Amsterdam

A few weekends ago, my friends and I took our first trip outside of Berlin to Amsterdam. Because we had to be at the airport at 5:00 AM, we thought it would be a good idea to stay up and go out the night before. As you have probably already guessed, that was the worst idea ever. Imagine 7 teenagers sprawled across the floor of the airport and you would get a good sense was the situation was that morning. Seriously, I wish I had photo evidence of this because it was hilarious, but unfortunately I do not.

When we arrived in Amsterdam, slightly more awake (and alive), we set off to find our Airbnb, a houseboat! Don't get the wrong idea. There are a lot of houseboats in Amsterdam on cute little canals, painted bright colors, and adorned with flower pots and plants on their decks, that was not our houseboat. We stayed on a boat in an abandoned shipyard one ferry ride away from Central Station. It sounds creepy, and at first it was, but it also ended up being one of the best things about our trip. Our boat didn't have wifi, but it did have the world's best collection of old records. There was no heating system except for a wood burning fire-place, but we all came away from that trip knowing how to build and tend to a fire. Nights on the boat were the best. The 7 of us cooked together, listened to Creedence Clearwater Revival and Bruce Springsteen, actually had conversations because our phones were off limits, and just relaxed. 

Our days in Amsterdam were great too. We walked through narrow, cobblestoned streets, went to a cheese and wine tasting, visited the Van-Gough Museum, and I ate more than my fair share of waffles. Seriously, if you're in Amsterdam, get the waffle!! My favorite part was just wandering around with my friends and exploring! Amsterdam was beautiful and a nice break from Berlin, but now I am happy to be back in my city.