I amSTERDAM

Wow, there is so much to write, I hope I don't forget it all. Alright. Let's begin.

So we got up at the absurd hour of 4:15 am to get ready so that we could get on the earliest tram to Gare du Nord. As I had slept very little the night before, this was not a pleasurable experience. But I was happy because this was my first train ride ever! It was quite comfortable, and on the platform I felt like I should have been in a Harry Potter movie or something.

When we got to Amsterdam we checked into our hostel, which was no four-star motel, but it was not that bad either. We immediately left the hostel and got bagels which were delicious. It had been too long since I'd enjoyed a bagel and cream cheese. After the amazing bagel we went to the Van Gogh museum. Sadly, the museum didn't allow pictures to be taken, otherwise I literally would have taken a photo of every one of Van Gogh's works. The man saw the world in a way that no one else could, and his painting technique is truly something that is moving. What I was most shocked about was the variety with which he painted with. Sure, I saw the infamous "Sunflower" painting, but I found a deeper appreciation for his more lesser known pieces. Honestly, I could have spent all day in that museum, but between the people all over and my general tiredness, I didn't get to spend as much time as I wanted to.

After the Van Gogh museum we went to the "I amsterdam" sign, where the "I am" is written in red. We took the typical tourist pictures and then went to the Diamond Museum. It was nothing special but pretty cool to look at. Then, we went out for lunch. We ate at a Thai place that was delicious, but when we were looking for somewhere to eat I learned something funny - Amsterdam has no cuisine. They have way too many Asian and Argentinian places, and a slew of American restaurants. But I loved it. Seriously, if I studied there I would gain a ton of weight. I guess the only "cuisine" I could say they had was waffles. I had two chocolate covered waffles in my short time in Amsterdam, and they were absolutely delicious.

 Of course their other cuisine is weed. In Amsterdam, there are "coffeeshops" where people are permitted to smoke, drink, eat, and just chill. They are pretty cool places. If I understand the laws correctly, people are not supposed to smoke outside, but of course some people do. However, they are not in large groups being obnoxious about it. Rather, it is just like people who smoke cigarettes. Sure it is more noticeable because of the smell, but really smoking itself is not a big deal. People's perception that Amsterdam is a place where everyone is high is not true.

Something about Amsterdam that is true is their love of biking. It appeared that everyone was riding a bike. The stops lights don't have the walk symbol with a person, but rather have a symbol of a bicycle. It was an interesting sight, because instead of seeing cars parked everywhere there were bicycles. I really wanted to rent a bike and ride around. Seriously, Amsterdam is gorgeous. The canals and architecture are picturesque. Combine this with the trees that are the color of autumn, and it was breathtaking. Tiffany told me that Venice is quite similar to this, and if that is the case then I want to go!

Another observation of Amsterdam is that it is not that touristy. Sure, there are tourist shops, but when we were walking there weren't street vendors trying to get us to buy some trinket and there really weren't that many tourist shops where we were staying. That shocked me because Amsterdam is obviously a tourist location, but I didn't feel like a tourist there.

We did a pub crawl at night, which was an experience. We got t-shirts and went to different bars. After the pub crawl, we went to the Red Light District. It was what I expected. Women behind glass doors, dressed in barely nothing, many with fake breasts, standing provocatively. This culture fascinates me, because it embraces the two things that American culture deems so evil - prostitution and drugs. The perception in America is that drugs and prostitution lead to chaos, or immorality. But really, what is so different from watching some of the HBO shows and going to Amsterdam and watching a sex show? I felt safe my entire time in Amsterdam and I would have wandered around at night by myself if I had to. I am not saying that I embrace prostitution and drugs, but I am saying that just because a society allows it doesn't mean they are immoral or bad people. It is just a different way of life.

Our next day we went to the Anne Frank House, another thing I can cross off my bucket list. It was surreal to be standing in the place where eight people hid and then were captured. The rooms were so small, that I can only imagine how maddening it was to be caged in those rooms. They were rooms that maintained their freedom, but at the same time was their jail. It kept them safe from the Nazi's, concentrations camps, etc. but it also kept them from fresh air. What really impacted me the most was seeing Anne Frank's room. Some of the magazine pictures she had put on her wall were still there, and it really just humanizes everything. Yes, this girl is infamous, but she was a girl. She liked movie stars and boys, and this horrible thing happened to her and her family.

One thing I have to say is that I am spending money at an alarmingly fast rate. But at the same time, when else can I travel to these places? So, I have made a budget so that I should be ok. Sacrifices need to be made so that I can do all the traveling I want to do. But it is happily done. Until next time.