Whereas France was a whirlwind tour, Amsterdam provided a chance to take it a little more slowly.

Amsterdam uses bikes to get around, just like how Southeast Asia uses motorbikes. I considered hiring a bike to get around the city. Usually how I get to know the area is by walking or running, and taking the environment through the senses. When riding a bike, it’s hard to take it all in, since the focus must be on the road.

What is also hilarious is that sometimes people will start singing on top of their lungs. No big deal. Some people text and ride. Some even have small children on their handlebars. No one wears helmets, but everyone is fine. It’s all an organized chaos. These are kinds of things you can get away with in Amsterdam, but they would never fly in Seattle. Maybe I should write another blog post about that. (Ha!)

On being vegan in Amsterdam

I first stayed at Firejuice, a queer-owned vegan bed-and-breakfast. It’s run by this very sweet queer couple, Ben and Sonia. I met Ben four years ago during my first visit here, and he was talking about it. Now I got to see it for myself! The vegan breakfasts they make are guaranteed to energize the body and mind. Firejuice isn’t exactly your grandma’s B&B, but the space is quaint, beautifully decorated, and emanates good energy. What’s not to love?

Being in Amsterdam was the cleanest I have eaten during this Eurotrip. It’s very easy to eat vegan here. Everything is clearly labeled. Pictured here are some spring rolls from the vegan store, Vegabond. This is some delicious, nutritious, beautiful vegan food.

After Firejuice, my friends, Kristina and Thomas, graciously hosted me in their apartment. They’re another sweet couple with a cat named Kelso.

That digital nomad life…

As was the case while seeing my friends in London and Nancy, work continued to keep me glued to my laptop in Amsterdam. Part of the reason why I’m doing this Eurotrip is seeing how I can handle being a digital nomad. Much of the anxiety comes from finding a reliable Wi-Fi connection. I mostly stayed home with Kelso and my laptop. But this kind of opportunity is one I’ve never had before. The whole world has become my office. It’s incredible.

And the best art galleries/museums

The last time I visited Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum had reopened after undergoing renovations. I spent well over five hours marveling over art history lessons coming to life. There wasn’t enough time to do that again, so here are some places worth mentioning.

Amsterdam has a museum called Katten Kabinet, and it’s a cat art museum. Yes, you read that correctly: a cat art museum. I’ve seen it once before, and a second visit was clearly needed. It’s a collection of paintings, posters, and illustrations that feature cats, and going there is a must if you love feline friends.

I also went to the Moco Museum, a boutique museum displaying contemporary art. Currently they have exhibits featuring the work of Banksy and Icy & Sot. It was the first time standing in front of a Banksy original. Although I can’t say that Banksy was ever high on my radar, the political and humorous messages in his work are still something to be appreciated.

Amsterdam’s pop surrealism gallery is KochXBos. This piece is by Meryl Donoghue, an artist who works on the theme of painful narratives with a surreal twist. This piece here is called “Dreamland.” The owner of KochxBos said that it’s about the age of social media, how we share only the highlights of our lives on this digital medium. We hide behind those parts while masking the darker parts of ourselves. My parallel interpretation was along the same lines, but without the social media. To me, it seemed like a child seemed to have it all, but is hiding a very dark secret deeply beneath this façade.

Turn on the bright lights

On the last night in Amsterdam, my friends and I walked under the twinkling Christmas lights. We went on a canal tour to see the Winter Light Festival, a collection of illuminated art installations throughout the city. The canal tour gives a different perspective, as the boat navigated under bridges and between streets.

Amsterdam is one of those cities I could live in. It’s progressive, bike-friendly, has a freakin’ cat art museum, loads of vegan food, and being queer is widely accepted. This is a city I’m coming back to again and again, for sure.