woensdag 31 december 2014

My hostfamily

Hey there, new years eve!
2014 has been an amazing year!
Soon this week I will write about what I did at New Years Eve here in Idaho!
Currently I'm listening to the Dutch Top 2000 @ Radio 2.
Still a little bit of Dutch in my day today. I miss the Netherlands today. I'm really happy here, but I am happy there too.

Today I'm going to tell you a little bit about my hostfamily!
It's the most amazing hostfamily ever. I am so lucky that I am placed here, it couldn't be better.
My hostfamily does this for the first time this year, hosting a family for EF. They told me that they looked at all the applications without the pictures. My hostdad, Ryan, didn't want to pick an exchange student  by the looks.
I heard they chose me around the beginning of July. Some people hear it really soon, some really late. I came here in Idaho at July 30th, 10:30 pm Mountain time zone. I am eight hours apart from the Netherlands. It's eight hours later here in the U.S.

In my family I have 5 people and then there is me. So total: 6.
Amber, my host mom. Ryan, my host dad. Logan, my older host bro. Kimberlie, my younger host sis. And Trevin, my younger host brother.
My siblings are 18, 16 and 11.
It's an amazing family and there's nothing I don't like about them.

This is a picture of me, Ryan and Kimmi. We were in West Yellowstone a few weeks ago. I always really like those family moments. When you're just with the family, you know? We had that a lot to when I was in the Netherlands.
Family is important, so that's why I'm so happy with both my family back home, and my family here in my new home<3.

This was in Yellowstone too, the old faithful geyser was one of the things I showed in the West Yellowstone National Park Vlog! If you didn't see the video yet, scroll down a bit through my blogposts, and there it is:).
On this picture you see all the kids in the family. Kimmi on the left, then Trevin, Logan, me.

It was so windy up there! Whis was at a really pretty waterfall. These are my host parents:)
Ryan, Amber, me.

I would want to explain more about my family... But it's kind of hard to put personalities in a blogpost. I could do it, but it would be more fun for you guys to maybe really see them. I'm thinking about making a video. To ask them all how they like the exchange year so far. You guys could see them, and learn a little bit about their experience with me. I hope they would also like to make such a video with me! I still have to ask them hehe.

All of them really like motor cycles. When we went camping the second week I was in Idaho, they were all riding their motorbikes, and I was with either Kimmi or Amber at the fourwheeler (quad). 
They also like to do things with the family, like I just explained. There are a lot of moments when we do stuff together with just the family.
All of them can either sing or play the piano, or both. I really love music as you all know; and they do too. That's a really nice thing to share, I think:)


This picture was at the Idaho Falls Airport, when they picked me up. I really hope I kind of made a good impression that day haha. I really don't remember if I was really quiet or not? I was so tired, but I tried to be the best I could be!

I really love my family, and I'll keep in touch with them after I leave Idaho in June.. 
I'm closing this year, 2014, with the half of my exchange year. Five more months to go! It is going so fast, but that's a good thing!
Time flies when you're having fun!
This is the last blogpost of 2014, I love you all guys!
I hope you have the best 2015!
I'll see you soon with the experience of my New Years Eve!

Happy New Year, and good luck in 2015!

X Maartje

zaterdag 27 december 2014

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas and Sinterklaas in Idaho

Long time no see guys!
I am so so sorry about that. In this blogpost I want to tell you about my Christmas and Sinterklaas here in Idaho.

But before I start, I promise that I will soon tell about the next couple of things:
(Coming up blogposts:)
-Yellowstone with pictures
- My host family with pictures
- Thanksgiving weekend
-Homecoming with pictures
-New years eve

These 5 blogposts will show up in the next week. I am on Christmas break, so I'll update you about the few subjects I already experienced, and the new ones: Christmas (this post) and New years eve!

SINTERKLAAS:
I will soon make a video about Sinterklaas too because I filmed a part of it. What we did that day:
I woke up and waaaited for a long time. It was december 5th, the day of Sinterklaas. For you who don't know what that is: Sinterklaas in Santa Clause's brother. He comes with his steamboat, horse and little helpers: zwarte pieten. Zwarte Piet actually means 'Black Pete'. These helpers became black because they drop presents in your show through the chimney. This is a few days before december 5th. On the 5th they knock on your door and run away. They leave you a big sack of presents if you have been good. Otherwise you have to go back to Spain with them in the sack.

              
When it was finally about 5 pm, Trevin, my little hostbrother (11) found out that Sinterklaas had put presents by our Christmastree. We all went upstairs and there was a poem. It said that we all got to open 2 presents.
We ate pepernoten (little hard cookies) and all different kinds of Sinterklaas food.
                                         
Kimberlie and Amber both got an Amsterdam winter hat. The one was pretty pink, and the other one was light blue. Logan, Trevin and Ryan all got wooden shoes. Haha. No they were slippers that looked like wooden shoes. They were orange, black and traditional yellow.
Logan also got a Heineken beer mug with 'Amsterdam' instead of the word 'Heineken beer'. Ryan had a calendar with famous paintings of Johannes Vermeer on it. Amber got (I don't even know how to say this) baking tins(!?) that looked like tulips.
Trevin opened a knex car and Kimmi got eyeliner and nailpolish.

