She’s Back...

Hurricane Ashlynn blew back into town in late October for a 10-day stay in order to take her first two Dutch inburgering (integration) exams: reading and listening, which she easily passed. It was great to get to spend some time with her for the first time since she’d become a university student. 

It might not show, but Kati was happy to see Ashlynn. 

I surprised the family with hash face masks specially ordered from Sir Walter Raleigh H3, the girls’ mother hash. 

On October 21, we drank some bubbly to celebrate Ashlynn’s first experience of voting in a presidential election. Jimmy and I have now voted by absentee ballot in four presidential elections since moving to Holland; the first time was by airmail, the last two by email and this time fully online. 

Unfortunately, she wasn’t sticking around long enough to see the election results...

...as on October 30 she was leaving once again. 

It was hard saying goodbye without knowing when we’d see her again. Damn COVID-19! Speaking of which, here’s as good as anytime to mention that Ashlynn caught coronavirus a few days after returning to Glasgow when the virus made its way around her entire flat. It initially hit her hard with a fever and body aches, which lasted several days. The loss of smell and taste lasted for about two months. Luckily all of her flatmates have fully recovered as well.