I have now been living in Amsterdam for one month. Thirty days of unequivocal bliss. It's not always the easiest, but so is the life of someone who up and moves to another country. However, I will say that Amsterdam has made it incredibly easy for me to fall in love with the Netherlands and my new home. Here are some reasons why I absolutely believe that I chose the perfect place to do exchange, and why I think everyone should visit.
1. There are so many opportunities to shop at flea market/ swapmeet-esque type shops on a daily basis.
There is the Albert Cuyp, the Waterloopeinmarkt, and various other places you can go, like Ij Hallen , which happens once a month, that you can get cheap stuff at. Considering that one of my absolute favorite past times is finding great stuff at a bargain price, I have spent a lot of time frequenting these areas in the past couple weeks. Just the other day I got a pink leather jacket, two shirts, two skirts, and a couple sweaters for 10 Euros. Big time score for the girl who arrived in Amsterdam with just a backpack.
2. Riding your bike, after you finally get used to being around a crapton of people safely, is so much fun.
Beyond being fun, it’s actually incredibly relaxing. One of my favorite things to do is go out biking either early in the morning or late at night when no one is really around. It’s such a crazy experience to go through the town when it is empty. It’s almost like biking through the set of a TV show set in a beautiful town that you only dream of living in.
3. Dutch people have more phlegm than anyone else on the planet.
Ok, they don’t actually have more phlegm. But the Dutch language uses that guttural sound for a cacophony of words, which sounds super legit, but is equally difficult for me to sound like I am anything but a sad, sad, outsider.
4. There are SO many tourists here.
And they all think it’s perfectly fine to walk in the bike lane. Spoiler alert: It’s NOT fine. But it is pretty funny to ride down the street and feel like you are a bowling ball and the tourists are pins. MUAHAHAHHAHA… just kidding. But it's honestly a really amazing experience constantly seeing people from all over the world, and hearing multiple languages on my commute to school, or even just walking around the city center. On top of that, because there are so many tourists, everyone speaks English, which makes my life as an American who only knows English and a tad bit of Spanish, way easier.
5. Dutch people are so freaking delightful.
I just love them all. It’s so funny, because people warned me ahead of time that the Dutch are direct, and that you have to get used to it, or it might come as a shock. But honestly, I find it so incredibly refreshing. Shout out to the Dutch. For actually keeping it real. Anytime someone mistakes me for a Dutch person I am truly honored. And then I end up in an awkward situation because they speak to me in Dutch and I get hella confused.
Overally, I think that Amsterdam is downright charming. For a weekend, a week, a month, an exchange, or even a place to sink your roots into. And, if you want to visit before January is over, you now know a tour guide.
