We had a hostel, a travel pass, and a pair of strong legs. The city was ours to explore.

Amsterdam had never been on my list of places to go, but it was where we were to catch our connecting flight to Uganda, Africa. We had tons planned for Uganda. This would be our third trip and we had a long list of projects to work on, including photographing families, connecting funding to students, checking the women’s microloan program, and introducing students to Diva Cups (my personal favorite). We had six 50 lb. trunks packed to the max with donated garden tools, t-shirts, Diva Cups, and gifts to give our hosts. However, all that could wait a few days. If we were already going to be passing through Amsterdam, why not stop and explore?

So there we were in Amsterdam: me, my mom, and her cousin Chris. We had no plan, no car, and no knowledge of the Netherlands. We were the classic tourists. Understand, we had planned on a three night stay in Amsterdam since the we first decided to return to Uganda (more on that story later). However, we’d been so wrapped-up preparing for Uganda that we hadn’t done much research on the Netherlands. We had a guide book that we’d cracked open at the airport in Minneapolis, but that was as far as our planning went. We were winging it. But sometimes, that’s the best way to do it!

We arrived in Amsterdam Sunday, August 13 at 5:30am after an 8-hour flight. I’d slept a couple hours, but Mom & Chris hadn’t slept a minute. We got off the plane and into the train station in a daze – part from sleep deprivation and part from being thrust into a new culture.

We bought travel passes for € 33.50 which allowed us to ride the train, metro, trams, and buses anytime, anywhere for the next three days. This was probably the best spent money of our trip; we rode public transportation everywhere. That first morning, we were totally lost. Thanks to the airport staff and friendly locals, we were able to make our way from the train to a tram to our hostel.

We were spending the next three nights at a place called Generator Hostel, a repurposed university science building alongside Oosterpark. Our check-in wasn’t until 2:00pm, so we had a few hours to wander. We dropped off our bags and immediately went in search of a café. Running on no sleep, Mom & Chris were in desperate need of coffee and I was looking forward to a hot pot of tea. We walked up and down a small side street, poking our heads into bakeries and grocery stores. There was fresh bread everywhere! We grabbed a € 0.30 roll and sat outside taking in our new scenery. Bikes sped past us on red-paved paths that we quickly learned were only for bikers. Bikes own the roads here. If you’re a pedestrian, you better move fast and stay on your side of the path.

We eventually found a quaint little coffee shop on the corner and ordered our beverages of choice. It was here we learned that European coffee is not American coffee. The coffee was extremely strong and wasn’t meant to be sipped black. Mom and Chris had to add a healthy dose of cream & sugar to make it palatable (later on they learned to order water to dilute it). I confirmed my belief that no matter where you travel, you can’t go wrong with a pot of peppermint tea.

At the coffee shop, we devised a rudimentary plan of what to do for the next three days. Specifically, we wanted to do a canal tour, visit the Amsterdam Forest, take the train to Haarlem, and eat plenty of good European bread.

Since we still had a couple hours before our hostel would be ready, we decided to go ahead and take a canal tour now. No time like the present! We hopped on a tram and, after initially heading the opposite direction, made our way to the city center. It was easy to find a canal tour and we were out in a quiet, electric-powered boat in no time! We were navigated around Amsterdam’s extensive network of canals, under bridges, and past many historic townhouses, lined up side-by-side like crayons in a box. It was a nice ride, but the sleepless night was catching up to us. We were hitting the wall. I spent most of the hour boat ride elbowing Mom, trying to keep her awake.

When we got off the boat, we made it back to the hostel in one try! The extensive transportation system was starting to make sense. As soon as we reached our room, we dropped into our bunks and took a solid 2-hour nap. When we awoke, we were refreshed! At least, we were awake enough to find some dinner. We took a short walk to a grocery store where we bought bread, hummus, PB&J, and fruit. We setup our picnic in the park and watched as all the bikers, runners, and walkers passed by. It was a warm, bright Sunday and it seemed everyone was out enjoying the unusually nice weather. We hadn’t been in the city a whole day, but we were already starting to love Amsterdam.

The next couple days, we made good use of our travel passes. We took a long walk through Amsterdam Forest and watched as children climbed all over the natural playscapes in a small river. We rented a canoe for a couple hours and paddled the network of rivers in the park. It was simple – no paperwork, no instructions, and no lifejackets. They just handed us a rough map and wished us luck. SO different from the U.S. where it seems there’s paperwork for everything.

We took the ferry to Amsterdam Noord. We walked around an old shipyard and found ourselves in a large warehouse. But this wasn’t just any warehouse; it was a community of artists. There was an assortment of cube-shaped rooms stacked on top of each other, some three high. It almost looked like the building blocks we played with as kids, brightly colored and in no particular order. Each cube had its own personality. I wished I could meet the artist that worked in each one, but it was still morning and they don’t seem to start work here until the afternoon (apparently people in Amsterdam like to sleep in).

On our last day, we took the train Haarlem, a quaint city about 20 minutes outside Amsterdam. We strolled the streets, popping in & out of shops. When it started to rain, we found a restaurant that served simple sandwiches and even had a free bathroom (those are hard to come by in Amsterdam)! When we finished lunch, the rain had just about stopped. We explored some more, stopping by a tea shop in the late afternoon for tea & pastries.

That night, back in Amsterdam, we took one last walk through the city, up onto the room of the NEMO Science Museum. The roof of the museum is a ramp that takes you up about seven floors and offers an incredible view of Amsterdam across the water. By this point, the sun was breaking through again, giving the city a magical glow.

The three of us agreed that Amsterdam had met and exceeded our expectations. It’s such a simple way of life here. Bike to work mid-morning, take a stroll mid-afternoon, and return to your small townhouse in the evening.

We stopped to talk with one man riding a beautifully handcrafted wooden bike. When we mentioned their laid-back culture, he said, “I don’t know why you Americans do it… 40 hour work weeks with only 2 weeks paid-time-off? And so many signs and rules over there! No thanks. I like my life as an artist in Amsterdam.”

Why do we do it? Why is it so important to clock in your 40 hours and work 54 weeks a year? Maybe it’s money. Yet, it seems that those who make a generous salary put in just as many hours as those making minimum wage. Maybe it’s things. Yet, we can only buy so many things before our houses overflow. Maybe it’s an epidemic. Yet, there is no vaccine.

But, I digress.

As I write this on a plane bound for Uganda, I am glad we decided to spend a few days in Amsterdam. It was completely different from what we will see and experience in Uganda, but that diversity is valuable. All countries have their own lessons to teach travelers who are willing to learn.

This year, I have a lot to learn.