We were going to Germany for the weekend. It was quite a weird feeling of going to another country for the weekend because Australia is far away from everything. So, you can’t go very far whereas, here you can take a 1-hour plane trip to go to another country. My mum and I flew to Berlin where we met my dad. That day was an early start and late finish. My mum and I had to wake up at 4 AM to catch a bus to the station. Unfortunately, we got the wrong bus and we ended up going the opposite way! We managed to get to the airport and flew to Berlin. When we arrived we were so tired and I fell asleep on the train ride to our hotel. That night we were going to meet up with some friends who moved to Berlin from Sydney, meaning we wouldn’t get home until later that night. It was so cool to see them after not seeing them for 5 years. We were very tired the next day so, I didn’t do much the next day 

On the last day, we went to the East Side Gallery which once was the Berlin Wall. It was a wall built in 1961 that divided East Berlin from the West. After the Germans lost the 2nd World War, the Americans and English wanted to create a capitalist economy and democratic system, whereas the Soviet Union (now known as Russia) wanted to influence East Germany into communism. This is when the Cold War began. But the Soviets and East Germany said they wanted to keep capitalism out. The ruling countries disagreed with ideas for the country hence the Berlin Wall was built. Some people from the East wanted to flee to the West because they preferred the living conditions there. The majority of people wanted to move to the West because the economy was thriving and they had more rights than the East.  

On November 9th 1989 the Berlin wall came down. There were political changes in Eastern Europe that put pressure on East Germany to allow people to travel to the West. Now the remains of the wall are covered in murals and graffiti. The art was mostly focused on a time of change and expresses hope and a free future.

Two weekends later we went back to Germany but this time we were going on a boat, for 7 hours, on the Rhine River. The Rhine is a river that flows through 6 countries. It starts in Switzerland and then flows through Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands before flowing out the North Sea. In the 19th century, it was used for exporting goods and trading. Along the river, there are lots of castles that were used as a type of toll. If there were ships along the river they had to pay a toll or they wouldn’t be able to trade. The river itself wasn’t that interesting. I found the boat ride very unenjoyable.

When we arrived, we didn’t do much other than getting used to our neighbourhood again. Two days went by and we had to rent a bike so I could go to my school and collect my textbooks. Once we did, we rode to my school which was about half an hour away, which seems really close, but it’s a bit further than you think. Especially when you make several miss turns. We got to my school and of course, it was empty, but it felt bigger and more intimidating than when we came here last time. While collecting my textbooks, we met my mentor and English teacher who was very nice, and she showed me where to go the next day. At that point, I wasn’t that nervous until I got home and started to think of the worst-case scenario. For example, what if I fell off the bike path and got run over by a car or that everyone would think I was a weirdo because of my “Australian accent’’. Thankfully, it was the complete opposite.

Nearly every kid rides a bike to school so I had to too. Surprisingly it was quite a pleasant ride even with all my textbooks. When I first arrived at the classroom, I was not being myself. I was being very awkward and reserved which felt a bit odd, but during the first break I got to know everyone outside a classroom setting. I found out the class always sat together, which I think is really cute. They were super sweet and to say the least they liked my ‘’accent’’. I have no idea what they’re talking about! They were all really kind to me and seemed like an amazing group of people to be around.

I was in a bilingual class meaning the kids are Dutch, but they were learning to speak English. Some of them only started to properly learn English one year ago and they were all so good at it already. The classes were not at all what I expected. All the classes were very laid back until the teacher started talking about grading. At the school I go to (I don’t know if everywhere in the Netherlands is like this) if you don’t get a specific amount of points you don’t progress to the next year. That’s a bit crazy, but I guess it makes the students work harder. We had 2 classes cancelled so we had 2 free periods or lessons. We were exchanging stories and they thought some of the things we do in Australia are weird because they don’t do it or the other way around. Even the school bell times were way different than ours in Sydney. Here they start school at 8:20 am and finish, at the latest, at 2:25. Sometimes they even start at 9:05 and end, at the earliest, 11:00. How lucky! When the teacher is unavailable, they have a free period. No substitute. They get a free lesson. Our two last periods got cancelled so we got to go home at 11:40. When I got home I had to do a little bit of homework, thankfully not that much, but I got it done. For the first time ever I was excited to go to school the next day. One of my biggest fear was not fitting in because the kids in this class have been together for a year already but a very special thanks to Lieske, Niels, Daan, Noor and many others for making me feel welcome on my first day of school. You’re all too kind.  

