Saturday June 16th: Amsterdam First Impressions, Walkabout, and Nightlife

First off, it seems appropriate and honest to admit that Amsterdam will probably be the highlight of this trip because I have been to Paris before, Brussels is a little lackluster, and I have looked forward to it for a very long time. The Netherlands is my twenty-third country to visit but more importantly Amsterdam represents a way of living in which I am a fan. For those keeping track at home I am not talking about Marijuana although it would be lumped into the more broad topic at hand. I am talking about a lifestyle where all are free to be themselves so long as they do so responsibly and one in which everyone seems to be extremely accepting of other peoples choices. Time will tell whether this idea of Amsterdam holds true to reality but so far the impression has been wonderful.

After traveling several hours by train and several more of checking in and out of hostels most people chose to rest but I wanted to hit the ground running, so to speak. My mission: To walk around following only my instincts about the direction and get lost in the city. It's possibly my favorite way to get to know a new place. Amsterdam presents some very unique challenges in navigation naturally, so getting lost in this city should be no problem even for the well initiated. As I ventured back in the direction of 'home' I decided it would be a good idea to squeeze in a nap before trying to take the city on at night. This being Saturday night, it was encouraged by the professor group that we take advantage because the academic panic would soon ensue.

Saturday night in Amsterdam was great! There was a lot going on and lots of people out and about. It was so good in fact that I don't remember what I did and that's all I have to say about that.