Finally, we roll up to the hotel at 5 AM. 5 AM. Exhausted, we crash– hard. We don’t get going until around 1 PM the next day but we had plenty of time in Amsterdam and had the luxury of taking it easy after the jam-packed schedule in Paris.
Impression #1: The Dutch LOVE the cheese. They’re like the Packers of Europe. Pretty sure they’d wear a cheesehead hat if they saw one. Let me tell you, the Dutch know a thing or two about good cheese.
Impression #2: Everything smells like either waffles or weed. Just an observation.
So we spent the first part of the day just looking at sights, admiring the awesomely quirky architecture and just breathing. Amsterdam was the perfect place to relax after the stressful time we had in Paris. Walking from the central station into town, we came across an amusement park in the middle of the city. So, to kick off the day we went on a ride! Why not?
We went on the one in the background that looks like a teeter-totter and let me tell you it was worth all 7 Euro and more. It was SO much fun! We got an awesome view of the city and also got a little adrenaline to jumpstart the day.
I loved the crooked houses along the canals. Amsterdam is proud to not be perfect, that’s what makes it so lovable. It doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. Later that night, we met up with a few classmates for a traditional Dutch dinner. We were astounded by the amount of food we got for such a reasonable price! It was family-style, something I miss from home, and we just ate and ate and ate.
That night, we went to see Odesza play (an American group that was in town to play for ADE, similar to SXSW in Austin). The energy was amazing, the music was beautiful and we were all on cloud 9. Protip: If you haven’t heard of Odesza, go listen to “Sun Models” and “Say My Name.” Those are their two most popular songs. Definitely killed it in concert. They’re such a cool group to see live because although their music is “electronic” they live mix like any electro artist but they also play the drums which is hella cool when they get into it.
We made a few new friends and went out to some cool bars and pubs afterwards, making sure we didn’t miss the last train to our hotel outside the city.
Next, we went to Anne Frank House. If you go to Amsterdam, you absolutely MUST visit. It’s a tour of the actual place where the Frank family hid during Nazi occupation in Amsterdam. Eye-opening is the best phrase for it. It is a real tangible piece of history. Although it’s a heavy subject, it is a true testament to the sheer strength of human will to live. I never knew much about Anne Frank other than the fact that she was a child during the time to the Third Reich, was in hiding and died in a concentration camp. After experiencing Anne Frank House, I am in awe of the depths of her mind even as a child. She was profound, faithful and a light in the darkest times of human history. All I could think was that God’s plan for her was so much larger than she could have even imagined. Just a child, writing her feelings in a journal (along with a few creative pieces), there is no way she could have imagined the impact of her bravery and optimism over half a century later. Tragic, yes. Inspirational, even more so.
After our time at Anne Frank House, we grabbed some dinner, wandered around the Red Light District (not as sketchy as you think) and headed back to the hotel to get ready for AMF, Amsterdam Music Festival, which was part of the umbrella event ADE.
I’ve been to my fair share of festivals and this is one that I will never forget. The music was amazing and the energy was incredible! We saw Oliver Heldens, Afrojack, David Guetta (not my fav), Tiësto (who brought up my favorite Martin Garrix!!!!!) and DJ Snake. The event was listed as being from 6 PM to 6 AM and we were like nahhh we’ll be out of there by like 2 AM. WRONG. We were there until 4 AM and we didn’t even realize it! I wish I could put videos in here to explain how rowdy it got, but I can’t. It was an incredible experience. We got home around 5 AM and just crashed.
The next day, Courtney and Axel took the car back to Paris (what good friends, right?!). So, Lily, Berfin and I went to the Van Gogh Museum. Protip: If you don’t have international data like the three of us, map your destination before you leave wifi with google maps and it will still work. Saved my life probably a few times. Screenshots are your friend, as well.
The Van Gogh Museum was AMAZING. Again, no pictures were allowed but the works were astounding. Turns out Van Gogh was homies with Munch and they often collaborated with each other to make their paintings look better when put next to each other. Pretty neat. Also, there was history on Van Gogh himself. I’m sure you’re familiar with the story of him cutting off part of his ear. Well, turns out Vincent was pretty insane. There is speculation that he suffered from mental diseases like bipolar disorder or severe depression. Like many artists, his brilliance came with a price. Near the end of his life, he would have long episodes of depression and vivid hallucinations which kept him from working followed by even longer periods of extreme clarity which allowed him to express his visions through his paintings and drawings. I think this is what drove him mad. His madness was his source of creativity, but it was also the source of his demise. He shot himself at the young age of 37.
Afterwards, we grabbed dinner at a cool little spot; we had Mexican Soup with a couscous salad and fries. Protip: Everyone eats their fries with mayo instead of ketchup in Europe. Go along with it, it’s pretty tasty. We stopped for a quick glass of Sangria at a funny little pub before our reservation at Door 74.
At 8 PM we headed to this cool little place I found mentioned in someone’s blog called “Door 74.” A speakeasy with an unmarked door, you have to call ahead and leave a message with your name, how many people will be coming and what time you plan on coming. We rang the doorbell of the unmarked bar and were greeted warmly by our lovely waitress who happened to be Canadian! I was worried it could be a snooty spot but I don’t think Amsterdam is capable of being snooty. It was cool, cozy, down to earth, quirky and most of all relaxing. The atmosphere was vintage and warm, they played some soft yet upbeat jazz music and candles were everywhere. Our waitress came over to our booth and handed us the “menus” which were similar to viewfinders we used in elementary school. Hilarious and cute, they called it their “birdwatching menu” and all of the cocktails were named after different birds.
We spent HOURS here just gabbing, getting to know each other better, sipping on marvelous cocktails and being chummy with our hilarious waitress. It was the perfect end to the perfect day. Protip: These drinks aren’t cheap but they also are meant to last you a long time. Sip, enjoy– don’t gulp.
We rounded out the trip with a little shopping the next morning and then proceeded to meet up with Courtney and Axel at the CORRECT airport this time. Got our butts on the plane to Copenhagen and then took the train to good old Aarhus.
All in all, it was the trip of a lifetime. Yeah, a lot of stuff went wrong but honestly it made the story better and I also learned that sometimes you HAVE to deal with the situation at hand and being upset doesn’t help. I learned a lot about how I deal with a crisis and just learned a lot about who I am as a person. Isn’t that was studying abroad is about? Besides the school part.
And so comes the end of my Series of Seriously Fortunate and Unfortunate Events.
Thanks for reading xoxo –M
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Read more from Meaghan at https://meaghanshus.wordpress.com/
To find out more about her exchange program at Aarhus School of Business in Denmark, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/exchange/wcobaarhus
