting over. But in a way I kind of like that thought as well. Plus if I had stayed in Holland I would have moved as well so you need to pay a lot of fees then too.

On the other hand I have a lot of things to look forward to in the US as well. My family and friends in the US. Being able to go to Starbucks and get my Caramel Macchiatto. Having the opportunity to really become a big shot in the fast food or leisure industry. Here in Holland as these industries are not even remotely as big as in the US at a certain point in time you are just kind of stuck at certain positions and you basically have to wait and be very very lucky to advance. This is mainly because the higher management positions in these small industries do not become available that often. The Leisure industry is heavenly depended on seasonal workers and does not have a lot of full time and permanent positions. Fast food? Well we hardly have fast food in Holland. McD only 230 locations, BK 50 locations, KFC about 20 and then there are 30 or so Subways but Subway is mostly managed by the franchisees and does not have a Restaurant Management Program (or beyond) and positions available. So I really hope that in the USA I will be able to advance beyond Restaurant General Manager.
What else, oh yeah cheaper gas prices, affordable cars, Krispy Kreme donuts, Dunkin Donuts, not being the smallest person in a large group of people (Dutch people are too tall). Basically this list is endless ;-)

I really can't wait...

I guess it might happen after all

2006-06-29T09:19:00.001-07:00

Well, after some initial hesitation I have decided to post on this log the initial reason why I want to start keeping this log. On April 24 2006, something amazing happened. Something I had always hoped for but never dreamt that it would actually happen to me. I received a letter from the Kentucky Consular Center in Kentucky. For those of you that are not familiar with this institution, it is a US government institution responsible for (among other things) sending out Notification letters for people that have signed op for the Diversity Visa lottery (aka Green Card Lottery), to let them know that they have been selected to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa for the USA. Once obtained it will give the holder the right to live and work permanently in the USA. Well, I received that first Notification Letter from the KCC on April 24. For those of you who know me very well, you know that it has always been my dream to work and live in the USA one day and basically leave Holland for good. So when I opened my mailbox that evening and saw a letter that came from an organization called Kentucky ...(rest was obstructed by other mail) I initially thought it came from Kentucky Fried Chicken (me being in the fast food industry and all) and how odd it was that they did not use their well known logo and why on earth they would even be sending me a letter in the first place...Then it dawned on me that maybe this might be The Letter. I quickly took the letter out of the stack and to my utmost surprise it read Kentucky Consular Center. You cannot imagine the sheer joy and happiness that I felt at that point and also somewhat a feeling of disbelief. Like "Could this really be happening to me? Is this for real?" I opened the letter and there is was my 1st Notification Letter and all the necessary forms that I had to fill out. Wow, a dream comes true. I had lived in the US before. I went to MSU for a semester during a student exchange and after my exchange I continued doing an internship in Orlando Florida. After my internship I was pretty reluctant to come back and always hoping that I would get the opportunity to one day return to the US for good. Well given the difficulties obtaining a permanent visa this was not likely to happen anytime soon. But there was always the DV lottery. I had been participating in this lottery ever since I was 18 and before that my parents had entered as well, but I/we had never any luck with it. Until April 24 2006 that is :-) So I keep mentioning a 1st Notification letter. Is there a second? Oh yes. Basically every year the US government gives out 50.000 green cards via the lottery. But every year they notify 100.000 applicants. This is because it turns out that of those 100.000 applicants the majority decides not to pursue the green card after all. This because they might not qualify after all (at least a secondary education at a certain level, or two years of work experience in specific occupations, financial resources, and at least a postal address in the US) or they do qualify but do not want to pay the fees you need to pay (yes there are fees and also a bunch of paperwork and documents that need to be obtained) , or they have decided that now they actually have a shot at obtaining a green card it is getting a bit too creepy as they would have to leave their high paying job, house, family etc or maybe they have applied only to find that their loved ones (spouse, kids) are not up for it. There are so many reasons why people would decide not to pursue the rest of the application process the list is basically endless. Anyway, that is why they invite almost double the number of people than available visas because they want to make sure that all 50.000 available visas are actually all being assigned to willing applicants. Millions of people from all over the globe apply for the DV lottery each year. And of these millions only 100.000 actually get the wanted 1st Notification Letter. Basically the odds of actually getting that letter are slim to none. I was very very lucky this year. There are people that apply for the DV lottery for the first time and get a Notification letter, but there are also people out there that have applied for 5, 9, 15 or more years in a row and have never seen any letter coming their way. Is there a best time, date etc to send in the online application? Not really. It really is just a matter of sheer luck and nothing else but that. Last week it was confirmed to me by the KCC that they have received and are now processing my paperwork. I have to wait for them to assign me an interview and basically interviews are assigned per the order the paperwork that had to be returned comes in. As the KCC send out the first notification letters in steps it is usually the case that the lower numbers, will also be returned first and will therefore get the earliest interviews assigned to them. Well at least I know that my paperwork was received, so all I can do now is wait for the interview appointment. As my number is fairly low, most likely I could be assigned an early interview. Let’s hope so. From people that have already been through this process I know that the notion of the possibility of obtaining that Green Card and actually moving to the US for good is basically controlling your daily life and is never from anyone's mind. That is oh so true. Not a moment goes by that I do not think about it...the likely possibility of my dream finally coming true. In this log I will keep you posted on what is going on from now on. In the beginning I might not have regular updates, but the more a reality this opportunity is likely to become, the more I will post.

Just a test

2006-06-11T02:46:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Thank you for coming to my weblog. Basically this post is a test.

Eventually if my dream comes true, I will be keeping a weblog regularly to keep my friends and family updated on my whereabouts.

I'm currently in the process of not only working on making my dream come true, but also trying out this thing called weblog. I'm completely new to this weblog thing so bear with me. I should be posting here on a somewhat regular basis and I will try posting links, photos and all that, so keep coming back.

Sue