Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin.

– John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Amsterdam holds a special place in my heart. For starters, it’s where D and I met up for the first time as an official “couple” after months of expressing our feelings to one another over FaceTime. We spent a fun weekend there together, visiting museums and indulging at incredible restaurants. These canals and cobblestone streets bring me to a smile, because I remember how much excitement those few days had in store for both of us. When my company announced that we were going to Amsterdam for a work conference, I was really happy.

The week before I had been in Colorado visiting family, and traveled straight to Amsterdam. While one week at home was not long enough, I was really excited for the next leg of my journey.

Schipol Airport was bustling and very busy. I was really happy to have finally landed after a long transatlantic flight. I am a nervous flyer these days. As I walked to the baggage claim area, I couldn’t help but smile. That was where D and I met up when we landed from our separate journeys, and we were both so nervous!

After grabbing my bag, I had to take a taxi to Noordwijk. This is a small city 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam. Our hotel, Huis ter Duin was right on the beach. I always forget how close Amsterdam is to the North Sea.  The views from the hotel where actually quite stunning.

Grand Hotel – Huis Ter Duin

{This was my room – waterfront view!}

{Not a bad view, am I right?}

{I am actually really surprised at my dedication that week, in terms of fitness… I went running and gymming almost daily!}

{A Dutch sunset}

Food – Dutch Style

I’m just going to leave this as photos. I was so well fed that week, it is hard to find a single complaint about food. I was left with such a good impression of Dutch cuisine. The service in some restaurants is slow, but everything tastes amazing!

{Carpaccio is one of my new favorite starters}

{These were probably the best mussels I’ve ever tried!}

{Every meal was an adventure, and especially I loved inhaling trying all the mousse}

Exploring the City

While I was in the Netherlands for work, we were given a little bit of time off to explore the city. I, somehow, had to squeeze everything I wanted to do in a matter of a couple hours. Thankfully, since I’ve been in Amsterdam before, I’ve seen all the major museums (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank Huis). I joined a few coworkers to have more of a relaxed approach to the city. We started with a pub, and then moved on to Body Worlds. I’ve been to Body Worlds once before when it was in Denver, but I was in high school. It was something that would have been really fun to do, especially since I love science and think that human anatomy is extremely fascinating. Afterwards, we walked through the Red Light district, and explored the center briefly before catching the bus back to our hotel.

{A pub in Dam Square}

{Creepy but cool exhibit in Body Worlds}

{Cheesy photo much?}

{Photobombed by my coworker}