Not Goodbye, See You Later

Night time at Tower Bridge

So, this is it. I began my adventure in London ten weeks ago and in some respects it feels like just yesterday and in other it feels like lightyears ago. London has become a second home for me and I don't know how I am going to leave without leaving a piece of me here. My friend who studied here earlier this year, the same one who came and visited a few weeks ago told me when I first got here that someone told her, "Once you come to London, you never really leave." At the time when Michaela shared that with me, I had only been here for five days and so it did not really impact me but now that I think back about my time here, I know exactly what that woman meant when she told Michaela that. Although it was only ten weeks, I feel like I have grown exponentially in a way that I would not have been able to at home.

Being in London has opened my eyes to so many new things and new people. I have made lifelong friends who I would have never met otherwise. I have realized what is really important in life and by living so far away from my family and friends, I now know how valuable they are to me. Not only have I had the opportunity to immerse myself in London and British culture, but I have been fortunate enough to go to Barcelona, London and most recently Amsterdam. Having these countries within two hours traveling distance has really opened my eyes to the world and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to see so many beautiful things.

Hanging out at the IAmsterdam sign.

I went to Amsterdam last Thursday after class and to say that I was in awe would be an understatement. I have seen many pictures of the canals and I have always wanted to see them firsthand but what I actually saw was even better than I could have imagined. I have a friend who lives in Amsterdam so I was able to stay with her. Booking my flight on Monday and arriving on Thursday is one of the most spontaneous things I have ever done and I am so glad that I did! When I got there, we went for pancakes. They were not just breakfast pancakes though, they were for dinner! I ordered a chicken and cheese pancake and I was pleasantly surprised. We walked around for a while after and seeing the canals at night may have even been better than seeing them during the day. Lights illuminated the tunnels of the canals and my friend and I longed to be sitting on one of the house boats that are stationed there.

Canal from our paddle boat.

Vondelpark

The next day we went to Vondelpark, and let me tell you it was like a scene from a movie. The grass was green, the flowers were vibrant and everything was peaceful. Rittenhouse Park is nice, but now that I've been to Vondelpark, I don't think I will ever feel the same about parks again. Right near the park is the Van Gogh Museum so we went there and got to see his work. To see things in person that I have only learned about was amazing and I am happy that I had the chance to appreciate his masterpieces. After the museum, we ate waffle cookies and went to see the "I Amsterdam" sign where people were climbing and taking pictures. We decided to try something different and went paddle boating and trust me, it looks a lot more fun than it actually is. The sun was shining and I was peddling my heart out, trying to avoid hitting other boats and the walls of the canal. Although it was a tiring experience, I worked up my appetite for the next part of our night which was a pizza cruise. At first when another group of girls from Drexel told me about it, I didn't think that it was something that I would want to do but it ended up being relaxing and I was able to see more of the canals and the city that I had not previously seen. To finish off our very packed day, we went to the Anne Frank Museum. Of course reading and learning about the Holocaust is very sad and unimaginable, but actually being in the place that the Frank family and others hid for two years was eye opening and a bit traumatic for me.
When I returned to London, I was faced with the realization that it would be my last week here and although I had finals to study for, I wanted to make the most of my time. Monday was a bank holiday here so we did not have class and I spent my day walking in beautiful Sloane Square. Wednesday night I went to a launch party for the clothing brand of one of the stars, Caggie Dunlop from in Made in Chelsea. I won access on Twitter and was able to spend the night feeling like a VIP. There, I made friends who live here and I felt as though I really belonged. My amazing night only made it all the more real that I am leaving soon and I can't even believe it. I'm going to keep the mentality of "It's not goodbye, it's see you later," because I know that I will be back at some point.

Made in Chelsea star, Caggie Dunlop and I at her brand, ISWAI's launch party.

Some of my new British friends and Proudlock from Made in Chelsea.

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Amsterdam Top 10

1. Rent Bikes!
MacBike has various locations and is great - we rented a bike for 24hours and explored every side of the city. (Make sure you have a good set of locks for it though, as our guide told us that it is funny for locals to throw unattended bikes into the canals, and that thousands of bikes are removed from the waterways every year.)

2. . I AMSTERDAM
This sign provides a perfect starting point for the trip with some great photo-ops. The IAMsterdam Card is also a good idea if you plan on seeing a lot in a short amount of time - it offers free admission to a number of museums as well as discounts in other places across the city.
3. Visit the Van Gogh Museum
Right next to the I AMsterdam sign, this museum has over 200 Paintings by Van Gogh, and are arranged in chronological order to view the images in a new perspective.
4. Visit the Rijks Museum
This museum has works from all over, but it's "greatest hits" are worth seeing. The garden is nice too.
5. Take the Free Walking Tour
New Europe offers free walking tours in many cities throughout Europe. The guides work on a tip-only basis, and so they're always energetic, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun. (They also take a group photo and post it on their site - ours hasn't been posted yet)

6. Visit the Anne Frank House
Visitors can see the space where the 8 Jews, including the famous diarist Anne Frank, hid during WWII. If you want to avoid standing in super long lines, pre-order tickets online - and that way you skip lines and enter through a separate door to the side.

7. Red Light District
You have to see it to believe it. Try going during the day and then at night to see how dramatic the difference is.

8. VondelPark
If the weather is nice, this is perfect for a picnic or a few beers. A great place to ride your bike through too!

9. Shop!
There are neighborhoods dividing Amsterdam. Each on has a slightly different feel from the one before it. In the city center, there are a number of great stores with a heavy design student influence. Hema is great, similar to Target at home, you can get anything you'd need while there - but having been designed by local students, everything looks cool!
Grab some Wok to Walk while you're in this area too - not at all typical regional food, but great customized noodle/rice dishes create a great quick and cheap meal.


10. Leave by ferry!
With an easy train connection from Amsterdam Centraal to Hoek Van Holland - a great way to leave Amsterdam is via boat. The ferry on the StenaLine is massive, choose between public seating in the restaurant areas or book a private cabin - the boat is complete with a casino, an arcade, a movie theatre, and many dining choices -- the 7 hour ride from Amsterdam to London's nearby port of Harwich, flys by.

some images courtesy of Wiki Travel