Still settling in

I thought it would be hard to sleep in a new place, but I slept like a baby until noon. It may be a couple of more days before I’m over the jet lag…

After unpacking, I set out on today’s adventure at 3pm. It’s really only a 30 minute walk (partly through a park/garden/miniature zoo!) to the School of Business and Economics from my apartment. However, I didn’t have a map (only my limited Google directions); so I got there 4 minutes before the IRO office closed at 4pm! They were so nice and so helpful…they gave me a “welcome” messenger bag full of all of the info I need to know about the university and Maastricht (including a much needed map!).

I then headed toward Maastricht Centrum, the heart of Maastricht. I found what I think is the equivalent of “Deals” for inexpensive hygiene products and a supermarket next door for groceries. Grocery shopping is a very different experience when you have to consider what you can actually carry home and fit in your miniature refrigerator. I got the basics, walked the 2+ miles back to my apartment, cooked a delicious meal for myself, and collapsed on the couch.

Speaking of small fridges, everything here seems much smaller than in the U.S. Everything is also very clean and manicured. It seems as though every house displays a pristine garden no matter how small it is. My apartment, for instance, has a perfectly manicured 4’x4′ lawn in front surrounded by a mosaic terrace.

On that thought, I love my apartment. I can see the Maas River and pier through my front windows (and the RV/trailer camp ground beyond!) and the neighbor’s garden, which has almost a tropical look to it, through my back windows. I have a bedroom with a desk and TV, a livingroom with a pull-out couch and easy-chair, a kitchen/diningroom, and a large bathroom with a washing machine in it.

So my day mostly consisted of a lovely, if loaded down, walk to the city center and back. I feel much more at ease now that my apartment’s stocked, and I bought batteries at the market so that I can begin taking and posting photos.

Tomorrow’s adventure: find a bicycle, figure out the city bus system (if that’s even possible), and sight-seeing in Maastricht!