The first part of the newspaper I ever read was the travel section of the New York Times. I would read of all these places other people saw and experiences other people had, and I knew I wanted to do it all too.

That being said, I was very excited to start weekend trips during my time abroad to see what’s good on this Earth– no more will I live vicariously through journalists, I am now able to experience my own experiences.

And to start the traveling, I chose Amsterdam. The city of diamonds, the city of sin, whatever you want to call it, it is a place I knew I had to see while I am young. So I packed up my things and said good-bye to the Czech Republic for a few days and soon found myself at this legendary city.

And now as I sit in the airport for three hours because our flight was unexplainably cancelled (just our luck) I realize why Amsterdam is such a desired city to visit. The beautiful canals that run through the entire city, the brick buildings that look slightly slanted. It’s all so surreal; sure every city is unique but Amsterdam had something to it I’ve never seen before. I mean, there’s legal prostitution and drugs but yet no one harassing you and no drug addicts begging you for money. And the bikes! Everyone rides bikes everywhere (at a very fast pace I might add) making the air so clean and the streets free of the angry drivers and traffic Manhattan seems to have a surplus of. And let’s not forget the Anne Frank house: where your seventh grade studies become a reality and you find yourself right where these atrocities to humankind happened, and it hits you that the Frank Family and others like them are not just people to read about, but humans like you and your family with interests and dreams, interests and dreams that were stolen from them.

I saw so much in Amsterdam that I would not be able to see anywhere else, and whether good or bad, I’m happy I was able to see more of the world and more of how other people live.

And now, we wait to see what else I can learn during my further adventures.