Eric & Dana

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of these two beautiful people whom I met yesterday in the hotel.

(while formulating the above sentence, I wasn't sure about the usage of the word 'whom'. While googling for it, I came across this website which gave an example with the city SEATTLE in it: "Mrs. Dimwit consulted an astrologer whom she met in Seattle. (She met him in Seattle.)"......it still haunts me!!)

I work parttime in a hotel. A second job which I have on the side to pay for college, etc. ( Well, I graduated college about a month ago...but still have this job. :) )



43 year old Eric and Dana are an American couple from Flint, Michigan (United States). They've really changed my view on American people. Actually...they've changed my view on people in general even more: NEVER judge people on their looks. Of course, you already knew this. Right? It's always either beautiful or...not that beautiful. :P Personality doesn't always matches the appearance.

Eric invited me in his room. At first, I had mixed feelings about his invitation because I thought he wanted to beat me up because the hotel forgot to fill his minibar with some beers. But then I saw his wife sitting comfortably in the leather chair behind him and I accepted his invitation.

He looks extremely intimidating with his long goatee, wide chest, dark short hair and his arms covered with tattoo's untill the wrists (probably his whole upper body). The way he talks, it was like he was Steve Irwin himself. But his personality is the exact opposite. I even made this tough looking man cry for a moment: I told both Dana and him I wish my future wife's parents would be just like them.
I said this because I was overwhelmed by their hospitality (they insisted me I should sit down and have a(n alcoholic) drink with them) and the conversations about the view on life.

My new mate told me he's going back to The States as a changed man after this Amsterdam trip. But he told me that I made his whole trip. Probably because of our deep, deep conversation about life and culture (probably also after I gave him two stolen beers from an unbooked room). :P
His wife Dana looks like an ordinary woman: no tattoo's (haha), jeans, black boots, purple top, long brown hair in a ponytail and blue eyes. She's got one of the most beautiful personality I've ever felt. Yes you can actually feel someone's personality in your gut by just talking to the person. It felt good when I was with them. I love 'm.

So...I have a new house (in Michigan); "Mi Casa es su Casa!" is what Eric said to me.

And a boat (Eric & Dana love chilling and getting tanned on boat trips).

And Eric can build me a Harley Davidson-type chopper for only under $8000 (he is a RIDER and builds his own choppers). Flint, here I come!

I kissed Dana three times on her cheeks (Dutch way of saying goodbye...(and hello)) and gave Eric a big hug. Eric: 'That's how we do up there!'. He even kissed me on the cheek while hugging me.....but that's ok.


- Flint, Michigan. Taken by Paul Hitz -

I don't think I will ever meet a couple like Eric & Dana again. I felt welcomed, protected, like they were my parents for an hour. But they are my parents. My American parents. We will be reunited, one day........