My family and I had finally arrived at our destination, a little later than I’d hoped we would.  It was around 8 P.M., which one could see clearly on the large, beige-colored clock that hung from the low, stone roof of the train station.  We hustled quickly off of the two-decked train, our suitcases wheeling behind our heels, backpacks strapped to our shoulders tightly. The shrill sound of the train doors sliding shut could be heard behind us, making me jump slightly with surprise.  A man had been rushing forward, arm extended as he shouted something in Dutch.  The doors had closed before he made it, and the train was it on its way. I watched as he stood there for a moment, huffing as he turned and stomped away angrily.

This was the train station of Roermond, Netherlands. Very few people could be seen walking around, as in this smaller town, not many people stayed out past dark.  It was around sunset that most of the shops, restaurants, and other businesses shut their doors and called it a day, and so the locals did the same.  A few men in suits could be seen on their phones, pacing or leaning against one of the white brick walls.  The occasional group of women or families with young children shuffled by as we tried to more comfortably gather our bags on the platform, preparing for the long walk to our hotel.

The time had come to decide if we were to take a taxi or walk to our destination.  My dad made that decision; we were walking.  I was not sure what hotel we intended to go to, or where it might be located.  All I knew to do at the time was to follow my father.  He’s the one who had reserved our rooms, and therefore I assumed he knew the way.  This would turn out not to be the case in the end; we ended up going in a few circles before we arrived.  Preparing for the possibly long walk to where we were staying, we gripped our luggage and dragged it out through the heavy wooden doors.

When we exited the station, I halted, staring at the area around me.  The town was truly lovely.  The buildings were tall, brick, and looked ancient.  This form of ancient was not like you’d think—falling apart, stones missing, and broken windows, as the buildings all looked sound and stable.  They simply made one realize how much history there is in this little town of the Netherlands.  The trees that were scattered around the large square were brilliantly lit with white Christmas lights, which added a dazzling appearance to the entire area.  Despite the lack of people walking through the town, cars buzzed by on the red, brick-paved road in front of us.  There was a larger amount of people on bicycles, who rolled alongside the cars in the street.  The buildings were very close to one another, tightly packed along the thin streets.  Street signs and shop names protruded from the stone walls, most of which were in the Dutch language.  A great steeple could be seen towering over the rest of the town, presumably part of one of the massive churches in Roermond.

I already enjoyed this new town.  I knew it was much too late to go out exploring now.  By the time we got to the hotel and dropped off our things, at least an hour would go by.  I made notes in my mind about the location of shops I’d like to visit tomorrow, as well as restaurants.

My father and my mother gestured for me and my sister to continue on, so we did. Grabbing my suitcase with my callused hands—which was from dragging my luggage across more than one country—we continued to drag our baggage down a gently sloping set of stairs with the wheels clacking on the concrete ground.  We waited, somewhat impatiently, to cross the street.  Once the “walk” on the screen across the road lit with a green hue, we quickly skittered along.

As we walked along the thin, brick-paved streets of this small town, my family and I observed the unique architecture and arrangement that surrounded us.  Bright, vibrant blue lights hung across the street, some in the shape of a snowflake.  Leafless trees were planted in small, cement-sided squares of dirt, each holding its own display of yellow Christmas lights.  Bike racks and bicycles lined the street and sidewalk, making it somewhat hard to maneuver around. Lamp posts that looked to be from the early 1900’s stood along the road, giving off a dim, almost eerie glow.

By the time we arrived at our hotel, all four of us were rather tired.  We shuffled down the dark alley that led to the doors of where we were staying; the Dux Hotel.  My feet dragged along the cobblestone ground, getting caught on the occasional out-of-place rock or piece of stone.  I honestly couldn’t wait to get inside so I could tuck in bed and get to sleep.  The eight hour train ride, which had consisted of three different rides and transfers, along with four different countries, had exhausted my entire family and me.

The glass door of the hotel was automatic, sliding to the right as we approached.  The entryway was lit with a dim, purplish-pink color.  My sister and I were the first to enter, followed by our parents.  Upon entering, a pair of stone elephant statues greeted us, their trunks raised as if welcoming my family and me to the Dux.  The man at the desk spoke in Dutch to us at first, making me and my sister shuffle our feet nervously.  Thankfully, as my father began speaking in English, the man working began to speak the same language.

