Settling down.

Nothing too exciting has happened over the last few days...I'm getting into a groove here, between work and going out.

Thursday I met up with this man who used to teach in the Enviro program at my school, but now is a professor at the Institute for Social Sciences in Den Haag. I got his name from the director of the ES program, in hopes that he can help me sort out my future and figure out what the hell I'm going to do with my life after graduation. He was extremely helpful. It turns out that although in the States, it is highly recommended that you work for two years and then go back to grad school, the international arena does not work that way. Because of the diversity in undergraduate programs on a global scale, you are nearly unemployable without a masters or higher. So, if I really want to get into international environmental policy (which, at this point, it looks like I do) it would be better for me to go directly to grad school, and internationally, as well. Or I could do Peace Corps and THEN grad school, but unless I plan on staying in US domestic policy, I shouldn't bother working for a couple of years between.

And I might decide to stay in US domestic policy. Obama's campaign leaves a lot to be desired on the environmental front (actually, all the candidates' do) and I would love to work on something like that, if I could find a way to get my foot in the door. So in that case, it would make sense for me to stay in the states and work, since I probably wouldn't need a masters to be a low-level campaign researcher for Obama's environmental advisors.

Anyway, it's all very terrifying, there being so many possibilities and I have NO idea where I'll end up. But if I've learned anything so far, it's that not knowing is okay - I will be able to meet people wherever I am and make friends and handle myself all right. Which is a relief to know.

After that meeting on Thursday night, I went out with some Dutch people I met in a bike shop; we had a great time - turns out they have very similar interests as I do, and they share many things with my Chicago friends (they watched TMNT and ThunderCats growing up, they are into politics, they're nerdy but socially adept, they throw costume parties, etc etc), which meant I felt comfortable around them perhaps unjustifiably quickly. But in any case, it was a good time.

Then on Friday I went out dancing with Kim and the International Criminal Court crowd, which was a little awkward at first because I'm (obviously) not part of the ICC. Everyone who I've met from there are either lawyers or on their way to becoming a lawyer (and in Europe and other countries you can get a law degree as an undergrad, so even if they are only 25 they could have already worked as a lawyer for 2 years, and now are doing an internship at the ICC to get into Int'l law). But, I knew a few people already (Marta, Miriam and Kim) and that was enough to make me comfortable enough to meet new people. I ended up talking for a while to a girl from the States who did Teach for America; she was visiting her Kenyan boyfriend for the summer, who she met studying abroad as an undergrad, and the three of us talked about education, Obama, and Africa. It was great.

I think that's the most amazing thing about this whole trip - the people I'm meeting. And it's not because I'm travelling so much but rather because The Hague is so international to begin with, and in the Courts especially, so through Kim alone I've met so many diverse, interesting people from all over the globe. It's crazy. Everyone speaks French. Maybe I should learn?

Saturday evening I went to Miriam's place for a wine-and-cheese thing with the ICC crowd. It was really great - Jiri came with Marta and another guy from the ICC brought some non-ICC friends, so it ended up not being all ICC and me, which is how it looked at the beginning.

Saturday during the day though I was lazy, I did nothing...and I feel like that's how today will go as well. The weeks have begun to pass so quickly that I can't even believe another weekend has arrived, and I'm so exhausted to do anything during the day! And Miriam made a good point last night - when you are in school even your weekends are filled with studying and other things to do. When again will I have the opportunity to not set an alarm on the weekends? Definitely not during the year. So as long as I'm taking advantage of being abroad in some capacity, either by travelling a little or even just meeting a whole slew of diverse and interesting people who I wouldn't meet at home, I think I'm doing okay, and I shouldn't overstress myself to try and do something new every weekend or see a new city every weekend. It's too much. I'll burn out!

Enough for now. I'm off to do laundry. :)