"I'll see you all on Thursday," my professor says kindly. As I start to pack up, I look down at my notebook, which is filled with pages of notes for once.

I'm taking an Anthropology of Europe class, and everything sounds really interesting so far. The class does have a short written assignment due every week, but at least there aren't any tests until the final exam at the end of the semester. It seems like these classes are a lot chiller than what I'm used to.

It's probably because the faculty knows half (if not more) of the students are going to show up hungover to class. This isn't me just knowing about the poor decisions of most college students (myself included sometimes). We're early into the program, and it looked like two people dosed off during this class. Given by the swollen eyes of others and mix of pale and slightly green faces, I know others are living it up almost every day of their study abroad.

For once in my life, I feel like I'm in the productive tier of people. A couple didn't even show up for our class at noon.

I walk out of the classroom, draping my tote bag over my shoulder. I pull out my phone and text Bawdy to let him know that I'll be heading back to his apartment soon.

Bawdy keeps insisting that I have his personal driver take me to and from classes, but I want the full experience using public transport. While I've taken the Amtrak from LA to San Diego before, you wouldn't catch me dead on the busses in LA. Actually, you would, because I'd probably get stabbed.

For the few days we've been up late from his shows, I have given in to the luxury of a driver bringing me to school. It does mean that I get to take a little cat nap on the way. It would also mean that I don't have to walk as much, but the exercise is good anyways, and I enjoy taking in all of the architecture and sites around me.

As I'm about to exit onto the street level, I hear someone shout my name. I turn around to find bouncing red curls coming in my direction. "Gianna! How have you been?" Robin asks cheerfully.

I smile and meet her in the middle of the common area. I didn't remember to text her after getting her number. Well, I didn't remember right away. Then I thought about it and felt like too much time had passed, and I started overthinking reaching out to her. Given by her sweet hello, I don't think she would have cared. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have had much time with all I've been doing with Bawdy as he shows me around the city.

"I'm good! Just finished with classes for the day."

"Same here. I'm waiting for some friends before heading out to grab some lunch. Do you want to join us?"

I feel my phone buzz in my pocket, likely indicating that Bawdy is now awake and has responded to me. I shift my weight on my feet, determining what I want to do with my afternoon. It's not like Bawdy and I actually have anything planned. I would have likely crawled back into bed with him, and who knows how long we can keep ourselves busy in there.

But, I can do that any other time of the day. I told myself that I was here to branch out and meet new people, so I decide to take Robin up on her offer.

A boy with shoulder length blonde hair and a tall girl with a beaming white smile join us on our walk down the street to a bistro they've been to before. It looks like other people are already finding cool spots around here to eat and hang out.

Valerie and I have went out to eat a couple of times and to one club together. She's off on her boy-finding missions most of the time. She probably appreciates when I spent the night at Bawdy's, so she can have our room all to herself to do what (more like who) she pleases.

Starting to chat with new people, I can't help but miss my friends back home. I've been trying to call Iris and Kennedy as much as I can, but the time difference isn't making it easier. It sounds like they're having a blast already the last semester of senior year. As excited as I am about studying abroad, I still find myself wondering what it would have been like if I had stayed back with them.

While I would have loved to spend more time with my best friends, I also know that I wouldn't be able to function well without Bawdy.

It's not the same type of missing that I feel towards my friends that I feel towards him. I know I'll still feel connected by calling and messaging my friends. I don't know if I could say the same about Bawdy.

We communicate so much better in person. Both with our words and our bodies.

The sex lately has been out-of-this world to say the least. I feel like we're finally at peace with one another and have gotten so much more comfortable with each other. Just last night, he had be bent over as he—

"What are you studying?" The boy, Friedrich, asks me, pulling me out of my thoughts. I really need to work on not spiraling thinking about what Bawdy does to me. But it's so hard when it's so good. He's so good at what he does to me.

And they're all staring at me.

I clear my throat as if that's the reason I didn't immediately respond. "I'm majoring in photography. What about you two?" I ask as we take our seats inside of the bustling bistro.

The fresh smelling coffee and espresso swirl together with the baked goods and stimulate my taste buds, making me salivate instantly. "I'm studying foreign policy, but I'd love to drop that shit and just be a DJ," Friedrich responds.

"And I'm studying data analytics," Chloe chimes in. I wasn't drunk when I first met Robin, so at least I remember that she is studying journalism.

It's really cool how all of us are from all different places, with different dreams and aspirations, and yet we've all ended up in Amsterdam to study this semester. I'm taking an additional photography class in person and one online, but I've been finding out that this college offered a few different specialty tracts for the program as well as just a study abroad in general. I honestly didn't look into the program as a whole before I applied. I kind of just dove in head first and am figuring out everything as I go along.

Looking at things in advanced would have been helpful and smart, because I didn't even think to buy any plug adaptors. Thankfully, convenience stores were prepared for thoughtless foreigners like me.

We all get our various drinks, sandwiches on the freshest bread I've ever tasted, and a feast of pastries. I got excited and wanted to try a couple. Hopefully they don't think I'm too crazy. Bawdy really has got me hooked on having a large variety.

Usually, I wouldn't want to waste money sampling different food. But, the prices here are so much more reasonable here than in the US, especially coming from LA where everything is ridiculously overpriced. It also helps that Bawdy might have given me a credit card to use while I'm out here.

