Part III: Amsterdam

Finally, I apologize for taking my sweet time with this. Amsterdam:

Guess what color those lights are...

Wayyyy more pictures, read more please...

Possibly one of my favorite pictures. See weird plastic tape cat.

...or maybe this one.

Skinniest house in Amsterdam, the man that lives there is taller than the width of his house.

The only picture I have of me in Amsterdam. I match the mushies.

OMG bikez. The booth to the far right is for public urination. I'm serious about this.

My spontaneous trip up to Amsterdam from Eindhoven really convinced me of my love of Holland. First of all, the train ride up there was breathtaking. Maybe it was because it had been such a long time since I had seen anything close to countryside, but I could not get enough of all that lush green farmland. When I got into the city I did a very quintessential emily thing: pick a direction and walk that was until I 'technically' had no idea where I was but I knew exactly where I had come from. And then of course I refused to ask directions to an internet cafe, which happened to be the whole reason I had started walking in the first place. Eventually I found a hostel online with an open bed and set off in what I though was the right direction to get there. Well, I literally walked in circles before I found it. When I say I am good with directions, I am, I just have to get lost once and after that I know my way around perfectly. By the end of two days I had the city mastered. 

I went to Amsterdam with the intention of seeing museums and possibly the Anne Frank house, instead I ended up making new friends and learning everything I could about the city itself. It's just too fascinating a place to lock yourself inside and not do any exploring. My first night I met up with a friend from Florence for sushi and people watching. Both were wonderful. I cannot express the extent of my happiness to having a break from Italian food. Also, I had great peanut butter while I was there. 

For my one full day in the city I took Bridgette's suggestion and took the free tour (it meets in Dam square, twice a day, every day. I highly suggest it if you're in the city). It really was all she said it would be. The tour guides make their money off tips, so you know they are going to work their hardest to get you interested. Sadly, being the typical broke college student I was not able to tip as much as the tour was really worth. Bummer. The three hours of Amsterdam facts were not only amusing but also provided me with the perfect opportunity to meet new friends. Traveling to a new country by myself turned out not to be as terrifying as I though it could be. Although I was a little lonely at times having no one to talk with about all the wonderful things I was seeing, it did prove to me that things always work themselves out. Follow through with your connections, try new things, say hi to strangers: they probably have something interesting to say. 

Ahh yes, and for my fellow design nerds: My hostel was less than a block away from Droog-Amsterdam.