My Valentine Date... in Amsterdam, Netherlands

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#LoveRetirement

#LoveToTravel

#FreeStyleLiving

Since we own the Carraway Guest House in Canal Winchester, Ohio... I had to visit Booking. com's headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands on the main square of the city.

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#CarrawayGuestHouse

#WorkFromAnyWhere

#FreeStyleLiving

We are on a day trip to Bruges, Belgium (thank you Sylvia Nitz for the recommendation) So far today we've identified about 4 other languages. We can't read any of the signs, and we can't understand any of the languages. However, we feel 'right at home'. We pondered how well we would travel only knowing American English. We're learning to say 'yes' in Dutch, German, Spanish, and French.

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#LoveToTravel

#WorkFromAnyWhere

#simplystart

Today, three different couples from three different countries asked us for directions. They were surprised when we told them we were from the US and had only been here a week so far ourselves. All three couples thought we were locals out shopping. I guess I didn't need to worry about fitting into a different culture. (BTW, we knew the directions they were asking about, and we were able to communicate by pointing at their maps).

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#LoveRetirement

#WorkFromAnywhere

#simplystart

I love the open markets, sidewalk Cafe's and street entertainers all over Amsterdam Central. We are really having a great time... but there are hundreds of people every night... Friday, Saturday and today. We can tell it's the weekend!

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#LoveRetirement

#HateToComeHome

#WorkFromAnywhere

Another picture from Amsterdam Central. Marc couldn't wait to ask the guy if he could turn the crank to make the organ play. 

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#LoveRetirement

#HateToComeHome

#WorkFromAnywhere

Today's day trip was the high speed train, then a walking trail to Zaanse Schans, the Dutch Windmill Village, to visit this 18th and 19th century village. Learning how the Dutch lived during this time period is pretty amazing.

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#LoveRetirement

#MyMomWasDutch

#simplystart

The locals said be sure to visit Harlaam, Netherlands. So today, we took the high speed train to Harlaam... visited a church built in the 1500's, then visited a windmill and took a tour, and finally took the train to the North Sea which boarders the Netherlands. We took the time to get to know our guide at the church who was from Germany, our guide at the windmill who was from the Netherlands(which Marc has claimed as his new girlfriend 💕), our lunch server who was from Turkey, a couple on bikes who were from Italy, a man in the elevator who was from Egypt, the guy selling tram tickets who was from Belgium, and finally a 71 year old Jewish gentleman who was from Israel walking his dog in Amsterdam Central. We've not let the different languages, religions, or political views be a barrier; we've been striking up conversations and giving out hugs everywhere...

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#LivingTheDream

#LoveRetirement

#simplystart

Some cultural differences that make you go... "Hmmm" 💕

Free WiFi everywhere in the Netherlands... hotels, restaurants, cafe's, bus, tram and train stations, even on the buses, trams or trains. But no restrooms, no toilets, no public bathrooms... One goes to a central water closet (WC) and it costs ,70 euros, equivalent to 79 cents US dollar. And several have only one bathroom for guys and gals using side by side stalls at the same time. Many a line of folks digging in purses and pockets for change to go to the bathroom. I have to admit, the 'pay' bathrooms are spotless.The money partly goes to paying an attendant to be cleaning and restocking paper and soap the entire time.

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#EmbraceTheCulture

#GetOutThere

#simplystart

So sad... because this is our last day in the Netherlands! ☹️ We did splurge at one of the bakeries with a nutella and banana crepe! We were able to visit with Mario from Albania while he made the crepes. He's been in Amsterdam for only 5 years and learned his English 'on the street'. He wanted to know if Netherlands was better or USA was better. My answer was both are good, just different in some ways... but the same in many ways.

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#GoingToMissAmsterdam

#CantWaitToTravelAgain

#simplystart

Every corner and every street in all of Netherlands had an amazing bakery... or so it seemed.  I behaved, well most of the time!

