i AMsterdam

After a long 8 hour bus ride from London, my 48 new travel buddies and I finally arrived in Amsterdam. I went here not knowing much about it, other than it's where The Fault In Our Stars partly took place.

By the time we were settled in, it was evening. My group and I got a lovely private boat cruise around the canals of Amsterdam. However, there was free, unlimited beer and wine, so I think a lot of people didn't really pay attention to the beauty that surrounded them. But I did. The canals were much wider than Venice, but a lot less crowded. Each building was a different color, but they all shared earthy tones. And all of the bridges were lined in lights, which shimmered nicely on the water.

With a few beers in me, I was happy to talk to some of my new companions. It seemed we had the entire English speaking world aboard our tiny vessel. There were a couple of Americans who were studying abroad, like me. There were also a few Canadians, some South Africans, some Brits, a lot of Aussies, and a whole bunch of Kiwis. In addition, there was someone from Hong Kong, someone from the Middle East, and two people from Mexico. We had all traveled here with the same goals of exploring Europe and having fun.

After the cruise, some of us went to Amsterdam's famous Red Light District. It was like nothing I have ever seen before. The streets were lined with red lights shining into windows where beautiful naked

women stood, pressed against the glass, and beckoned the passers-by to hire them for the night. There were at least four prostitutes set up in each building. It was probably one of the most interesting experiences of my life! Scandalized by dozens of naked women, we entered a sex show. Couple after couple came out to have sex to music. Live sex! Some would just dance around and play with themselves while others were full on banging on stage. I'm glad I went because it was a once in a lifetime experience. I mean where else I'm I going to have the pleasure of seeing a woman smoking a cigar from her vagina? I was also called on stage for some audience participation, but I won't go into detail about that.

The next morning, I had free time in Amsterdam. A group of us made our way to the Instafamous "i amsterdam" sign. On the way, I saw more stunning canals and architecture. The top of every building was different, giving the skyline a unique shape. There were also countless picturesque bridges, and I was happy to stop at each to take a touristy picture. I finally made it to the sign and climbed on the "a" to take a picture. Blessed with a gorgeous day, I was really able to enjoy the original beauty of Amsterdam.

We stopped for lunch on the way back to the group's meeting point and went into one of the famous Amsterdam cafes, which was very helpful for the long bus ride to our next destination: St. Goar, Germany.