Rome and Home

Hello! Today I'm posting some pictures from Rome, and about some of the touristy and not-so-touristy things Daniel and I did while we were there. I'm going to keep it brief, because there's more things I want to talk about afterwards.

We stayed in Trastevere, which is a neighborhood in central Rome, but across the Tiber river from all of the tourist attractions, so it's very quiet. It's also known as the restaurant district so we ate most of our meals there for really cheap, and they were DELICIOUS.

Our first full day, we went to the Vatican at about 9 in the morning. The first time I was in Rome with my family, we didn't buy tickets online (WHY MOM??? WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO US) and we had to wait outside for 2.5 hours in that blistering hot Roman summer sun. It was awful. But no, I refused to do that to Daniel and myself again (even though it's not hot anymore) so we bought tickets online and just walked right in.

St. Peter's Basilica! This was taken while standing in line. It's super long but it moves pretty quickly, plus you can't complain about that free entry. However, if you want to do the dome climb, you have to pay. It's 6 euros to take the stairs and 8 euros to take the elevator.

We took the stairs... it was much more difficult than I anticipated. I had to take multiple breaks haha

Overlooking the Vatican museums

This is the view I've been waiting for! It's the picture that goes on all the Rome postcards!

Do I even have to caption this picture? Also, Daniel, if you're reading this, you look very cute in this picture

An awesome feature of our AirBNB was that they gave us vouchers for breakfast at a nearby cafe, so we were able to do this every morning for free! Shoutout to Pietro.

The last thing we did in Rome was go to the Porta Portese flea market. It's named after Porta Portese, one of the old city gates of Rome. It's also in Trastevere, so we walked through it on the way to the train station to go back to the airport. I totally skimped on the pictures in this post, but there are more on Facebook and on my instagram if you're really that interested. We eventually made it to the airport, but then we had to wait in the ridiculously long security line. They had amped up the security checks because of Paris, and I really thought I was going to miss my flight. I started seriously freaking out and once we got through security we BOOKED IT for our gates. In the end, it didn't even matter because my flight was delayed...

But Gyyoung, why is this post called "Rome and home"? Because, my friend, I'm also writing about the things I have come to really miss about good old Maryland. I'm also going to write about some things that I know I will miss once I'm back in the United States. I only have a few weeks left in my semester here, so I've started to contemplate things like that more often.

What do I miss from home?

1) KOREAN FOOD. Oh god, Korean food, how I miss you. So delicious and abundant and (relatively) healthy. I will never again take my mom's cooking for granted. This is, in fact, the longest time I have been away from Korean food in my ENTIRE life, and I hope I never have to do it again.

2) Chain restaurants, namely, Chipotle. I miss Chipotle SOOOOO much. I could list so many more... Blaze, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Cafe Rio... it never ends. I guess what I miss is being able to hop in my car, go through the drive-thru, get my food, and be back at home in less than twenty minutes. Plus, take-out is a new concept in Europe, and only a handful of restaurants actually offer it. If you want to eat out, you gotta commit to finding a place, going all the way over there, and sitting down for a 1.5-2 hour meal. But I guess that just shows that I'm not made for the relaxed, take-it-slow lifestyle that Spaniards are accustomed to. I want my food now! And I possibly want to eat it at home while watching Netflix!

3) Spicy food! Yeah, I know, all I've mentioned are food-related things... I just love food. But yeah, the Spanish don't have the word "spicy" in their culinary vocabulary. You would think so, right? Wrong. Turns out it's just a Central/South American thing. I have yet to have anything spicy in Barcelona, and when it is spicy, it's Mexican or Cuban. I kid you not, I had to ask my mom to bring me a Costco sized bottle of crushed red pepper flakes because you just cannot easily access that stuff here. It was the funniest thing when she was like "Alright, here's the stuff you asked for... your favorite lipstick that you left in your room... some more socks... some deodorant... and.... crushed red pepper flakes...."

4) Which brings me to my next point, I really miss American grocery shopping. It's just not the same here. There is no such thing as Costco here. Even the Safeway in Olney would seem enormous to Europeans. Also, I cannot wait until I'm back home and my parents do the grocery shopping and I just wake up one day and there's magically more food in the fridge. 

5) I really miss driving. I feel like when it comes to driving, it's either something you just do, or something that you LOVE to do. I am one of the latter. For me, driving to a place is just as enjoyable as the place itself, whether it's the mall or someone's house, etc.

