Reminiscing About Holland

Ray Wilson
English Composition 1 / Section 035
September 9, 2013
Essay #1
Reminiscing About Holland
Holland is famous for its dikes and windmills, but there are many other things to do and see. They have wonderful museums, Anne Frank’s dairy, beautiful flowers, outstanding cheese and good beer. They even have a theme park that is an interactive miniature city called Madurodam. Being stationed there in the U.S. Air Force was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I found Dutch people to be very friendly. They will do almost anything to help you; as the adage goes, they would give you the shirt off of their backs. I wanted to experience as much as I could while living there. Their outstanding roadways and public transportation make it easy to get around. I wanted to travel and experience Holland in a different way, and it was here I took my first train trip.
It was a beautiful summer day, with plenty of sunshine, and a great day to be outside. I lived in De Bilt, a quaint, little town located in the heartland of Holland. I wanted to do something different that day. I was feeling adventurous. As I glanced through the local newspaper, it hit me. Why not go to Madurodam, the miniature city, in The Hague? I had never been there before. My girlfriend suggested I take the train because this would also allow me to relax and really enjoy the trip. On days like this, the roadways would be crowded. Not having to worry about directions and parking was a big relief. Traveling in a foreign country, as a 19 year old, can be challenging, especially when you are alone. My girlfriend and I normally travelled together. Because she had to work, I was on my own with no one to translate. I was a little nervous, to say the least.
As I walked to the train station, which was only fifteen minutes away, I noticed there were a lot of people out. The bike paths were more crowded than normal with bicycles and mopeds. The neighborhood kids were playing soccer in the street. They asked...