The Netherlands was not my dream; France and Great Britain have always been my dream. However, since my father-in-law was born in the Netherlands, I knew that this trip held much more significance for Jake than France or Great Britain ever would for me. So, the planning commenced.
I quickly began searching flights and researching places to visit and a place to stay that fit our budget and my style. We realized that flying out of Canada was less than half of what it would cost to fly out of Detroit, and it was just a few more minutes in the car.
We knew of one cousin in the Netherlands: Koos. Jake's dad urged us to get in touch with Koos because he would be helpful and be a good host, showing us various places of interest in the Hague. There was just one problem: Koos would not reply to my email or Jake's. So, I moved onto Plan B: stalking Facebook.
Stalking Facebook turned out to be a wise decision. I was able to meet Greetje, a cousin of my father-in-law, whom he did not know. Greetje was kind enough to start communicating with me, and I was introduced to her daughters as well. It was so fun making that first connection and learning that her father and Jake's grandfather were brothers. One day, Josje, Greetje's first cousin (and my father-in-law's cousin) commented on a picture I posted for Greetje. Little did I know how much Josje and I would be communicating in the coming weeks.
That brings us up to now. We are about to embark on a journey of discovery: where past and present will meet; where family will bond together; where Jake and I will finally get our honeymoon. Come along, I'll show you all that we will see!
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