6) TV! I haven't watched TV in forever. I'm seriously behind on all my shows! Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder (although people have been telling me that the second season is bad...) etc. I'm just really glad Game of Thrones is coming back when I'm back in the US. Not that it really matters because I watch that online anyway... I also miss Food Network.

7) Free water with meals... there is no such thing here. On the other hand, there's no tipping here, either. You win some, you lose some!

Alright, now what will I miss about Barcelona/Europe?

1) The food. I'm just gonna list all the food items I'm going to miss that I can think of right now...

Patatas bravas (Spain)

Milka products, especially the oreo chocolate bar (Europe)

Real stroopwafels (Netherlands)

Paella (Spain), although I'm determined to learn how to make it

2) Accessibility. It's so easy to get anywhere because the public transport in every city is extensive and affordable. I'll take any chance I get to stick up a big middle finger at the DC Metro. I've definitely gained weight, but my legs are much stronger than they were a few months ago because of all the walking and stair climbing I do now.

3) Independence. This is the most self-sufficient I've been in a long time. It was terrifying at first but now it's kind of nice.

4) How easy it is to pay for your meals as a group. They come to your table with the credit card reader, and if you want to pay cash you just give them your money, but if you want to pay with a card you just give your cards to them and tell them how much to charge on each one. That way people can split the bill but still use their card and not have to Venmo each other any owed amounts! It's awesome.

I think it's obvious that I miss more things about the US right now... but I'm sure that when I'm back, I'll start to think of more things that I miss.

11/10/15

I can't believe I have five weeks left in Barcelona. Although I feel like I've been here a while, it also feels like I just got here. Soon, I'm gonna have to be packing my stuff up to leave my apartment! And then I'm going all over Europe for about three weeks, and then I'm coming back home. Which is honestly the craziest thing. This semester has seriously flown by faster than any of my semesters at Maryland.

For some reason, I still feel like school has just started and we're in that beginning period (I suppose the equivalent to syllabus week) where nothing matters and you don't have to take it seriously. There are WAY less assignments and studying. For example, the average amount of work I do on a school night is like two exercises in my Spanish book and that's it. Oh, and I also occasionally have quizzes in my Spanish art and cultural heritage class. The one trivial yet annoying thing I have to complain about; there are no regular notebooks here!! Like in the US, the norm is a nice, 150 page, college ruled spiral notebook. Here, the norm is like some freakishly huge (and by huge I mean the actual pages are huge) spiral that is only like 50 pages, and it's grid lined instead of regular lines. It makes taking notes a lot more frustrating, but I don't care anymore because it's not like I'm studying here like I do back at UMD. I think I stress more about the impending workload I have to inevitably go back to in a few months, rather than the actual workload I have here.

This weekend, I'm headed back to Rome after visiting almost three years ago and I'm also meeting Daniel there for my 21st birthday! Hurray! I should be way more excited about turning 21 than I actually am, but the truth is, I really don't care haha. I'm just excited to spend it with Daniel in one of my favorite cities in Europe. I am a little bummed that I won't be able to spend it with my family, but you win some, you lose some. I heard that the Trevi fountain (one of my favorite attractions) has been under renovation for 18 months but it just reopened to the public last week, and it looks spotless, so we got really lucky. Lots of Rome pictures coming next week!

Just checking in (airport pun not intended)

It's been a few weeks since I posted on here. I haven't been particularly busy or anything (besides last weekend but I will explain that soon), I just totally forgot that I have a running blog. So if you care enough to keep reading, you shall be informed of what's been going on in my head/life.

Last weekend, Daniel flew down from Amsterdam to visit me for the weekend. After a chilly week in the Netherlands with him, it was time for him to become acquainted with the near-tropical city that I've called home for the past few months. It was honestly the most fun I've had in Barcelona since I got here. Not because we went out to the beach clubs or did crazy things, but it was just really nice to be in this city with someone who knew me as well as I knew myself. A big reason why we have been so close over the years is because we have a LOT of shared interests, so he's definitely my favorite person to explore new places with. When I first got here, I had a hard time adjusting for that exact reason; I didn't have anyone physically here with me who knew me very well, so it was hard for me to find things to do with people because I'm pretty introverted. It's still hard sometimes, I'll admit, but I'm much more adjusted and happier now. 