On the bike ride to school, I wasn’t being that observant because I was busy overthinking and I didn’t notice all the nature we are surrounded with. On my ride home I noticed all the trees and greenery.  There was even a small lake. On my way to school! How cool is that? Our neighbourhood in Wageningen is also very pretty and is even surrounded by a star-shaped moat. We live near the city centre where there are very cute and petite cafes. You can, illegally, ride your bike around the city and look at it all. I went to bed jittering that night excited for the next couple of days of fun. 

The next day of school was a bit more school-ly. You know? We started doing textbook work, which isn’t that bad, and that’s what will be going to be in our tests. It was the second day of school and they were already talking about tests. All the kids in my class are very smart but the second day? It was very overwhelming, but whatever floats your boat. After about a week here I started to like it more and more. My dad managed to pull some strings and we will be staying here until mid-November. Meaning this is 5 moons across Europe. My friends back home were not too happy to hear this but they told me to enjoy my time here and make the most of it because it will go by in a breeze.

The time has come for the World Transplant Games. When we first arrived in Newcastle, we had a team meeting to introduce ourselves and make some friends from our team. When we arrived, I didn’t recognise anyone, because the last time I went to the games was when I was 8, which was unfortunate. I introduced myself to Dana, Brad and Amelia and they quickly became very close friends of mine. The next day was a ‘discover Newcastle’ day, but my mum and I went shopping. For me it all started on the 17^th of August with the opening ceremony where there was a parade of over 50 countries participating in the transplant games. We had to walk from Eldon Square, a shopping strip, to Sport Centre, where most of my events are and it felt like 5 minutes. Since Australia is at the front of the alphabet, we arrived second and got to see all the countries file in. It took a while. Once all the countries had arrived there were a lot, I mean a lot, of speeches which took VERY long but was very inspiring.

 18^th of August was the beginning of the events in the morning was the Gift of Life fun run. This was the only event that supporters were allowed to participate in, so my mum and dad did. Finishing the race was very satisfying, but I was not ready for my bowling practise later that day. Once we arrived at the bowling alley there were already 2 little French boys who were crazy good at bowling which made me very intimidated. Luckily, I got in some training, so I did improve, and I was all set for the bowling comp the next day. When we arrived at the alley there were a lot of kids participating especially from the USA, but fortunately none in my age group. In my bowling alley there were 3 girls 1 from Hong Kong, 1 from France and 1 from Australia. That was me! Anyway, the girl from Hong Kong was very sweet but, also very professional. The girl from France was very sweet too but didn’t really care about here score. We would play 3 games then it was time for the medal ceremony. Halfway through out last game I glanced across all the scoreboards and stopped when I saw 8 x’s in a row. That means 8 strikes in a row. My jaw just dropped. Once our game had finished, I congratulated him and wandered over to the medal ceremony and found out I got gold in my age group and silver in under 18s woman. I was very proud of myself. 🙂

Later that day I had badminton training which I was nervous for but was very fun. When we arrived at Sport Centre there were no courts free, so we had to practise on the side while we waited. Once we finally got a court, I found out that there were more rules than I thought which made me more nervous. The next day was competition day and what made me even more nervous was watching my friend do so well in his game, and this made me dread my first game. There were 4 people in my round robin, so I had to play against all of them. There was 1 girl from Great Britain, 1 from Hong Kong and 1 from Japan. It was definitely harder than I thought, but I still had fun. That night was the cultural evening at the Science Centre and it was not what I expected. There were lots of brain tricks and mind puzzles. There was one trick where there was a bubbler inside a toilet, that has never been used, that triggers something in your brain that makes you think you’re actually drinking toilet water. Overall it was a very fun night.