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#GoingToMissAmsterdam

#CantWaitToTravelAgain

#simplystart

Also on our last day in the Netherlands, we visited an original lock keepers house which is now a cafe' (that actually served coffee) and we toured the Gasson Diamond Center where they cut, polish, export, and sell diamonds. No, Marc didn't buy me one... 😂

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#GoingHome

#CafeWithCoffee

#CantWaitToTravelAgain

Things I noticed while in Amsterdam... there is a bakery on every corner, but no one seems to be overweight, (probably all that walking and biking).They eat fries with mayo, not ketchup, (we're hooked). Bicycles 🚲 and scooters have the right of way, then pedestrians, then buses and cars. Bicycles 🚲 and scooters have their own roadway separate from the car roadway, (electric trams go down the center). When one crosses the street, one must look both ways for bicycles 🚲 and scooters (they fly past going way too fast), then one must look for cars (thank goodness they drive on the same side as we do so I at least look the correct direction), then one must look for trams going both directions in the center of all this. Whew, take a breather on the center pedestrian island... you're half way! Then do it all again to get across to the other side of the street. But this is just for the main streets... There are many small streets (we would think of them as alleys) where all the shops are located. In these 'alleys' one must only watch for speeding bicycles 🚲 and scooters racing down the center. Marc and I decided wherever we go, we wanted to embrace the culture.

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#CreateTheLifeYouWant

#TravelMore

#simplystart

We flew in from Amsterdam, Netherlands late Wednesday night, I caught up on all my office stuff Thursday, and then attended our Happy House Hunters meeting Thursday night. We had a full house at the B&B Friday and Saturday, we went to Chamber Awards Dinner Friday night, then to the Groveport Madison Area Community Choir performance Saturday night. Today we looked at a commercial property in Delaware with our friends and now we're at our lake house in Sandusky drinking a Miami Vice.

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#LoveRetirement

#NeedPassiveIncome

#ButNotALot

I am having dinner with Marc at Texas Roadhouse in Orlando... and all the servers jumped in to dance the Boot Scoot and Boogie. Just what the doctor ordered after sitting on an airplane from Columbus to Orlando. I'm registered for the JMT live event later this week to become a certified John Maxwell Coach, Trainer and Speaker.

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#BootScootBoogie

#LoveRetirement

#GettingCertifiedJMT

On my way to Orlando later this week to the John Maxwell Certification Conference, so we wanted to ride our bikes (that Marc found on craigslist) for a few days to get some exercise before attending the conference. I woke up this morning in my own tiny house (that I bought online for $5k) in Zephyrhills Florida with the aroma of fresh coffee (mom's coffee maker from Lisa Jividen Stropki). You need passive income to have this lifestyle... but not as much as you might think. Life is too short... get on with living!

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#JustGotBackFromAmsterdam

#PassiveIncome

#ICanShowYouHow

Finally... Back out on the bike trails in Florida. I've missed you, my favorite trail... Flatwoods near Tampa, Florida. We've been in Ohio and then Amsterdam, Netherlands during the last 8 weeks. We only rode 12 miles today... I can't wait for tomorrow!

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#FitAsAFiddle

#GetHealthy

#simplystart

Always an adventure with Marc. We were out on the bikes all day in Zephryhills FL, then to our favorite restaurant, Sunrise Eatery for dinner, and finally to the Strawberry Festival in Plant City FL, for King & Country concert. We ended our night with strawberry shortcake... it was worth it, my #FitAsAFiddle peeps. I'm still down 45 pounds!

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#StartAgainTomorrow

#GetHealthy

#HaveSomeFun

Spent the day at Tarpon Springs riding the bikes on the Pinellas Trail. Now listening to great music at Yianni's during dinner, and enjoying the shops and boats at the Sponge Docks. We've met several neat couples on this trip. It's all about building relationships.

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#PinellasTrail

#TarponSprings

#SpongeDocks

John Maxwell was my pastor way back in the day in Lancaster Ohio. Now I'm attending an International Maxwell Certification live event at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando Florida. I'll be coming home now being a part of the John Maxwell Team. I'm loving the life I've created for myself!

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#JMT

#IMC

#InvestInYourself

Fun opening night at the International Maxwell Certification live event at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando Florida... I saw lots of folks I knew already...

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#JMT

#DNA

#InvestInYourself

This is the most amazing International Maxwell Certification conference! The stories have taken my breath away and brought me to tears several times today... and it is only the first day. This is a picture of my table mates. Life changing.

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#InternationalMaxwellCertification

#JMT

#DNA