Me being the type A personality that I am, I had an extensive itinerary planned out for Daniel's stay. I'm proud to say that we were able to go to every single one of the places that I chose for us to visit. Granted, Barcelona is on the smaller end of the spectrum when it comes to major cities, and the public transportation system is second to none, so it wasn't exactly difficult. I am really gonna miss the metro here when I'm back in the DMV. I LOATHE the D.C. metro with a burning passion, just like every other sane person.

Our weekend was pretty much perfect, until the very end, when I dropped him off at the airport and we said goodbye. I made my way home, was having some nice relaxation time with some tea, when I received a text from Daniel at one thirty in the morning (his flight was supposed to be at 9:45) saying that he was still in Barcelona and that he had to come back to me because his flight had been delayed with no further information. So, at 3 AM, I made my way down to my lobby to let in an exhausted Daniel as he got out of a cab from the airport. We slept for about five hours, then trekked back to the airport again to figure out what to do. Long story short, he was finally on his way back to Amsterdam 24 hours after his scheduled flight. It was seriously the biggest headache, even for me, and I wasn't even the one stuck in the wrong country! I applaud him for his never-ending patience and composure in situations like that.

Below are some of my favorite pictures from this weekend. (Bear in mind that most of them are just pictures of us smiling in various locations. I don't know how Daniel puts up with my love/obsession of taking pictures. If you're reading this, you're great)

Daniel said this looked like a scene out of GTA. I have to agree...

The beaches north of Barceloneta are so quiet and calm. This was at Playa Bogatell off the Poble Nou metro stop. To each their own, but I don't know why anyone hangs out there. Not to mention the fact that the odds of getting your stuff stolen increases exponentially...

I am definitely aware that I'm not posting as often on here anymore, and I've come to terms with that. When I started this blog I told myself I was going to update at least once a week, and that's clearly not been the case. I have two reasons for this: I am lazy. Plain and simple. My other reason is that I don't want to walk around the city while constantly thinking about what kind of pictures to take to put on here and what I'll write on here about my experiences. You might think that's silly, but once I commit to any kind of project, it's constantly on my mind. So I decided it was okay to cut down on how often I post. I think I'm just rambling on at this point, but if it makes sense to at least one person who reads it, then I'm good. 

In other news, I registered for my last semester of undergrad a few days ago! It's surreal. No, really, it hasn't hit me yet and I refuse to accept it. I actually got a very good schedule, including an art studio class that I've wanted to take but could never get into. Sweet victory is mine! I think I'm more nervous than excited that my time at College Park is coming to an end. It happened way too fast, and the idea of life after graduation is a little too close for comfort. But, I'm in Spain, and I'm not going to worry about that right now. I have exactly two months until I'm back in the United States, and I'm going to enjoy it, damn it.

Tarragona

Yesterday, I woke up at 7 AM and took the metro to Estació de França and then hopped on the train to Tarragona for a day trip. Originally, I really didn't want to go because I didn't want to wake up so early. This semester has completely demolished my ability to wake up early. Since I worked this summer, I was usually up pretty early every day. Now, I'm lucky if I can get out of bed before 10. 

Once we got there, we had a lovely tour guide who told us a ton of information about the history of Tarragona. I actually just learned about it in one of my classes, so it was nice to have some background info. Tarragona used to be one of the most important cities under Roman rule other than Rome itself, which explains the amphitheater and other Roman ruins. Even though it used to be Roman, it's super Catalonian now, and almost all the signs were in Catalan.

Despite the early morning, I'm so glad I went. Tarragona is a really beautiful city, not too far from Barcelona, and it's a nice retreat from all the honking and other such noises because it's so quiet. You hear all the time that Barcelona is one of the most relaxed cities in all of Europe, but it's still quite loud and overwhelming once you get in the city center on the weekends. I much prefer to explore surrounding neighborhoods than go into the congested, touristy areas like La Rambla, but to each their own.

Since I've been here a while now, I've been developing more of a love-hate relationship rather than still being in the honeymoon phase where all I have to say is how awesome everything is. Like every other city, there are positives, and there are negatives. It's just up to you to decide whether you want to embrace both sides of the city or not. So today, even though I just wanted to stay in my room and sleep, I made myself get out and explore more of my favorite neighborhood, Gràcia. It's where my parents stayed when they were visiting me, so I got to walk around there a lot and fell in love with it. It has the coolest clothes shops, craft stores, and restaurants, and you can just walk around and get lost for hours. I actually went there to go to a secondhand English book store that I looked up on the internet, and it was awesome! I got a book for 1,90 euros.

