A Note from Alyssa

In the first few days, Amsterdam was rather intimidating. There are people walking, people on bikes, the trams and of course, the cars. I have found it imperative to pay very close attention to what is going on at all times. Today was the first day in which there was no rain, so I took advantage of this to walk around a bit and familiarize myself with parts of the city I have not yet seen. We traveled to the red light district to inquire about a tattoo. I was able to take the tram with out being intimated, which was a great feeling. Walking through the red light district I was not as frightened as I had been on the first day. I feel as though I am beginning to understand this city it is no longer so foreign to me. I can actually look at a map and understand where I am and where places on the map are. One thing I did find very frustrating today was the fact that many things were closed. It did make adventuring out a bit dull. I have learned so far that I must stop, or at least slow down, to appreciate everything here. Everything here does occur at a much slower rate than at home giving ample time to stop and reflect.