Sinterklaas was awesome:) after that we went to a winter fantasy fair with a lot of pretty decorated christmas trees. We ate pizza and had a fun day!

CHRISTMAS:
In one word amazing! Christmas Eve we went up to Rexburg, grandma en grandpa live there. This was my hostmom's side of the family. We were all together and had fun. We ate dinner and opened presents. I got mickey mouse pj pants and two hats and a scarf. I also got Sally Hansen miracle gel nailpolish, which is really awesome too!
That night we got a lot of snow, which was the best! We still got a white Christmas!

The next morning on  december 25th, I woke up at 6. Shadow was rolling in the snow after I let him outside. I went downstairs and everybody was already there exept my host parents. Logan woke them up and we started opening gifts. It was so awesome! Look what I got!!!!
Especially the pink cowboy boots! Those are the best! Also the blanket (you can barely see it because of all the other stuff) iaa an awesome gift. My hostmom Amber, Trevin and grandma Mangum worked on it! Isn't it amazing!?
I'm so spoiled this day:$
But it was the best Christmas ever.
After we opened the presents, Scott, my older hostbrother came to visit. Everybody in the house was asleep when he came in haha.
After everybody woke up, we gave him presents and he gave us presents too.
A few hours later, the same thing happened with grandma Mangum. She visited with her dog.
When it was about 6, me and Amber went to town to see if any place was open so we could get dinner, but nothing was opened. We ended up eating home made french fries:)

It was the best American Christmas I could imagine. I hope you liked reading about it!

See you soon

X Maartje

Finals and falling in the snow!? #9 America exchange

Yoooo! So... We still had snow here, and ofcourse I'm the one falling on straight ice... Typicallll!
It was the last week of the tri and now I'm in the 4th week of second trimester. This new trimester I have these classes: Chamber choir, English 4B, Government C, Teacher Advisory, US History, Algebra 2B, Business Computer Apps.
My school days last from 8 am till 4:05 pm.
I ended the first trimester with straight  A's by the way! :) 

X Maartje

Homecoming + Snow!? #8 America exchange

This was the first snow we had! The weird part is that Idaho normally has a lot of snow. After this, it all disappeared for a long long time.
Today as I am writing this, it is december 27th. On Christmas Eve, it snowed again! Today we still have a bit of snow and it is supposed to snow again tonight and tomorrow.
I even saw that the Netherlands has snow today! That is kind of cool, and special.

I hope you like this story about my homecoming and the snow!

X Maartje

Yellowstone National Park! #7 America exchange

Hey! This was my trip to Yellowstone! It was so pretty, I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It's such an amazing thing that I've never seen before. Nature can be so beautiful! Enjoy! X Maartje

18 years old!? Presents! #6 America exchange + UPDATE!

Hey guys! I am so sorry I forgot to upload al my videos here... Today I will post all of them, and a blog again! Because I actually never thought about writing anymore.. I was so busy living the life here.
I hope you guys don't mind and still want to read my stories about everything (or the biggest part) of what I did so far.

For the five months I still have to go; I promise I will start writing again. I really regret not writing, so I hope I'll see you soon here on my blog!


X Maartje

maandag 15 september 2014

#5 My highschool story!

Hey! The highschool which I'm going to this year is Snake River Highschool! I'm telling about my classes for this trimester and what I've been doing for school lately!

Hope you liked it!

X Maartje

zondag 14 september 2014

The first days.. Meeting 'America'

So hey there!
July 30th was my flight to the United States. It took forever! I've been traveling for 22 hours and then I was finally there! My first flight was about 9 hours and they gave me a sandwich, tortelini, ice cream, cheese, bread, drinks; everything! Hahah it was really funny because I didn't expect that at all! I watched Divergent, and the woman next to me fainted.. Ohhh...
After my first flight I went to get coffee in Minneapolis. I;ve been waiting for 5 hours and I skyped with Roos Alice en Anco! Yay! I thought I missed my flight at first, freaking out for a few seconds.. But the plane was right in front of me so everything turned out great:D
So then I was at the Salt Lake City airport doing nothing all the time, just whatsapping...
And then.. the last flight to Idaho Falls!!!

 I arrived at the airport in Idaho Falls. My host family was standing there with signs to welcome me. They were so nice to me, from the second I knew them. I'm really happy with my family and I'm really getting used to everything here! 

By the way; I haven't asked them yet if they want to be on this blog, so in this blogspot I'm going to tell you everything about what I have done here the last two weeks. If I've asked them I'll post fun pictures and stories about them as soon as I can!

When I arrived at my new home for this year, I saw the cutest dog alive! his name is Shadow and he is so sweet. He is a golden retriever, I just love him.

Look at him; isn't he adorable!? :D



And I've been shopping! Clearance everywhere haha! But don't worry I didn't buy much; one pair of pants, two shirts (which I can wear to school... I brought tank tops but I'm not allow to wear them to school), two cardigans. And actually.. I didn't buy anything of it! My host mom was so nice and gave me these clothes! I really wanted to pay, but she said; no, it's a gift! 
Really nice of her and I love the clothes so much!