I'm pretty far into my semester here, and I can honestly say that I finally feel comfortable and settled in, both physically and mentally, even though it took me a while. I think I had to leave Barcelona to realize that it's my home for now. When I'm out of the country, I miss my bed and room here, rather than missing my home back in Maryland. I'm already thinking about what it'll be like to be back in the states (ugh graduation and real life), but I'm hoping to make the best out of my remaining months here. 

Ik hou van je, Amsterdam

Hello! Just an update on what I've been up to. If you couldn't tell from my social media explosion of photos, I finally went to Amsterdam to go visit Daniel. I can't believe it's already happened. It feels like we were just saying goodbye to each other for two months back in Maryland. I can honestly say it was the most amazing weekend ever, and I feel really lucky to have been able to make it happen. I had a long weekend because of Dia de la Hispanidad, so I flew up on Thursday night after class, had Monday off, and flew back Tuesday morning, which was five days in total.

My flight was delayed by an hour and a half but I honestly didn't even care because I was so excited. At 1:30 AM, I landed at Amsterdam Schiphol! When Daniel and I finally saw each other in person, I think we hugged for like three minutes straight (if you think that's not a long time, try hugging someone for three minutes...). I wouldn't remember because I was too busy burying my face in his jacket and crying haha.

This was my second time leaving the country to go elsewhere in Europe, and I really felt it this time. I didn't feel as much of a culture shock in Paris because the language is similar to Spanish and Catalan and the atmosphere is also not as different. But in Amsterdam, I felt like I was on a different planet, let alone a different country. Everything is the opposite of Spain. The food, the atmosphere, the weather (especially), the fashion, the people, the language, literally everything you can imagine. If I hadn't been with Daniel the whole time, I would have felt the shock a little more and I probably would have been a little uncomfortable, if not a tad anxious. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed my time there and Amsterdam is definitely a place that I could live, given that I could make the logistics and finances work out. I love Barcelona, don't get me wrong, but to me, it's a vacation city and doesn't have what I need for it to be a permanent home (in many ways). 

This is quite cliché of me to say, but studying abroad really has changed me as a person. I'm way more patient than I was before. I don't let the little things get to me, because if I did, I would have lost my mind by now. There are so many things that go wrong and are cancelled or delayed or change the course of your day and most of the time, there's nothing you can do. If I have a field trip in my history class and I'm late to my next class because I was on the other side of Barcelona, I don't stand on the metro looking at my phone every ten seconds and tapping my foot (I would totally have done that two months ago). There's just no point in stressing about so many things. If there's honestly nothing you can do about it, you just gotta let it go. If you've always been that kind of person, I admire you.

It was FREEZING. Okay, not literally freezing, but compared to Barcelona, it was like the North Pole. I really didn't pack enough layers for this weekend. I had to wear Daniel's scarf, gloves, and buy a beanie. But he said that it was the coldest weekend in Amsterdam since he got there, so neither of us knew what was coming. To our dismay, it's actually quite difficult to get into Amsterdam from the airport at 2 in the morning because there isn't a lot of late night transportation. So I landed at 1:30, but we didn't get to his apartment until about 4 in the morning. But that's okay, because when you're reunited with your boyfriend after two months, your bus could break down in the middle of nowhere and you would still be happy. I say that because our bus actually did break down, and another one had to come get us half an hour later.

D A Y    O N E

We slept in a little because we had gone to bed so late, and biked to Albert Cuyp Markt. Let me tell you: BIKING IS HARD IN AMSTERDAM! Or at least I'm really bad at it. First of all, the bikes are really tall and even the shortest one was really hard for me to get on. My biggest problem was getting on and off the bikes at intersections. I kept falling over and pissing everyone off. I got yelled at in Dutch a handful of times. It's fine at night when it's less crowded or outside the city center, but we took public transport when we were going into the city near Centraal because it's just too crowded in that area.

Yes, I tried pickled herring! I don't think Daniel would have let me leave Amsterdam without trying it. I was really hesitant, but I liked it a lot. It tastes like sashimi, because that's basically what it is, but saltier. 

The most cheerful waffle guy I've ever met. I guess I haven't met a lot of waffle guys, so he doesn't have much competition...

