Amsterdam!

My first week in Germany has been unbelievable. Everything has seemed so surreal so far and I am truly loving every minute of this trip. I have experienced so many new things in the past week that I never thought I would ever get to experience. Everything from currywurst to Radler, the Cologne Cathedral to watching a World Cup game in the country that's playing, and even ordering ice cream in German has been awesome. I can't wait to see whats in store for our trip to Austria next week!

This past weekend I went to Amsterdam with several other girls and wow... what an experience! First of all the hostel was nothing like the reviews posted online. Our stay in Bobs Youth Hostel was characterized by very hot rooms that reeked of sweat, ice cold showers, beds hard as rocks, smelly pillows, and a lobby that was encapsulated by a permanent cloud of smoke. Nonetheless, we survived! I can not say that I would recommend this hostel to anyone but we made it out alive and without bed bugs so I guess I can't complain. Otherwise, Amsterdam was a wonderful place to visit. The canals and building architecture were beautiful and our visit to the Anne Frank house was one of the greatest history lessons I've ever experienced.

My favorite picture of the canals in Amsterdam!

 Amsterdam was also quite the culture shock for this Texas girl. It was interesting to see how these people lived and handled their freedoms, which are very different from those that we have in the States. When in Amsterdam, I was also astounded by how good the food was! I loved the croquettes we had for lunch, the traditional Dutch breakfast of eggs, ham, and cheese on toast, and of course the waffles!

The best waffle EVER.

Another thing that was really cool was watching Holland BTHO Costa Rica in the World Cup game and watching the entire thing from a place in Amsterdam! The weekend overall was definitely one for the books and I cannot wait to see what the rest of my time in Europe has in store for me! 

On a different note, the Cologne Cathedral was something I have always wanted to see and to be able to take the tour to the top was unbelievable! The city of Cologne is such a special place and I am really glad we got to go with the program. The place is so rich in history that when I think back to what we learned in history classes in America, I realize that American history really doesn't go back that far and that there is so much more to the world than what I experience in everyday life back home. 

Tschüss,

Emily Thompson