Student Bloggers

Currently studying at: University of Glasgow, Scotland

Homeschool: Chapman University

Last weekend I took my first adventure outside of Scotland to visit Amsterdam. Amsterdam is only the third country I have ever been to, so I had no idea what to expect. My friends and family went on and on about how beautiful the country is, and I knew I had to see it with my own eyes. My best friend and I set off on Friday and couldn’t stop talking about everything we could do there. The moment I stepped off of the plane, I knew I was in for the trip of a lifetime. It was nighttime when we arrived, and all the lights were on a brilliant display across the street, and it looked like a fairytale.

The first full day of our trip began on Saturday, and we set off to find the perfect spot for breakfast. We hiked down to Almere Central and found the best brunch spot called Barista Café! The workers were very patient with us and immediately noticed we did not speak Dutch. They helped us decipher the menu, and we both chose new things to try. My favorite item on their menu was definitely the blue butterfly latte. It tasted as good as it sounded! However, my friend and I hit an obstacle when it was time to check out… The café only took cash, and neither of us had euros. Thankfully the workers were not angry, and my friend ran to the train station nearby, and she quickly came back with the right currency.

The rest of our trip was full of ups and downs, but it was incredible! My two favorite experiences in Amsterdam were the Heineken Experience and the wine and cheese tasting. I don’t even like beer, but I had a blast at the brewery experience. There was so much more than just drinking beer! There was one room that pretended to turn everyone into a bottle of beer by showing us a 360° light show. The wine and cheese tasting experience was equally as jaw-dropping. We started off in a cheese store with more cheese rounds then I had ever seen in my life. From jalapeño cheese to pest goat cheese, they had everything. Our tasting included a private room with one other group to try various cheeses and listen to a talk about how the cheese is made. They laid out a long board of cheeses of all different colors and sizes, and even included a glass of wine to pair with each cheese. My favorite cheeses were definitely the smoked goat cheese and the mature goat cheese. Both were incredible, they almost melted in our mouths.

The last day of our trip was sad, because we knew we would have to leave but I will never forget the beautiful canals, food, and lights. For anyone thinking of traveling to a new country, I cannot recommend Amsterdam enough.