Goin' Dutch

You may have heard through the hole in the dike, that next semester I along with my dear friend Emily will be studying abroad in Holland, land of the Dutch.  & while I pinky promise there will be a plethora of posts on our travels, this is not one of them.

You don't have to be very close to me to know that I am about as close to the definition of quirky as one can get.  I tend to have thoughts, habits, and preferences that can sometimes be just outside the lines.  One of these strange fascinations that was recently brought back to my attention is my fascination with the Amish.

I don't have the slightest clue why I am so perplexed at their tradition, but for as long as I can remember, my favorite part of any trip to Michigan has been the 20 minute jaunt through Amish country.  

We've all heard tidbits about the seemingly unfathomable values (compared to our Western society) they uphold...

no electricity

no indoor plumbing

conservative dress

facial hair

simplistic living

... & not many people would CHOOSE this life for themselves if they really truly knew what else was out there.  While I probably fall into this category myself, I am teeming with curiosity about what a day in the life of an Amish young woman looks like.

Have you ever heard of those "Amish Experiences"?

You know, where you can road trip up to Lancaster County and live on a real-life Amish farm for the weekend to get a taste of how good you have it?  Well, tonight I spent over an hour Googling such adventures and I have my heart set on setting foot in Amish territory this summer.

The only problem is, I really have no clue where to start searching, and I can't really tell the difference between a scam and a real talk Amish settlement.  But, I'm determined to do it, whether it means venturing out to Pennsylvania or taking a day trip to Shipshewana.  One way or another, Goin' Pennsylvania Dutch is the newest addition to my summer bucket list.

P.S. If you got the metaphor in the first paragraph in this post, 5 gold stars ;)  You might be right up there with me on the quirkometer.