This trip was a special one for the books. Rewind back to 2017 where I went to on exchange to Warsaw, Poland and became friends with four amazing ladies. Each from a different country, each with their own zest for life, each a personality different from the next, and with each I can be my unapologetic quirky self (Melissa you're odd, Melissa you're funny, Melissa stop with your astrology!!)
Two years later we meet in Amsterdam as our Aussie friend Bianca recently moved here to do her master's. The fact that all five of us had the time/money to make this trip happen was great. We had no solid plans of what exactly we would do during these three days in Amsterdam - most importantly we just wanted to spent time with one another.
Arriving on a Friday evening, Alina the Belarussian and I with what effort we had left from travelling ventured over to our boat we would call home during our stay. Approaching the boat I saw someone I thought cold be Bianca, without a second thought I jumped this person..luckily it was Bianca (can you imagine if hadn't been?). Katie the Canadian and Marianna the Slovak await our arrival aannnndd the reunion official begins :D
Did we go out that night? No. We drank, we ate, we went in a circle and shared highlights in our lives from over the past 2 years...job, school, love/dating, family, heartache, travel, even vaccinations...there was much to be discussed. In that moment it felt as if we were back in our rundown dorm rooms in Warsaw - as if time had never passed. This is a true marker of real friendships I believe.
Saturday - once all five of us were up and ready to leave it was already noon. We ventured around the centre, taking in our first impressions of the city. Ate lunch at the Avocado Show, went to a coffee shop, thrifted in a second-hand shop...hmm for some reason between the time of leaving the thrift shop and going for a beer my memory is blank. I'm sure that can only be a good thing in Amsterdam? Anyways - fast forward to the evening where we tempted the streets of the Red Light District. I won't go into detail as I'm sure most readers have quite a clear idea of what goes down here. It's, how should I say...eye-opening, intriguing, degrading? The city of Amsterdam believes this sort of "trade" happens throughout the world regardless, so why not make it controlled and legal.
I overhead a German man make an inappropriate comment about one of the workers and, to his surprise I gave him a piece of my mind (apparently I don't hold back in this city). Leaving the Red Light District we ventured to a different area of the city and finally decided on a very unassuming bar/club with in accordance to Amsterdam pricing had affordable drinks, and good music. For some reason they always rang a bell every 5-10 minutes? We ended the night in a diner style place with bad food, but entertaining karaoke.
Sunday - Katie and I go to the Heineken experience to learn about and drink our favourite beverage. Our three other girls go to the Vincent van Gogh museum (its all about prioritizing what you enjoy in life, right?). I mean, the guy cut off his ear and made some astounding art work - now please hand me my beer instead.
Monday - walking tour, boat cruise, some food, some bevy's and a good bye I dreaded like a 5 year old dreads leaving a birthday party. Lots of pouting. This weekend went by so fast! We only just got hereeee!! It's certainly not clear when the five of us will see eachother again, as sad as it is, it seems to be a reoccurring theme throughout my life.
But such is life - wait for the unexpected positives surprise that keep life exciting.
P.S. I was quite distracted with my girls during this trip I underestimated how many photos I took of the city and how little I took of us five! I think there's one in here of all of us.
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