Three Days in Amsterdam

Europe has been someplace I have wanted to visit for as long as I can remember. In my mind, I have romanticized it as a dreamland of castle like cathedrals, cobblestone streets, and old world architecture that makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. Needles to say, I wanted to experience the dream for myself.

We had planned on taking a trip to Europe after Matt graduated school, but when our move from Miami to San Francisco happened, we decided to postpone the trip until we were back on our feet. This spring, we were finally ready. We decided on three cities to visit over our 2 week European tour - Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Paris!

The first city we visited was Amsterdam, Netherlands. Knowing that I am basically a useless bag of bones without a good night of sleep, we decided to stay in a nicer hotel for the first leg of the trip. We stayed for three nights at the Doubletree by Hilton at Amsterdam Centraal Station. The location was perfect and gave us easy access to public transit! We were both amazed at how efficient and clean the public transit system is in Holland. The train ride from the airport was about 20 mins long and although we stayed in Amsterdam, traveling to other cities in the Netherlands would be easy using the train. Most people in Amsterdam get around using bicycles and public transit.

Day 1

Our 11-hour flight from San Francisco left us a bit jet-lagged the first day. After a much needed nap and some dinner, we were ready to explore. We spent the evening walking through the Red Light District. In the Netherlands, prostitution is legal and regulated. Although I disagree with the premise of prostitution whether legal or not, I felt that walking through the Red Light District was an experience I did not want to leave Amsterdam without.

As we walked past the windows of women saturated by the shine of fluorescent red lights, I was unsure of how to feel. Some of the women were sitting in chairs, texting and scrolling through their phones. Some women danced and others motioned for people passing to come negotiate at their door. I overheard the conversation one of the workers was having with a potential client, “50 euros for 20 minutes”. My heart sank a little deeper as I tried to calculate the circumstances that may have led these women in the windows into prostitution. Regardless of the promise of regulation, the ever present issue of human trafficking circled my mind over and over.

I left that experience raw and disheartened because I realized how numbed our culture is to sex - so much so that we can allow the risk that human trafficking could be happening to women we walk by on the street. I am unsure about whether those women wanted to be dancing in those windows. I never spoke to one of them nor asked them the story of how they got there. No matter how bizarre and uncomfortable that experience was, I didn’t want to leave Amsterdam avoiding that the reality of human trafficking exists. I wanted to see it and feel the confusion - the uncomfortable “is there something more I could be doing about this” feeling. If there is a threat to the safety of even just one of those women, I want to be someone who brings awareness and stands up against it.

To learn more and support efforts against Human trafficking visit enditmovement.com .

Day 2

The next day we visited the Anne Frank House. One of the only books I can remember reading cover to cover as a child was The Diary of Anne Frank. Just like many people around the world, I drew a special connection the the rawness in her writing. She was just another girl who wrote to process the emotions and circumstances she was facing, although they were much worse than most of us have or ever will experience. Her words are some that have stuck with me through every season of life this far.

I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.

— Anne Frank

For me, writing has held the same power. It has allowed me to express myself and find courage through situations that I felt powerless against. That’s why I began writing my blog in the first place; it brings me nothing more than feeling connected to myself and my experiences.

It was amazing to be in the same room where Anne wrote some of those journals. The Annex was an incredible place to walk through, and both Matt and I were truly moved by the story of oppression that was told. I left with a fresh perspective on the reasons why we fight against injustice.

In my opinion, the Anne Frank House is not something you will want to miss out on if you ever find yourself in Amsterdam. Just remember you have to buy tickets way ahead of time! I hope you will be as moved as we were by Anne’s story.

We toured around the city with the rest of our day. For lunch, we stopped for tacos at De Foodhallen, a multicultural food market. These types of places have been popping up all over and we love them! You can find any type of food your group may want all under the same roof. Afterwards, we went to the Heineken Experience - basically a history lesson, brewery tour, and a party all wrapped into one! It was a bit touristy, but totally worth it (and we have the personalized bottle to prove it).

To end the evening we took a sunset canal cruise, another must-do if you visit Amsterdam! The cruise took us around the canals and out into the harbor. It was the perfect ended to a full day of exploring!

Day 3

You know those instagram pictures where people stand in the middle of a tulip field? I wanted one of those. To my dismay, and Matt’s thoughtful consideration of the people that own and maintain those fields, I gave up my dream instagram moment. Very few times do we stop and think about others rather than ourselves. If every tourist tromped their way into a farmers field, we could cost them their livelihood and the beauty wouldn’t be there to appreciate. However, I still wanted to see the tulips.

Our last day in the Netherlands we had a delicious hotel breakfast and visited Keukenhof gardens. It is about an hour by bus outside Amsterdam and was one the the largest and most impressive gardens I have visited… and I wore the wrong shoes. I toughed it out and we had an awesome time walking through the garden. On top of it, I did get to see the tulip fields and resisted the urge to prance through them!

We headed back to Amsterdam and had an early dinner at a Dutch restaurant on the canal called Lotje. Afterwards, we visited a street market in the De Pijp neighborhood for some famous, made to order stroopwaffels at Original Stroopwaffels. Matt was in Dutch boy heaven! Just a few days in Amsterdam were enough to make us both want to visit again. It is such a beautiful and unique city that definitely left an impression on us both!

Next up, Barcelona!