During the badminton games, the table tennis tables were allowed to be used while you were waiting for your games. I was a bit rusty at the beginning but thank goodness I got better and I plan to continue training until the Australian Games next year. The Australian Transplant Games are like the Worlds but just for Australian transplant recipients. The next day was table tennis and there were only 3 people in my round robin. 2 girls from Great Britain and myself. The games were so fun nothing like what I expected. Right behind our table was the boys under 18s and they were crazy good. Like crazy good. I just gawked. Once again, I got gold in my age group and silver in women under 18s.

On the last day of the games I wasn’t competing in anything, so I went to the athletics to support my team. At the end there was a relay which for some reason I really enjoyed because 2 of my friends were running and I was so happy to see them having a great time. After the athletics was the Gala Evening which is like a school dance, but much more fun. After the speeches it was finally time to have some fun, so Brad and I played pegged. The game is where you have to pin a koala on someone without them noticing. We managed to peg 2 people. Go us! It was a bit bitter sweet because it was that night that I started becoming closer with people from other countries. It was a very fun way to spend the last night with all my friends. It’s a shame that I only will be able to see them in 2 years. At the next world transplant games in Houston, Texas. Unless, I go to Tackers which stands for Transplant Adventure Camp for Kids which is a ski trip in the Swiss alps with other kids who have been through the same thing I have. That camp goes for 1 week every year and I hope I will be able to go.

It’s so crazy that in one week I could make friendships that last a lifetime. I have made friends from Great Britain, France and Hong Kong. They all have amazing stories so similar to mine. It only makes me more eager to see them in 2021. My next stop is The Netherlands, where school starts.

We were only going to 2 places in Spain. Our first stop was Girona. We took a high-speed train, that could go up to 200km per hour, to Girona. In Girona, we were meeting my best friend, Lola, and her family in our Airbnb which wasn’t that far from the station. When we got to the Airbnb, Lola and her parents were at the café just below our place, so we saw them straight away. Once we got settled, we went out to dinner, since there were 8 of us (Lola has 2 brothers), it was hard for us to find a place. We finally found a restaurant that could cater to 8 people. It was a Spanish restaurant – the perfect way to start our journey in Spain. The first full day we had in Spain we went to a part in Girona where a part of Game of Thrones was filmed. On the third day, we went to a ‘beach’ called Cadaques. I assumed it would be like our beaches in Sydney with soft sand and going into the water and feeling the white sand under your feet and between your toes. I was wrong. The sand wasn’t sand. It had little crushed shells instead and when you go into the water you have to wear shoes, so you don’t cut your feet.

Our last stop in Spain was the city of Barcelona. In Barcelona, we went to a cool church called Sagrada Familia. They started building the church in 1882 and have yet to finish it. The architect, Antoni Gaudi, was very famous, so they are hoping to finally finish the masterpiece in 2026 or 100 years after he died. The outside of the church was very big and castle-like, while the inside of the church was very extravagant. We had an audio guide, which is a guide that is recorded and given to you, that led us through the Basilica. When you look at it at first glance you wouldn’t know all the stories behind every statue, window and pillar.  The inside of the Basilica was lit with a kaleidoscope of colours. It was the masses of stained-glass windows that made this effect.

