Day 69-The Netherlands, Amsterdam

Oh, Amsterdam. You are one strange place. Today we ventured into the city many (including our group) have coined "the devil's city." Gratefully we weren't subject to the worst parts, but even in the "safe" right side of the city (back facing the station) there were some pretty interesting things taking place around us. 1) Tourism shops selling "special" pot cookies and chocolate bars...took me three seconds to figure out the leaf on the package wasn't mint. Guess no chocolate for Brianna. 2) When accidentally making eye contact with someone, being asked if I wanted to "buy"...And my personal favorite. 3) 15 year-olds growling (I'm dead serious. It was hilarious.) seductively at you from under rain canopies...Naples all over again, except the Italians don't growl.

Although these experiences were quite enlightening of Amsterdam culture, I must admit I enjoyed the other cultural experiences I had today. Not only did I see Rembrandt's Night Watch (sorry the picture's bad) along with a slew of 17th century northern baroque pieces including several Vermeer's, De Hooch's, and Frans Halls', but I also saw the largest collection of Van Gogh's I've ever seen. It was funny. When we were sent off to write about any piece that "spoke to us" at the end of lecture, I stood in front of an ordinary (well, Van Gogh's are never ordinary, but you get the point) painting and began writing. Within seconds I was surrounded as tourists tried to figure out my fascination with a simple vase of irises. The entire 20 min I was writing, the irises were carefully scrutinized from every angle (as were my notes...) but the second I walked away, the irises resumed their place amongst the other post-impressionist pieces and the tourists shuffled on by. Art Student: 1. Tourists: 0.

Between the last two places we visited, we went to a quaint Dutch pancake hauss and enjoyed traditional pancakes (shout out to my Grandma Soucie for making similar-if not better-pancakes) and enjoyed some thoughts for our last FHE together as a group. :(

The second to last museum we went to was a bit boring so I'll spare the details, but the Anne Frank hauss I went to with some of the girls was incredible. It was astonishing how small the annex that hid eight people really was (and how suffocatingly dark it would have been), yet how well it blended in with the bottom portion of the warehouse. It was difficult to look at the original collage of magazine pictures, flowers photos, and other memorabilia Anne had used to decorate the walls of her compartment before she was found and arrested. It's tragic to think inhumanity existed on such a level that power eventually overcame love and the moral decision was lost out of fear. Also powerful were several original pages from Anne's diary on display.

I had some purposeful experiences today I know redefined the way I think about humanity and my place in the world. I'm so grateful I'm having this experience!