Friends and Injuries

Things I forgot to mention about yesterday:

1. I was the only student in ballet class who showed up in pink tights, a leotard, and hair in a secure bun like a newb.
2. TCU dance faculty: Thank you for preparing me, as well as all dancers who go through your program, for the world of professional dance. You know what you're doing. I felt well at home amongst professionals. I owe you all a high five and loads of hard work when I return in the Fall...and some cookies.

I had a fun day today! I got to visit some of Marijn's classmates who soon became friends of mine as well. We met them in the city of Nijmegen at their university for some coffee before heading over to visit another friend. This friend, who I will call Extreme Fearless Man (EFM for short) just arrived home an hour earlier from being in the hospital for 10 days. He was a finalist in the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship and on his last training day, flying down the ice around a curve, his skate hit a niche in the ice. His body turned and his leg did not. He broke his femur in two places, hit the wall, flew into the air, and came down on his face breaking his nose. They put screws and a rod in his leg to help put it back together (I say the x-rays...yeesh) and EFM cracked his nose back into place (it had been the 5th or 6th time he had broken it). After 10 days he came home to a hospital bed. After telling us all of this he then says he'll heal, train some more, and go back next year to compete. Hence his nickname.

We spent a good couple of hours at his place in a beautiful part of the country (I thought). They called it "out in the middle of nowhere" because the nearest town was 6 minutes away...I thought that was close enough. It was green everywhere. He was near a dike in a country home overlooking water. I especially loved the kitchen because it had cream-colored cabinets with yellow trim and it looked so Dutch I smiled. It was a beautiful view! And he had a sweet dog...also Dutch-looking.

We had a good time! I appreciated that they all spoke English quite well. It was easy conversation with lots of laughing. Great day :)

Marijn and I were planning on heading back to Amsterdam tomorrow but I'm sore to the bone and have the hardest time walking up steps. Pretty sure my lower legs and ankles will never feel the same and my neck feels twisted out of whack....Feels so great. Below is the link to Red Bull Crashed Ice.

Phrase(s) of the day: Heb je lekker geslapen? (Have you slept well?); Ik heb lekker geslapen (I have slept well.) 

Red Bull Crashed Ice