The next country we went to was Italy. We flew from Barcelona to Florence and took a taxi to our hotel. Once we got into our hotel we dropped off our bags and went for a walk around the city. Luckily, our hotel was in the centre of town. When you look down one side of the street you see a statue of Ferdinand De’Medici from the 1600s and with your back to the statue, you will see the Duomo, which is a huge Cathedral.  When you walk around the Duomo you will see lots of artists selling their paintings, or get your portrait or caricature done, around this amazing monument. Most people, when they think of Florence, think of the Statue of David sculpted by Michelangelo and finished in 1504. The Statue of David is a biblical figure from the old testament. The story is about a Shepard, David, who slays the Philistine giant, Goliath, with nothing but a slingshot and pebble. The statue captures David with the slingshot over his shoulder right before he slays Goliath.

The last place we went to in Florence was the Bert Hinkler crash site. If you don’t know who Bert Hinkler is let me enlighten you. Bert Hinkler designed and built early aircraft before being the first person to fly solo from England to Australia. When trying to beat his own record from London to Sydney he crashed in the mountains outside Florence during mid-Winter. His body wasn’t found until the snow melted which uncovered his body. The reason why we wanted to go to his crash site was that he was my great uncle. When we started the track, within the first 10 minutes dad made us get lost. When we finally found our way there was a big blob of icky mud. You know what we sang? You can’t go over it, you can’t go under it, you have to go through it. We just went around it. This happened a lot. When we finally got to the memorial we could sit down and reflect.

Our final stop around the Mediterranean was Rome. The first place we went to was the Vatican City, which is a country in another country, and where the Pope lives. When we got there, there was a big queue outside St Peter’s Basilica that would be out in the scorching sun for 2 hours but luckily we had prebooked tickets so we didn’t have to get a sunburn. This Basilica (a fancy word for a big ol’ church) was so big and everything in there felt very royal. We had another audio-guide for this place.

The next day we went to the colosseum. We had another audio-guide but instead of getting it there we had a podcast audio-guide. It’s insane to think that nearly 2000 years ago this place was used for gladiators. It was the Hunger Games in Rome. Right next to the colosseum was the Roman Forum, which used to be the centre of town in ancient Rome. Julius Caeser was the greatest roman general ever, so they built a temple in the Roman Forum, where he was cremated. We visited the ruins of the temple where people place offerings of flowers or coins. The temple of Vestal Virgins was where they kept a sacred flame that if it ever went out all of Ancient Rome would be ruined. The vestal virgins got special privileges such as special seats in the colosseum and also got to free anyone from prison. Next, we will be going to the UK for the transplant games. I’ll keep you posted.

We started our Swiss journey in Zurich. A popular part of Switzerland. When we were coming out of the airport it was quite hot. Not what you would imagine going up the mountains. Throughout the day it got hotter and hotter. Then the afternoon came, and it finally cooled down. Perfect for a swim.

 For me most of my time in Zurich was swimming and sleeping. There was a big lake about 15 minute walk down from where we were staying. The lake had a big slide that went into a little freshwater pool. There was also 3 diving platforms of differing heights. The highest was about 3 metres up. doesn’t sound that high but when you get up there it feels a lot worse than it sounds.

Next we went to Neuchatel, to which we had to take a 2 hour train ride from Zurich. The train was quite packed because everyone was going to the mountains to escape the heat. If I’m being honest it wasn’t much different. Still hot, sweaty and humid but luckily there was another lake to cool us down. We met with one of my dad’s friends, who met us at the station and took us to our AirBnb. It wasn’t far from the station but down a big hill. My dad’s friend, Jeremie, was in Neuchatel with his family. He was with his wife and 3 kids, 2 sons and 1 daughter, who we met when we went to the lake. There was a big gathering at the lake with some of Jeremie’s work colleages. In Switzerland they don’t have an offical Swiss language, but they have borrowed languages from other countries, which include French, Italian and Swiss German. Jeremie’s family spoke French because they came from the French speaking part of Switzerland.