Holy crap, this was so good. It was 4 euros which is more expensive than I'm used to, but so worth it.

Awwwwwww

We spent a lot of money on street food that day haha... these are poffertjes, which are basically tiny pancakes with a ton of sugar on them. I liked them! You can't go wrong with pancakes.

We stepped into this cool flower/plant shop on the street and looked around for a while.

I asked a guy to take this picture and when I poked him on the shoulder he turned around and was in the middle of rolling a joint (Not sure if that's allowed on the streets? Apparently it's not just a free for all when it comes to weed, there are lots of rules about it, which makes sense). I was immediately like "Oh, you don't have to take a picture of us! Sorry for bothering you" but he smiled and was like "No, no, it's okay, of course I will take them for you". Haha. 

Kroketten! Dutch croquettes. In Spain they're called croquetas, and they taste pretty much the same, but they're shaped more like nuggets. I swear I tasted curry in the ones I had in Amsterdam, but Daniel thought I was crazy. They're basically a gravy/bechamel type of batter mixed with meat and breaded and deep fried. I always get them when I get tapas.

We bought a selfie stick at one of the stalls... no regrets. We never had to ask anyone to take a picture of us ever again.

After Albert Cuyp Markt, we biked to the Rijksmuseum. You know, where the famous IAmsterdam sign is? We were going to go in, but it was a little late. When Daniel and I go to museums, we like to take our time. Or more like he likes to take his time and I like to whine that I want to leave because I'm hungry and bored. I ended up going by myself while he was in class on Monday, which worked out perfectly because I was able to see everything at my own pace. We checked out the gardens and dozed off there for a little bit, though.

We took very few pictures at Vondelpark, which is where we went after the Rijksmuseum. Why didn't I take any pictures? Because I was too busy trying not to fall off my bike...

After Vondelpark, we went to a traditional Dutch restaurant that Daniel found for us. It's called Hap-Hmm and it was SO GOOD. We ordered meatballs and stewed beef, along with mushroom soup. It was so simple and delicious, and best of all, our bill only came out to 27 euros. That's including an appetizer, two entrees, a dessert, and two drinks. 

We loved everything except for the white vegetable stuff, which turned out to be endive. I didn't even try it but I smelled it and I knew I didn't want to eat it lol. As a rule of thumb when it comes to food, if Daniel doesn't like it, then I'm really not going to like it. I can't think of a single food that I like and he doesn't like.

Daniel got hit with the food coma. I had to swing him over my shoulder and carry him to our bikes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that biking home at night is much easier than I thought, because there's significantly less people around.

D A Y    T W O

The next day, we went into the city center. The day before that wasn't really inside Amsterdam, it was more on the outskirts, so this was my first time really seeing the city. Cute outfits, heh. I was still cold, even though I wore like 4 layers (two under my sweater).

Amsterdam Centraal is such a beautiful building. It's a really nice orange-brown color, and I really like the stripes in the interior. A lot of buildings actually have striped bricks on their exterior, as well.

In half the pictures we took, the sun was in our face, so we look like this.

Febo! It's delicious, cheap, deep fried, and the best part is you don't have to interact with anyone to get your food (Just kidding. Kind of). You just put your coins into the slot, press the button on the window, and your food pops out. You can also order the same food at the counter if you want, but why wait in line?

Popped into a cheese store while walking around. There's too many cheese shops to count in Amsterdam. 

 You really can't tell from the photos, but it was SUPER crowded. It was more crowded than it has ever been while I've been out and about in Barcelona. And yet, I didn't have to worry about getting pickpocketed. It just doesn't happen here, apparently. Daniel was just walking around with his backpack on his back without a lock on it and he just wasn't worried about it, which is crazy to me. I've lived in Spain long enough (one and a half months is all it takes) that I keep one hand on my bag at all times. I let down my guard a little bit this weekend, so it was unpleasant to get off the plane and have to lock up my backpack.

I love the canals. I took so many pictures every time we came across one and Daniel was like "You know there's like tons of canals in Amsterdam..." and my defense was that no two were the same haha

Another awesome building

Every time we're in a city, we go into Urban Outfitters and just look around. We hardly ever buy anything, either. The only Urban that we go into to really shop is Georgetown, DC, and that's because they have a decent sale section.

Apparently Amsterdam has LUSH...

