time to get down to business

well, job hunting isn't going very well. i just haven't seen anything that i want to do. and when i think about settling for something less than ideal, i can't even muster up the motivation to apply for it. so the farthest my short-term plan has gotten is to go to ireland in the next few weeks and come back with a 3-month tourist visa. then i couldn't say what i'd do if nothing happened by then. maybe i ought to consider moving back to the states if i don't get a job by the end of the year? i know it wouldn't be that bad to move back, but i just don't feel ready to leave amsterdam yet.

so i was talking to this girl on saturday on top of a houseboat, just after the gay pride parade through the canals. she's an american living here about 2 years (i've been here almost 3 years exactly) and i asked what kind of visa she has. this has been my question to almost every american i come across, lately. i've been hoping to hear about some magic and easy way to keep living here that i haven't heard about yet. well, just so happens she told me about this magic and easy way to keep living in the netherlands. well, she sure made it sound pretty easy, but it's also something totally new to me and, therefore, scary.

there's this thing called the Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT). it basically allows an american to start their own business here with pretty undemanding demands. as a sole-entrepreneur, you just need 4,500 euros in your bank account, to submit a business plan and get it approved, then make a minimum of 10,000 euros a year in order to get renewed for the following year. and after talking to a couple people about it, they're very lenient with everything. so this girl writes freelance articles for a couple newspapers and websites and so forth. she's just submitted her application, though, so i'm curious to hear how it goes. i oughtta ask how long it takes for a reply. knowing the dutch it'll take quite a few weeks.

but i started thinking about what kind of low budget business i could start. and the idea of selling cookies kind of kept running through my mind. just to see if it could work, i'm gonna do a mini trial run. i'll make a couple batches of cookies, take samples to a couple places for them to try, or to try selling, and if they like them they can contact me to place an order. have i mentioned that i make a really good chocolate chip cookie? ive had several people tell me its the best theyve had, and im pretty sure its the best ive ever had, too. it's got it all. crispy, golden brown edges, soft and chewy center, with a sprinkle of sea salt on top. they could definitely sell themselves. so, i know there's a lot that would have to go into this. but i could see it working. ive received some good advice already from several people, and i have a few leads to find out more about running your own business as an american baking from home, and ideas of where to try selling them. im also thinking i ought to include in my business plan my barista skills. if i make it a cookie and coffee kind of operation, i could make a way for people to find me if they want a barista for special occassions. i heard they can get paid 50 euros an hour for a private party.

in any event, its an exciting opportunity, and would be a good experience. we'll see what comes of it. its something to focus my energy on, and it motivates me more than anything else ive considered over the past several months.

so yeah, i'm planning on going to dublin next month. i was there once 5 years ago, and loved it, and have been wanting to go back ever since. and, it just happens to lie outside of the schengen area, which means if i fly in and out, my passport will be stamped and i'll get a new visa that lets me stay in holland legally for 3 more months. i just signed up on couchsurfing.com to start looking for couches to crash on while i'm out there. it would be my first time couchsurfing, but i just had a couple people stay with me who have been couchsurfing around europe and love it. its safe and easy and fun, and the best way to go if traveling alone, especially. and flights to dublin are extremely cheap in september, so thats a bonus.

and on a totally unrelated note, i just have to mention that i'm reading East of Eden, by Steinbeck, right now, and im loving it. i think it will be the longest book ive ever read, and i only have 200 pages to go, and i'm sad that it's almost over. its so well written, totally absorbing. i just have to tell everyone to read it.

ok, tomorrow i'm gonna make my first batch of cookies for business purposes. and run some other business related errands, and do some business related research.