“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”
Amsterdam is quirky, calm, sometimes chaotic, and always just a little bit cool. While bicycle is the popular mode of transport, I spent two days in my worn out pair of vintage boots as I explored the city on foot. From the beautiful canals -- like the Keizersgracht pictured above -- to the grandeur of Amsterdam Centraal, or central station, to the bustling city centre filled with shops and museums, there is much to see in this Dutch city.
I stayed in the Jordaan district, and I found it to be a quiet, peaceful retreat away from the more crowded, tourist-flocked areas. Once home to Rembrandt and other artists, this charming neighborhood has lots of cute boutiques for the eclectic shopper and art lovers. Beautiful canal houses with colourful doors line the streets, and I'm particularly drawn to colourful doors.
Jordaan also holds the house where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis during WWII. The Anne Frank Huis is a museum that is an absolute must when visiting Amsterdam. No photography is allowed inside, so all I can say is that I felt sobered, saddened, and yet somehow supremely inspired when I left. Her story is one story -- but in it lies the story of millions. I still cannot fathom the magnitude of this atrocity. But her story -- their story -- is a reminder to us all that racism has no place in our world. That love should drive us forward. That we are all human. And that beauty can be found even in the darkest places.
“Think of all the beauty still left around you
and be happy.”
I think I love every city that I visit, for different reasons. But Amsterdam felt very much like me -- varied and full of possibilities. I love the simple beauty of the quiet canals, and the complex art of the grungy alleys. I love the rusty bicycles, and the corner shops. I love that you can sit on a bench and get lost in the day. And for you John Green fans, yes, I did sit on the famous TFIOS bench. I only wish I had a "Gus" to join me, but hey - there's always next time. Amsterdam holds many next times.
“We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place,
we stay there, even though we go away.
And there are things in us that we can find again
only by going back there.”