At the beginning of this year, I was hitchhiking on the north side of the city. I lost my phone, bus card, and debit card. I was on my way home from an interview and, no, I didn’t get the job. I couldn’t believe how much things would have changed for the better. I was truly about to live my best life.
As the plane ascended from its platform, I felt my stomach fill with hundreds of tiny butterflies, flapping their wings with excitement and wonder. This would be my first time suspended over the ocean, on my way to a new country!
Amsterdam is the first city I went to, and I immediately fell in love. Its cobblestone streets, tiny coffee shops, and smoking cafes felt like home. In Amsterdam, I had a type of freedom I had never felt in the United States.
Amsterdam is truly a sexually liberating city with their Red Light District that houses so many sex shops, and risqué shows. Adding to that, the legal marijuana, and the 18 and up drinking age (I’m twenty by the way…so close!), I had an amazing time.
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While I was there, I visited the Anne Frank House, which is the building where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazi invasion during World War II. I’m a huge history buff, and it was unreal being in the same space that Anne Frank had lived and written her famous diary in. Amsterdam is also home to the Van Gogh museum, a museum dedicated to commemorating the artist’s life and his work, and it was as amazing as it sounds.
Then there was Paris. The Catacombs. The Arc de Triumph. Nothing could have prepared me for this experience. It’s definitely a place that you have to see to believe, and I believed.
The Louvre, the world’s largest art museum, looked like something out of a movie. It was larger and more full of life than I could ever imagine, and, honestly, the entire city of Paris was that way. Walking down the Champs-Elysees (picture Michigan Avenue in Chicago, but broader and with more female energy), and hearing the violins and cellos play was heart-wrenchingly beautiful.
I welcomed every new experience and looked for the magic in everything. One surprising difference I found was that in Europe and the Netherlands, coffee is considered espresso and what’s considered coffee is called an “American Coffee” or an Americano, LOL. For those that don’t know, an Americano is an espresso with water, because Americans apparently like watered down coffee.
I also found the culture in both cities to be more relaxed, especially in Amsterdam. I rarely saw any police officers, fire trucks, or ambulances, which, to me, means that there’s peace and harmony within the communities. It was really relaxing considering that living in Chicago you see an ambulance or a police officer every two seconds.
I couldn’t imagine a better way to end my year. Visiting another country is so important to further my growth as a person and as an artist. Before I left, I was already planning my next trip overseas (hint: this place is very famous for Kawaii culture). For those of you who have never been to another country: just do it already!