AmsterDAYUM.

"The Room With A View"

After a relaxing couple of days in Norderney, Kendra and I set out on our first adventure to the Netherlands. We arrived at the Utrecht Central Station late Friday night where our friendly Air BnB host, Patrick, met us. He showed us the way to his flat, with a view, I might add. Once we got settled in, Patrick invited us to have a drink with him and his friends, after riding a train all day, we couldn’t resist. I found it interesting that his friends wanted to discuss politics and our gun control laws. A few things shocked me. I thought it was strange how much they seemed to care about what went on in the states, and it surprised me that they knew so much about our laws and our histories. I felt intimidated by the amount these people knew and how little I actually knew.  It was also the first time I started actually wanting to know more about our presidential election. That being said, I find that the Europeans are very fired up about our election.

Hate us cause you ain't us.

The first time traveling with a stranger, soon to bestie, was also something new to me. Before I left for Bonn, I was traveling around Europe with my sister and even though I had a feeling of independence, it isn’t until you find yourself in the middle of a crowded city with one person you hardly know that you realize how on your own you actually are and how much you really miss home. I had some serious kicks of homesickness while I was in Amsterdam but luckily Kendra kept me sane by hurting her feet with every step she took. 

I also, embarrassingly, realized that things that go on in America don’t just affect us, but the entire world. While in Amsterdam we witnessed a ‘black lives` matter’ rally which was nothing that I had ever seen before. There was a huge group of people marching down the street chanting, “don’t shoot, don’t shoot, black lives matter.” This protest happened right after the shooting of Philando Castile. Kendra and I eventually ran into this group of protesters once again. On my right side I witnessed a news channel pick a radical from the group to interview while on the left side there was a very educated man talking to a group on confused people trying to educate them on the situation at hand and in front of me I saw an older man yelling at a couple young women, telling them that they didn’t matter and what they were protesting was wrong. This moment was life changing for me and I realized that I am highly undereducated in the world and even within my own country.

Ultimately Amsterdam taught me not to ride on the back of a bike after a few drinks, to always appreciate your family, how important staying updated on current events is and how much I still have to learn. 

I <3 Amsterdam.