Can I skip the having to work part and right to my dream retirement? (week 3)

Anyone who knows me, probably even for only 1 hour, knows I am not a "big city kind of gal". This past week, I fell in love with my ideal small town, my Stars Hollow if you will (shout out to any Gilmore Girls fans). BUT, I also found one of the few big cities that I more than tolerated, I actually kind of... sort of...loved? More on that later.
A little background on why I loved Norderney. My dad's parents are from Maine, it is the only house in my whole life, that has never changed. So it holds a very dear place in my heart. To anyone wondering, Norderney is the Maine of Germany. The lack of cars, the bikes, the flowers, the small shops, the cobblestone paths, the bakeries, the smell of fresh ocean air, the sound of seagulls....it just forces you to slow down a little bit. I really need that kind of atmosphere in my life, it wasn't just the spa that was rejuvenating (and sweet fudge ripple was that spa amazing), it was the place itself. If I can allow myself to ignore how cold it must get there in the winter, I could see that place being the perfect vacation spot during retirement. Find me a cozy little cottages with bay windows, my faithful dogs at my side, and a fridge full of food. Yep, I would be pretty content.
Now, onto the current surprise of the trip. Amsterdam. A pretty big city known for weed and the red light district, truth be told, this did not seem like Amanda's kind of place. I was originally so hesitant to go, and anxious about what it would be like. And now, I feel horrible for coming with such set dispositions. I LOVED Amsterdam. I loved the canals, the stroopwaffles, the dutch pancakes, the museums, the cheese shops, the tulip market, the fresh mint tea....I honestly sat there at one point in disbelief by how dang cute this place is. Granted, there were places I would not go and such, but that applies to basically any city. I can truly say, the pictures you see of Amsterdam online, are pretty much exactly how it looks. So worth the trip, I am so glad I decided to go. I think this trip has really shown me how good it can be to do things you may not initially feel ready for. I suppose this whole Germany trip has shown me that. I often let my anxiety get the best of me, and hold me back from doing things. Sometimes this can be good, keeps me safe. But sometimes I know it prevents me experiencing truly once in a lifetime opportunities. And it can be a hard thing to fight. It's like the decision to jump out of plane. Every fiber of your being is going "O heck no". I think because this trip is more independent then the international travel I have done in the past, it has really shown me how capable I am of making the jump.
If I hadn't, I would have never found my retirement spot *wink*