I amsterdam

Where do I even begin? Thursday, after expending all our other options, we called a private hire taxi for Steph, Brady, Ryan, Sam, and myself to take to London Luton airport. This ended up being a good choice (for the way there atleast) and we only paid about 16 pounds each. After sitting in traffic, we were about 60 seconds away from not being able to check-in to our Easyjet flight. Afterwards, we proceeded to sprinting through the airport to find our gate. Turned out, our flight was delayed so we caught our breath and had a beer. A short one-hour flight later we arrived in the Amsterdam airport. We wandered aimlessly looking for customs, being led downstairs to empty rooms. After seriously debating not getting our passports stamped (joke, but tempting), we found the train station where we continued to have trouble with the train ticket machine. We finally got on the train, where we told to get off at the wrong station. A 20 euro cab ride later, we made it to the Marriott Amsterdam. We (2 of the 8 of us) checked in to our room where we found the rest of UGA who were also staying at the hotel from the Innsbruck program. With no time to spare, we walked across the street to the Bulldog Café…naturally. Steph, me, and about 30 guys from UGA found ourselves in a private room in the back of the café, completely immersing ourselves in the Amsterdam culture. Friday, after my good nights sleep sharing a bed with Steph and Andrew, James led the group to the famous pancake factory…45 minutes away. Having one of the guys take the lead was nice so I wasn’t really paying much attention to my whereabouts (the city still confuses me). After a famous Dutch pancake (banana & Nutella) we walked around some more, discovering “Smartshops” and coffee shops on every corner, and found our way to the Vincent Van Gogh museum. I was surprised/thoroughly entertained to see some of these boys get so excited about going to a Van Gogh museum and taking the audio tour. Afterwards, we had dinner outside in the square near our hotel, where mid-meal, an old man undressed into a thong and did an acrobatic routine on a rope. Slightly disturbed/completely amused, we went back to get ready for the night. Friday night was a little nuts but totally fulfilled my expectations. Being with solely college boys, Steph and I followed to the Red Light District. Let’s just say, I saw some things I never thought I would see in my life.
Saturday we continued our sight-seeing at the Heineken brewery. The place gave me a new-found appreciation for the beer. Afterwards, a bunch of us rented paddle boats to see the city from the best spot—the water. This probably was my favorite part of the weekend. We popped a bottle of Hoegaarden rose and relaxed as Stuart and Malcolm did all the work. After going back to shower without all of our roommates, we got ready and met the guys for Thai food. Somehow we all managed to go back to the Red Light District again that night…when in Rome, right? (or Amsterdam in this case)
Sunday was a little rough. We checked out at 12 and had about 8 hours to spare until we had to go to the airport. We stumbled upon some random diner for breakfast and could hardly figure out how to split the check because we all felt so dead. Steph, Ryan, and I attempted to go to the Anne Frank house, but opted against standing in the line, which looked like it would take forever. We did some shopping, walked until our feet hurt, sat outside and had a “white” beer, and did basically everything to kill time. Finally, we took the tram to the Amsterdam Central Station, where we then took the train to the airport. We waited for our delayed flight for what seemed like forever, my stress level rising as I thought about all I had to do this week for my classes. We finally took off at about 12 a.m. for a somewhat scary plane ride back after being informed the reason for our delay was that the plane needed maintenance. This really was one of the only times I have been a little scared on an airplane. About two hours late, we landed and were greeted by our angry private hire taxi van driver. By this point, all of us would do anything just to get back to Oxford. After waiting in the cold parking lot for our driver to find his misplaced car key and disputing with the company manager on the phone, we made it back at about 2:30 a.m.
Amsterdam. The place is insane. Its weekends like this that make me miss my family. I felt safe with all the people I was with, but those kinds of cities take a toll on you. I’m glad I went at this time in my life, because I honestly don’t know if I could handle it in any other kind of situation. That being said, I was ready to leave Sunday. I’m physically and mentally exhausted. On the other hand, there is much more to the city than coffee shops, beer, and prostitutes. Its a pretty town full of gorgeous flowers with culture, canals, and museums. I loved the experience, getting to know some of the guys better, seeing all that Amsterdam had to offer, and completely stepping out of my comfort zone. However, I have never wanted to sleep in my bed in the comfort and safety of my own home more in my life.