Behind the Bar

Goedemorgen from Dutch-land! ...yes I was an idiot!

You know how people say you can get stuck in Amsterdam, well... why would you not want to wake up to this place just everyday.

For the 4 days I have been walking around the city. I feel like I am starting to learn the little ins and outs, more like a local than a tourist. It also doesn't hurt that every person speaks english and every person is more than willing to help out with directions and what not. Today I decided to rent a bike. As I am sure that everyone has heard, there is a trillion bikes here. I have never seen so many in my life! They line the streets, sometimes 4-5 deep. It is truly incredible. It keeps the city so clean, and it is so easy to get around.

The past couple days I have really gotten the chance to spend the time alone. I have enjoyed traveling with Ryan but he is coming to the end of his great venture and he is slowing down a lot. I could see that it was wearing on him, and me. I am not used to spending that much time with another person. As an example, the last guy I dated was only for a month and really we were only together on the weekends. That was even a lot of time. I like my me time. So needless to say it was not the way I wanted to start my trip or continue it for that matter. But I can't blame him, in october he will have been going at it for a year. Long trip. I could see that my attitude towards this whole trip was starting to change and I was somewhat regreting crossing the Atlantic. I am happy to report, though, that I no longer have any form of regret for coming over here. I dont know if it is this city (most likely) or my attitude towards the whole trip has been re-thought (I needed to make this trip about me and not him) but now I just can't see any other place I want to be.

So far my days here have consisted of waking up walking along the canals to a local cafe, where i sip on a latte, read or write, and people watch. Sometimes it is over looking a canal, sometimes a large piazza, or sometimes a small hidden alley. Todays choice was in the Jordaan district where old fern covered buildings were only separated by a small path. No cars were permitted. The only feeling to discribe it was quiant. Surprisingly this whole city is very mellow. All the hype that was associated with the pot capitol of the world is only a small section of the city. Amsterdam proper, in general, is very old world home feel. It only I knew Dutch, I might consider not leaving;)

Well that is my mini update for the time being. As far as what the near future has in store, well I can't seem to leave a place that looks like what it looks like here. AI have about 2 weeks left, Amsterdam one more week, possibly more, and Barcelona for the remainder.

Vaarwel!