I didn’t pay attention to what they were saying, as I was focused on the small restaurant connected to the hotel.  The eating area was somewhat dark, lit with miniature, yellow-colored candles.  Round wooden tables were set with clear wine glasses, white napkins, and a small plate, with 2-5 seats at each.  Seeing all of this reminded me of how truly hungry I was, and made me think that perhaps we could eat at this place after settling into our rooms.  Placing my bags on the ground near my family, I wandered over to where I saw a menu on display.  Peering at the piece of laminated paper with a squinted gaze, I tried to read what it had to offer.  To my disappointment, the menu was in Dutch, making me unable to read it.  With a short, frustrated huff, I made my way back to where the rest of my family stood, grabbing my luggage once again.

My father began pulling his luggage away alongside the rest of my family, so I followed. He must’ve already gotten the keys to our rooms.  I turned briefly to the man at the desk, smiling slightly in farewell, before trotting after the others of my group.  We passed by a large, white marble conch shell statue in the hallway to the elevator.  It was filled with water, red rose petals, and lit red candles.  I enjoyed the lovely décor throughout this hotel already; plenty of statues, paintings, and other wall decorations.

Squeezing into the metal-doored elevator, my family and I traveled up to the floor where our rooms were to be found—floor three.  My sister and I shared a room, while my parents shared another.  There was only one king-sized bed in each room, so my father had decided to get two.  As we trudged through the hallway, across the patterned red carpet, I glanced to my parents.  I wasn’t sure if they’d want to go down to the restaurant to eat, as I was well aware that they were even more tired than I.

We passed the room that my parents were staying in, and they quickly managed to scan their key and enter through the white door.  My mom turned to both of us, grabbing the frame of the entryway gently with one hand.  “We’ll come check on you in ten minutes,” she told us quietly, before disappearing into the room.  The door closed softly behind her, so I continued on my way.

My sister and I continued on down the short hallway, making our way towards where we would be sleeping.  As I approached the door of my room, I looked towards my sister, Marlee, to see if she had the key. When she simply nodded at me, I moved out of the way, allowing her to reach the part of the door where she must scan the white plastic card.  As she swiped it in front of the scanner, I heard a quiet beeping sound as green light flashed across the beige lump of hard plastic on the door. Marlee quickly pushed the white entrance open, revealing to us the room that we’d be staying in for the next four nights.

The room was very large, from what I could see from behind Marlee.  There was a closet to the left right as you entered, along with a dark, wooden dresser.  Above the dresser, placed flat against the wall, was the TV.  Across from the TV, on the other side of the massive hotel room, sat the king-sized bed.  White sheets were draped over the mattress, and four fluffy, white pillows sat upright at the top.  The white pillows were beside two smaller, fuzzy, purple colored ones, each of which were embroidered with “Dux Hotel” in golden thread.  To the left of the bed were two very large windows, each with a wide, navy blue curtain to the side.

On the right side of the bed was the aqua, plastic sliding door to the bathroom.  Upon entering the bathroom, all that you see is the long, marble counter, with a metal sink resting on its top.  To the right of this counter is two more sliding doors, identical to the one that opens to the main bathroom.  Beyond one of these doors is the toilet, and beyond the other is the shower.

I was thoroughly pleased with this room.  It looked spacy, comfortable, and simply well designed. Paintings were dotted along the walls, ranging from tiny to huge in size.  The lights that hung from the ceiling were decorative-looking and pleasing to the eye.  The wood of the dresser, closet, and work desk complimented the rest of the colors in the room very well.  The desk chair that sat near the bed even matched the rest of the room with its beige colored cushion. Dumping my bags on the floor and bench at the foot of the bed, I flung myself onto the soft blankets, eyes immediately closing.  My sister soon did the same, her bags leaning against the beige-painted walls.  Getting food was no longer a priority of mine, as the comfort of the bed made me feel even more tired than I had before.  I’d rather sleep at this point.

Roermond, Netherlands was a grand place so far.  Many historic, beautifully designed buildings could be found around the town, available for tourists to see.  Museums had been seen dotted around the town as we walked to our hotel, as well as many tourist attractions.  A huge shopping center, the Roercenter, had been passed by as well.  Restaurants and cafes were all around, offering plenty of places to get refreshments while we stayed here.  There were all sorts of different places to visit, each with its own neat part of the local culture displayed in some way. I couldn’t wait to get started on exploring it all.