...Planning...

So, I am planning on trying to make my way back to Holland. I have been wanting to learn Dutch since I landed in Holland last May and when I returned to California in June I wanted to learn so much more. As the weeks and months have past I have begun to long more and more for Holland. It's strange to me how a country I had never thought of going to before I met my boyfriend Bryan could have made such an impact on me. I loved it there and I now want to try to make a life there, do my photography there and possibly get involved with the BBC or a similar type of news media that will help me get involved with indigenous peoples. I really would love to do some stories on the Dutch people though, as they and their country have turned my life in a direction where I understand a clearer path. So, today I started teaching myself Dutch, and am doing quite well at my endeavors (Bryan says I have a wider variety of vocabulary today than I had walking off the plane when we got home, so that is good.) I can not wait to see Hanneke, Joost and Rene in May when they come to visit and then sweep us away back to Holland with them. I'm so excited to try and impress them with my newly learned skills in Dutch. This endeavor shouldn't be as hard for me though as say a Spanish speaker because I have been learning German for the past 7 years. I'm still not fluent but I can get by and read far more German than I ever thought possible. It never stuck like it was supposed to because I hadn't made it to Germany yet while I was still learning. Now that I have worked in Germany (if only for 2 weeks) I have a better grasp on the language than I did previously. So how does the German language help with my Dutch? Its so simple...Dutch is right in between English and German, there are FAR more words in Dutch that are the same as English words than in German and there are even more German like words than English in Dutch. Now that I have had my little rant about how much I love Holland, which a side note, I began blogging for the first time, while I was there as a travel journal and a way my family could keep up with me, so I have that disciplining to help me with this blog.

Anyways....I would really like anyone who reads this to PLEASE check out my Photrade site. My art is up for sale in a NUMBER of different ways. If there is something on Shanistudios.com that isn't on Photrade let me know @ Kate@shanistudios.com and I will get it up there for you so you can purchase it if you like. The link is; http://www.photrade.com/ShaniStudiosKate

Thanks.