Our last stop in Switzerland was Grindelwald or, as some people know it, the Swiss Alps. It’s a lot cooler once you get up the mountains. My mum, dad and I went on a walk up the mountains but, my dad didn’t take into account that I had a sprained ankle so it only got worse. Thanks dad! Other than the agonising pain in my left foot, the views were alright. Walking up the mountains all you could hear were cow bells, which I found annoying. It was meant to be about a 2 hour walk which turned into 4 because my ankle and it was mostly uphill. Once we got halfway there was a restaurant with a really cool view of the glaciers. We were meant to go another 2 hours but we knew it would be another 4. My mum and I took the bus home but dad continued. On the bus back I FaceTimed Central, my youth group in Sydney, which put a smile on my face. Next stop: Barcelona, Spain

I had my interview with my school in Wageningen and surprisingly it went well. The school was very different to my one in Australia. There were 2 main buildings. Senior and junior. I will be in the junior building in the bilingual class. the school I am going to is a bilingual school meaning they speak and teach in Dutch and English. I will be in year 2 in secondary school. The teacher who gave me my interview and tour told me everyone in my class rides to school together. If I’m being honest I thought that riding to school with your friends sounds like the opening to a movie. My class is a total of 24 people, including myself, there are 15 boys 9 girls. School starts at the end of August and 8:20 in the morning to 3 or 4 in the afternoon.

We are doing lots of resting in the Netherlands because we are coming back for a longer period. When we arrived at the house we were staying in Wageningen, the owners had so many bikes. We were allowed to use them so we did! The first ride we went on we had to ride to my school for my interview. It was 20 kilometres there and back. It was sunny on the way there. The way back was a different story. It was very rainy. So we arrived home soaked and freezing. The reason why we rode everywhere was that Holland is known for being very flat so we could go everywhere on a bike. 

My family and I were craving some Indonesian food because that’s what we usually have at home, so we looked around Wageningen and found a few Indonesian restaurants. The reason why there are so many Indonesian restaurants in Holland is that the Dutch colonised Indonesia in the 17th century. So they do have some Indonesian culture here. The food that they had was the same at all of the restaurants we saw. All the food they restaurants sold was all made, displayed and microwaved. Yep, they microwaved their food and then sold it. Most of the restaurants didn’t even bother hiding the microwaves. The food wasn’t that bad but it wouldn’t be my first choice. My mum can make friends very easily so she made friends at every Indonesian restaurant we went to.

We went to an art museum in Amsterdam called the ‘Rijksmuseum’. It held paintings from artists such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer. If you are anything like me and you have no idea who Rembrant was or is, let me inform you. Rembrandt was a Dutch painter from the 17th century and is considered the greatest painter of all time. The reason he was considered a master was that he introduced quite a few painting techniques and the range of art he would do. The museum had one of his most famous works. Nightwatch. The Nightwatch had a laser-sensing machine in front of it to try and identify what the original colours were because overtime the colours have changed. We didn’t end up seeing the Van Gogh self-portrait because we couldn’t find it. We will be able to see a painting by Picasso when we go to Barcelona.

When we went to Amsterdam we met up with two of my primary school friends. Oscar and Georgie. We went with our families to a square with a sculpture of Nightwatch in the middle. Marijuana is legal in Holland so that’s all we could smell in the square. Unfortunately, we didn’t go to the Anne Frank house but we will go when we come back. Also, my brother turned 18 while we were in Amsterdam. He’s so lucky! We also had Dutch pancakes. Which are sweet and savoury. My mum and I had savoury, they would call them salty, pancakes for lunch. Our pancakes had bacon and apple on them. It doesn’t sound that appetising but it was so good. 

The reason we were in Leiden was that my dad had a conference there. My mum and I went to the university to meet dad to get some food. In the uni, they were giving out free muffins, cookies, coffee and tea. My brother went with my mum and dad to Leiden 14 years ago. They wanted to go to the same spot where they took this photo. So we did, since my brother wasn’t there I took a photo in the same spot.

