As I walked around in sunny Amsterdam, I wondered why I wasn’t impressed by the city the first time I visited. Apart from the stunning Van Gogh museum and the mind blowing number of bikes flying around, nothing extraordinary got stuck in my mind.
I went with one of my very best friends and I have this image of us trying to, unsuccessfully, sleep with plugs in our ears, while occasionally getting up to look out the window and spy on the loud drunk people getting in and out of the clubs of the street where we were staying. I guess we were hoping that if we looked often and long enough they would eventually quiet down.
This second time around, I met a totally different Amsterdam: quiet, peaceful, happy and I found myself feeling the same way. Cherishing the simple things: a fun bike ride, a lunch in the park, a good movie in a cozy couch, a glass of wine or just reading a book by the window while watching people passing by.
Sometimes I wonder if some cities are more welcoming than others or if you just need the right mindset to make it worthwhile wherever you are in the world.
Impressões 