A little lagged on updating my journey, but now that I have settled into my new home and lifestyle, Nijmegen is feeling like the perfect place for me. At first, I was very much experiencing a mix of anxiety, stress, and general culture shock. On my first day I managed to not only get off the bus four stops too early in Nijmegen, causing me to walk 25 minutes with all my luggage, I also managed to take a wrong bus later that same night to another end of the city all the way to the last stop - this time I walked 45 minutes in the freezing cold on 10% phone battery life. However, I learned more and more about how to make it in Nijmegen every day, and by the end of my first week I had a way to track the bus schedule, learned where the nearest grocery store was (Lidl), and had explored a swathe of the bustling city center! Pictured top left in the photos is my first serving of Dutch fries with mayo and curry sauce which I picked up in the city center. I learned that friet is the Dutch word for fry - not to be confused with fiet, which is bike. I learned the hard way that you cannot order a bike at a fry stand.
During my second week in the City, I was more comfortable running errands, cooking for myself, and meeting new people. I have even rented a bike to get places a little farther in the city and have learned to not bike between 4:30-8 PM because that is when everyone in the city is either on their way to or from dinner, which is very important to the Dutch, so I walk or take the bus during those hours! Pictured top right is the most I could get of the brand new social sciences building because it is just that big; it is an entire building for psychology and other social sciences degrees at four stories tall! The campus manages span over a few blocks but still feels quick and easy to navigate. I don't make it to campus every day as some classes are online, but I get there 2-3 times a week for my Intergroup Relations lecture and Work Psychology study group. This past Friday I managed to bike my way to a residential area of the city where an old-school windmill is still in use.
While I have since learned that Nijmegen is in fact not that big, because of the city's design, it is easy to make it to the grocery in 15 minutes like back in the states. The difference is that I am walking a few blocks towards a mini-mall with a number of small shops and a Turkish diner. I am quickly earning my way towards becoming 'a regular'. These first weeks have been extra challenging for me given that I am very much risk-adverse, but I plan on challenging myself to explore and engage in unique experiences to share with you all here, so please keep reading! In fact, I have a special post planned about my trip this past weekend to the city of Utrecht coming later this week :)
*Pictured bottom right is a nighttime view of the market square in city center where the vendors set up shop for the flea market every other Saturday. There a number of hotels, shops, and restaurants on either side of the square. Bikes, pedestrians, and cars all share the space when passing through.