Again, I'm dumb and showed up only with an American Express, which isn't taken at all places out here. I began wondering why, and then it hit me that it's an American Express. As in an American-based credit card. I do have my debit card, but Bawdy insisted on giving me a card.

I tried to deny him, but he hates when I do that. I still feel bad about having him do so much for me. I'm not used to people wanting to go out of their ways to be nice to me without wanting something in return. Sure, he gets me in return, but I can't offer him anything fancy. Although, he repeatedly tells me that he doesn't want anything more than me.

We all start to slow down on our eating and continue talking now that we're not all stuffing our mouths. I can't help myself. The food here basically melts on my tongue and tastes so fresh.

"Have you been to Club Dam yet?" Robin asks me.

"Not yet, but my roommate went and couldn't stop talking about it," I reply as I suck down the rest of my latte. I really want another one just for the taste, but I don't need any more energy or I'll be bouncing off the walls.

"We have to bring you with the next time we go," Chloe says.

"I'm so down." I try to keep my smile maintained, but I am inclined to start jumping up and down. I can't wait to tell Kennedy and Iris about the new friends I'm meeting here. Once I start talking to people, I really start to open up, but I sometimes struggle to be the one to initiate things. It also helps when the people are so easy going to talk with.

Friedrich starts to talk about the different artists who are going to play there. I'm half paying attention as I respond to Bawdy to update him that we're finishing up lunch. He told me not to rush getting back, but I do want to get to him soon. He has to leave tonight to head to Warsaw, Poland, for a show tomorrow. Since they have to bring all of their own equipment, they are just taking the tour busses. Right after Poland, they head to Denmark and then to Sweden the night after.

While that all sounds crazy enough with at least 12 hour-long drives in between each, they're leaving Stockholm right away to be back for a show here on Saturday. Four shows four days in a row. He impresses me more every day. There were some scheduling conflicts with venues, so these all had to be crammed into one week. Bawdy was advised just to cancel at least one of the shows, but he says he wouldn't want to do that unless absolutely necessary.

As much as I'm enjoying talking to them, I do want to get in a sufficient amount of cuddles (among other things) before Bawdy has to leave tonight.

I would have went with him, but I don't need to start missing out on classes yet. Or ever. I don't want to be one of the chronic skippers here.

"What do you think, Gianna?" Hearing my name come out of Robin's mouth draws my attention back to the conversation. The conversation that I have no clue what the immediate topic is about. I need to stop being like this.

"Sorry, what was that? I don't mean to be on my phone. My boyfriend is just going to be away for a couple of days."

"It's all good. Would you want to check out that club on Saturday? You should bring your boyfriend with too. I'd love to meet him," Robin says with encouraging eyes.

Bawdy isn't the only one with scheduling conflicts. I could just skip out on his show, since I'll have so many to go to while here, but I'm really looking forward to seeing him when he gets back.

He hasn't even left yet and I'm already looking forward to him returning. I need to get a grip on myself.

"I'd love to, but my boyfriend is actually playing a show on Saturday, so I'll be at that." Back at school, I only told people I already knew about Bawdy. At his events, I would talk with people in his world about him, but I've never really met strangers and told them I'm dating a rockstar. I don't even know how to go about it.

"We can plan for something a different day," Robin replies.

"Is he a DJ? Maybe I've heard of him," Friedrich adds.

"No, he's not a DJ. His name's Bawdy," I say, still not believing at this point that he's mine. I quickly add, "If you've heard of him."

Robin's face lights up. She replies that she has. Chloe has too. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing.

"Maybe I've heard his music and not his name. I'm mainly into techno," Friedrich says as he types away on his phone, openly Googling Bawdy in front of us. Any other boyfriend that I could have certainly wouldn't be able to be looked up on a moments notice. "Ah, I think I have heard some songs. That's so cool. How'd you two meet?"

I start to explain with some vague details about how we met. As I do, Friedrich continues looking at Bawdy online, and Robin cranes her neck over to look at his phone too.

My phone buzzes from a new message, and Robin and Chloe look at me excitedly, anticipating that I'm getting a text from him, which I am.

"Girl, this has to be one of the coolest stories I've ever heard. You're so lucky," Chloe says excitedly. This went a lot better than I expected. I'm aware from before that I've talked about Bawdy too much, and I don't want to scare these new friends away from being obsessed to the maximum about Bawdy.

I want this study abroad experience to be for me. Would I have been having this experience if it wasn't for him? Well, no. Would I have even considered doing something like this if it wasn't for him? Again, no. But I'm here now, and that means I can make my time here as I please.

Although I'm already going against what I'm telling myself, since I'm skipping out on hanging out with new friends to be with Bawdy.

A light bulb goes off in my head, and I quickly text Bawdy, while the three start talking more about celebrities.

Gianna: Could I bring some friends with on Saturday?

He doesn't take more than a few seconds to respond.

Bawdy: Of course. You don't even need to ask.

I smile softly down at my phone, hoping they don't notice the joy a single text can bring me.

"Actually, how would you all like to come with to his show this weekend?"

Robin's mouth opens wide, and she has to center herself before replying, "I'd love to!" The others agree, and I leave the bistro feeling satisfied with my compromise. I really feel like I'm learning to balance my relationship and blossoming friendships.