Fun fact! Rembrandt was born in Leiden. While we were in Leiden we visited some family from Toraja, where my grandparents were from, who lived in Gouda. It was Kirana’s 5th birthday and we were there for her party. When we were there, Arnold, Kirana’s dad, showed us the canals and the system. I found out that Holland is actually 3 meters below sea level and if the Dutch weren’t so good at building dams then all of Holland would be underwater. Next stop Switzerland!

We arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark on July 1. This is my first time in Europe. Woohoo!! My family and I are going to Europe in summer, which means I thought it would be like summer in Sydney. It was not. Well some days were, but most were cold, windy and gloomy. It was very unexpected because my Dad and Grandma went before us and they said there was a heatwave going on in Europe. So we packed t-shirts, short pants, summer clothes and little winter clothes. When we arrived in Denmark the heatwave had just past.

We stayed in an AirBnb which was quite pleasant, but the shower was about 60 cm by 30 cm. It was that small. Apart from that it was quite nice. Since my brother was sick, so I had to sleep on the couch. The building we stayed in seemed like quite a common apartment around Denmark. It was a tall brick building with lots of windows to let sun in. Everything in Denmark is designed for really cold weather, meaning there were no awnings or air conditioners. Only heaters.

Our first day in Denmark was just exploring Nørrebro, which was where we were staying. While looking at the historical buildings we also managed to get lost. Once we finally found our way home, we got something to eat and let me tell you jetlag. It hits and it’s bad. We met up with my friend Georgie, from Sydney, and we went to a theme park called Tivoli. My brother, dad and I all went on the biggest rollercoaster. It was twisty turvy, had loops and put you upside down.

Next we went to Sweden. We stayed one night in the city and three nights in a more forested area on the edge of the city. The first day we didn’t do very much except hanging out in an apartment. Once we arrived in the forested area, we straight away we went into the lake. It was such a beautiful spot to have a swim in. We went with my dad, brother, my dad’s friend and his son. There was a rope swing which was recently changed so it was too short to use and Stew, my dad’s friend, nearly jumped off but looked down and didn’t. Phew!

We are going to the Netherlands next, which is probably what I’m most scared for because the first full day I get there I have an interview with my future school. Wish me luck!

Saturday was a whirlwind of events. The night before I had my last youth group for 4 months. Usually we get food afterwards, which is often macca’s, and stay there until about 11:30 pm. That night was no different except I was filled with tears. It was such a fun night I wouldn’t change it for the world, but what I forgot about was that I had to get up at 7 the next morning to get ready for the flight.

It was 8:00 am and we had just left to go to the airport. Once we arrived the first thing we have to go to check in out bags – which always takes the longest – and get something to eat. After that we had to go through more and more security before we got to our gate. We found out then our flight was boarding at 11:00am we had plenty of time. Once we could finally board our plane, we saw someone famous in business class! It was Kate Ritchie from Home and Away. If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t know who she was until my mum told me. The flight wasn’t that bad, it was like any other flight. Bad movies, stinky toilets, but what surprised me was that the food was actually good. Luckily, I got some sleep on the plane, which for me is quite rare. 7 hours later we’ve landed in Jakarta.

Once we had landed and picked up our bags from the baggage claim. My mum, brother and I are awaiting for my uncle to come and pick us up. He finally finds us, and we all get some noodles for dinner. We have to get a grab car, it’s an Indonesian uber, which takes about 15 minutes to arrive. The traffic in Jakarta is crazy so, the longer the car takes the worst the traffic is. The car just happens to be late which means we have to sit through 2 hours of traffic. We reach our house at 9:00 pm which in Australia is 12:00am. I felt so tired, but then my cousins came and we hung out together and that lifted my spirts.

On Sunday night my flight to Copenhagen is at 11:00 pm. I’m not excited because it goes for 14 hours. The longest flight I’ve ever been on is 7 hours so I hope I get some sleep. Wish me luck! See you in Copenhagen.

My Dad’s taking a sabbatical and I’m being dragged along. So this blog will follow me on a journey through Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, France, Italy, Germany and The UK.