This post is sharing more photos from my trip, and what I saw walking the cobble-stoned streets of Amsterdam. I'm sad that I didn't really take photos of the outfits that I wore, but maybe I can look around for some!
It was very gorgeous in Amsterdam, and I enjoyed waking up early in the morning and simply taking in all of my surroundings. I was lucky to be staying in a more high end part of Amsterdam, and was far away from the hustle and bustle of big city life. There is a darkness in Amsterdam that can't be explained, but it also has such breathtaking views like this one here.
I had gotten lost too many times to count, but after a whole day of jumping on and off of so many trams and tram lines, I can truly feel at comfort with the transportation system in this big city. I was a bit surprised to know that Amsterdam (or really, the Netherlands in general) does not have English announcements; they are always in Dutch. I'm always used to Japan's system of Japanese and then English announcements following after, but I was a bit shocked to learn it was the exact opposite in the Netherlands; unless I was on a railway train.
Even after seeing so many canals, it still took my breath away to see such sights. I love Dutch architecture (or really, Amsterdam's in general) because it was always such a funny sight to see buildings literally leaning against each other. Some of them were drastically on a tilt and I wondered if people living in those buildings would be walking at an angle.
One big thing that I visited was the Anne Frank Museum. I have visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum also, so it was really just so interesting in a way to see how these two different places were both affected by the war. Going inside of the place where Anne Frank and the other numerous occupants lived while hiding out during the war was definitely an eerie feeling, and what was even weirder was that my family's name is actually Anne Frank's mother's last name as well. Although her mother was German and my family is all Dutch (on my father's side), it was still so eerie to see our name there.
It was really chilly in the Netherlands when I visited, which is a stark contrast to the current weather here in Southern California. I loved the gloomy, dark cloudy days that South Holland brought me, and waking up to light rain was always so lovely--what better way to enjoy a cup of Dutch coffee and a book?
Dutch Pancake!
The books I brought with me were Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre, Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada, and Sherlock Holmes--definitely needed those during the 10 hour plane flight to-and-back!
What I most enjoyed was also being able to see the Netherlands as someone living there, rather than a tourist. I got to visit family, along with making many new friends and networks, and have been able to open my eyes to a lot of more opportunities for my future. I really feel like the best way to see a country and learn about it's culture and people, is to really live the daily life of said place.
Graffiti in Amsterdam---some sick stuff.
I've been lucky to have been able to do that with Japan and now with the Netherlands---I really feel like the world is my playground, and there are so many more places that I want to go. As of right now, I can't see myself slowing down anytime soon, and am just going to enjoy everything that comes my way.
