amsterdam.

i am experiencing some jet lag and cannot sleep. instead of laying in bed for hours tonight starring at the wall, i decided to upload some pictures.

here is everything i packed laid out on my bed. i did quite well, i think. tomorrow i am going shopping to buy more things though :)

last night vivian, vivian's roommate hilde, and i went to the supermarket to get food for dinner. i am in love with the idea that everyone goes to store each night to buy food. we drank some wine and ate some delicious little chocolate candies. then, vivian and i walked down to the water to enjoy the night air.

this morning i went for a jog along the water-- i hope running becomes easier as i do it every day. then vivian and i took the train to amsterdam. we went to the heineken museum. we watched how the beer was made and got to drink a few glasses ourselves. tomorrow i will attempt to download a funny video we made there. i was going to engrave something into a beer bottle, but for 6 euros i decided i could buy a LOT of beers. so i am going to get some tape and just write the message on the bottle :) i wonder if it will make it home.

vivian and erica: great together :). i wore vivian's boots because i only brought these little nike tennies that i just got for walking here. nobody wears tennis shoes here so i was trying to be a little more european. however, by the end of the day my feet hurt so badly that i have decided that i will go for comfort over looks the rest of the trip.

i went to the van gogh museum and the rijkmuseum while vivian went to lunch with an old friend. i absolutely adored the van gogh paintings. i also found some paintings by other artists that i will one day get prints of and decorate rooms in my house after.

the city is so beautiful with the canal. i sat and ate a little snack and people watched. i learned my first lesson in eating today. i need to pack my lunch because i was so into the museums that i did not want to stop and eat. then i sat on a bench to write something in my journal and when i stood up, i was so light headed. then i stopped in a little tiny cafe and had to pay quite a few euros for a little bit of food. although, this thing made of spinach and ricotta cheese was delicious.

i love all the bicycle riders. seems like heaven. everyone rides bikes--men in suits, mothers with babies on the front and children on the back, young people, old people, people walking their dogs.

lastly, i saw this contraption that is so crazy. you put your coins in and get food. like a vending machine, but warm food. how strange it is!!

tomorrow i am going to go to school with vivian. i should really try to get some rest. hopefully my brain will stop running so i can fall asleep.

ik mis je (i miss you).

liefs (love),
e.