Amsterdam is a city I will never be able to truly understand. Despite the legalization of weed and prostitution here (the city is famous for its coffeeshops and the "red light district"), the city is very safe and police are used really only for policing bike traffic. The Dutch pride themselves on being very safe, and though they come across as forward--its only their mannerism and they arent being rude. Luckily for me, I had both a friend from home in the city to take me around and about 8 friends from GW on my Madrid program who came with me as well. This was a fun trip, but I don't think I can survive another trip to Amsterdam for awhile. It is a crazy way of life there! I feel lucky to have seen a great dance show there, lots of art from Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, as well as an exhibit from Avendon specially there for the month...and toured all over the city.
This is my friend from Blake High School, Marlee- who I stayed with in Amsterdam. She lives in a building made of shipping crates, and let me use her extra bike to bike through every street and canal in Amsterdam. I was super tired but it was such a great experience to bike through everything like all the natives do! 
Van Gogh's museum actually had an entire exhibit that just came in February to Amsterdam, including his famous Starry Night which is usually at the Met. 
It was raining super hard so I had to wear my scarf Jackie O style through the rain. 
This is at the Heineken factory. It was SOOO much fun. We got to go on a ride, see how the beer is brewed, have a professional lesson on beer tasting, and see above- beer the brew ourselves the old fashioned way from medieval times! 
The 4 key ingredients of beer at the Heineken factory... 
This is a friend and I in front of a church I think and the typical row houses of Amsterdam...
Looking up is the house of Anne Frank. When her family left Germany, Anne Frank's family of 8 people moved into the secret attic of a factory of her fathers...he was a jam maker. The museum was extremely powerful, moving, and sad. Actually seeing her diary and listening to interviews from her family and friends was intense. But, if youre going to Amsterdam--you have to stop and see this. 
Holland is obsessed with their tulips...I think its an integral part of their economy, or once was at least. 
View of the canals...there are houseboats galore everywhere, plus canal cruises always running by. I loved riding over all the bridges and seeing everything so alive with all the people bike riding everywhere and people covering the streets. 
This is just one photograph example of the MASS amount of bikes covering the city. Its really the only way to get around. 
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