I saw a Marks and Spencer's and got really excited so we went in. I've heard about it so many times but I've never actually seen one in real life. Let me tell you, they. Are. Awesome. It's so British it's not even funny. We got cheese scones, mince pies, and some kind of cider that we had to throw out because it was bad, but oh well. We just get really excited about grocery shopping! If we had the money and time to go to a new grocery store every week and just buy whatever we wanted and make awesome meals, that's what we would do.

Fries with ketchup and samurai (no idea what it is, probably a spicy mayo) sauce.

D A Y    T H R E E 

We took the tram into the city this time because we had to go to a different area. Our original plan was to wake up super early and get in line for Anne Frank house, but you know how these things go...AKA we are literally incapable of waking up before nine. We did see the house from the outside, though. I would have really liked to see the inside. Maybe next time! We had a cheese and wine tasting at 1:30 and then a canal cruise scheduled after that, so it wasn't like the day was wasted or anything.

It was Sunday, so the city wasn't as crowded. It's so weird, everything is dead and closed on Sundays in Europe, but that's when everything is poppin' in the US because that's the day that everyone shops and goes out to dinner. Have you been to Georgetown on a Sunday afternoon?

I'm an idiot but I didn't realize tulips were out of season, so I thought I would be seeing them around...

Can you tell I really like my fisheye lens...

  

The church next to Anne Frank House.

Look at that line... it goes around the building and down the block.

A houseboat! My dream is to one day own a houseboat in Amsterdam. The city stopped giving out permits for them recently, so they're worth a hell of a lot more now. Although I don't even know where one buys a houseboat or how they get them in the water once they're purchased...

I'm learning about the architecture of churches in one of my classes right now, so it's really cool to look at them in different cities and be able to identify the structures and style. Most of the time.

We walked by this awesome porcelain shop in the Jordaan. I didn't know porcelain was so big here! There were entire cabinets of it in the Rijksmuseum. Those tower looking things with the holes are tulip vases.

We bought matching beanies because our heads were starting to get really cold. And of course I left it in Amsterdam... but it's okay because I don't need it and Daniel will bring it to me in two weeks.

We got a "snack burrito" to share before our cheese and wine tasting.

This is where the tasting was. It's called Reypenaer, which is some fancy Dutch word for "ripening".

Daniel cutting the cheese. Hehe

He looks like he's having a little too much fun with the wine, but his eyes really were just closed for the picture.

Yay! I'm an expert in cheese tasting!

We were both drooling over this pie in the shop window and then we were like "What the hell, let's get some" hahaha

We paid 1 euro extra for whipped cream. WORTH IT. It would have been great with ice cream, though.

Next, we went to the Begijnhof, which is like a nun community in a courtyard in the middle of Amsterdam. There were no photos allowed, unfortunately. But it was really beautiful and peaceful!

This is Cafe Hoppe, which is apparently a "brown cafe", meaning that the walls were once white but now they are brown from all the cigarette smoke that accumulated over the years. We weren't convinced, though...

Pingu! I watched Pingu all the time when I was little.

Canal cruise time!

Thank god it was indoors, because it was getting pretty freaking cold...

I wish I had taken a video during the cruise, because it was one of my favorite memories from Amsterdam.

After the canal cruise, we got dropped off right near the Rijksmuseum so we went there to take some more pictures because the last time we were there, it was insanely crowded and we couldn't get a decent one. 

The next day was Monday, and Daniel had to go to class so I decided to go to the Rijksmuseum by myself. As in, actually going inside and looking at the collection. It was pretty amazing. If you want to see the pictures, they're on Facebook! There was this dollhouse that was my favorite part of the whole museum. Later that day, we met up with some of Daniel's relatives because they happened to be in town on vacation, so we had dinner together. We basically didn't sleep that night because we got home at around ten and then had to start getting ready to go to the airport.

We look incredibly tired because this was taken at around 3:30 in the morning, because we had to leave Daniel's place at 2:30, walk to the bus station, take the bus to Centraal, and take a train from Centraal to the airport. It was pretty rough, and therefore I am never booking such an early flight again (6:00 AM). Besides a few things that I left out, that pretty much concludes my weekend in Amsterdam! It was easily one of the best weekends of my life. Two months away from each other was hard, but we'll be seeing each other about every two to three weeks from now on because of trips and visits we've planned, so it's all downhill from here!