Then, the drive in movie theater! Whut! Haha it was really cool. We went to Driggs, which is a two and a half hour drive for us. The movie theater was called 'the Spud'.  We had an amazing burger out there and we watched two movies. 'Planes' and 'Tammy'. But the funny thing is that I haven't seen them both.. I saw maybe half an hour, but I was still jetlagged so I slept through the biggest part of both movies... :$ Shame on me!

This was the big screen where we watched the movies on; cool or not!?



It's totally summer here, wow! So hot! When the sun shines, you just burn, like, really burn. It's so hot out here. But I think a brought a little bit of the Netherlands with me... They told me it almost never rains here in Blackfoot, but.. since I've been here there were seriously a few days of heavy rain! Look at this!!



My family was so nice to give me some food when I got here, so I had something to eat when I was hungry:) They loooved my stoopwafels and hagelslag haha! I also brought them t- shirts from the Netherlands soccer worldcup. We have pictures of them all but I'll post that when they say they're fine with it:)

I also went shopping in the biggest stores ever. You know, in the Netherlands you have like 'Dirk van den broek' and 'Albert Heijn' but they're all so small! My gosh.. Wal Mart was the biggest store I've ever seen and they sell everything.. Make-up, couches, candles, school supplies, food, cleaning stuff, everything.
And than the shopping malls I'm not used too! Awesome! You know, I like Amsterdam a lot but here it's just so different that everything is inside a big mall. And they just have drive throug everything!
Shame on me, I haven't been to a Starbucks yet! But they even have a drive trhough Starbucks.. Pharmacy, bank, ofcourse Mac Donalds.

I also went camping with my host family and a part of my host moms family. I LOVED it. We went clear up in the mountains and I got to learn how to ride a four wheeler! (Quad). They were all riding motor bikes, and someday I'll try that too. The weather was nice! Sunny, warm and no rain no more! Their camp trailer was so big. We could all six sleep in there, and there was a sort of kitchen in there, a shower, just again: everything! We had a camp fire every night, but I still haven't tried s'mores yet!
We were doing rides everyday and it was just awesome. I slept nice long nights, and we even went swimming in a pool that was heated by nature! It was really hot but I liked it, nice and warm:)






Sorry that this is just online by now but my site would not let me upload it!!!
Some pictures won't upload either:(


Next time I will tell you all about my host family and their big families, my school experience, my 18th birthday, the demolition derby in St. Anthony, the East Idaho State Fair and more!






Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it, see you soon!

Xx Maartje





East Idaho State Fair! #3

Guys! This was last weeks video! It was so amazing, I'm showing you around the Idaho State Fair and my host family is in this video too! Hope you like it! See you soon:)

X Maartje

vrijdag 22 augustus 2014

I brought rain to Idaho...

Hey you!
Here is the second vlog from America! This time I tell about what I did yesterday and I show something new in my house. Sorry that I ended so directly but I filmed this video one time before but then I got interrupted and it was about to happen again haha.

I hope you all like the video! Blogposts don't really work yet:( I hope it will, soon! Thank you for watching and see you soon:)




X Maartje

woensdag 13 augustus 2014

Welcome to Idaho!

Hey there! I have a blogpost prepared for you but my computer don't want to upload it:(
Stupid computer:(
This is a video of me telling a little bit about my home town for this year, Pingree in Blackfoot Idaho.

Tomorrow there will be a post about my first few dayssss.....


Thank you for watching!

Xx Maartje

woensdag 22 januari 2014

Michael Bublé Worldtour Amsterdam 2014 Ziggodome Concert!

Here are the three videos I made about the Michael Bublé Concert!
Hope you love it as much as I did and still do!




X Maartje


zaterdag 18 januari 2014

Song favourites!

I'm a music addict!
I listen to every word in every song, I love lyrics the most in the whole thing.
This is why the songs I listen always kind of discribe me,  I listen them because that's how I feel!

I wanted to give you a top ten of my favourite songs of the moment! Let me know what songs you like, or like me to listen!

There are some artists I listen te most to. I bet some of you will agree of their awesomeness, but some of them are maybe not that popular by people of my age. I am seventeen now by the way.
My favourite artists are Michael Bublé, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. 
Tomorrow is the To Be Loved world tour in Amsterdam, so I am going to see Michael Bublé tomorrow! I'll make a blogpost of the concert soon!

10. It's a beautiful day - Michael Bublé

9. Give it to U - Robin Thicke

8. She Wolf - David Guetta & Sia

7. Morning Sun - Rock Mafia & Miley Cyrus

6. Thrift Shop - Macklemore

5. I knew you were Trouble - Taylor Swift

4. Who's loving you - Michael Bublé

3. Radio Active - Imagine Dragons

2. Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke

1. Drive - Miley Cyrus


I bet you think I don't listen to new music.
Well, I do!!! I listen to the radio everyday, but those songs are just not my favourites!
I stick to the artists I love, and I don't know why hehe.

Let me know about the songs and artists you love! 
Next week I have my exams, and nest weekend I'll post the video and photo's from the To Be Loved tour!

X Maartje