Amsterdam Interlude
Amsterdam — my home away from home — is a beautiful city, and so livable. Everything is accessible by bike within 20 minutes, it has fabulous green spaces, a vast variety of ethnic foods, great public transportation, and endless culture and entertainment.
Whenever I am here, I am struck by the contrast of being in a city that is fully oriented around it's occupants. Things run smoothly, it is easy to find what you want, you have absolutely no use for a car, because every neighborhood has its own grocery store, bakery, fish/meat/cheese shop, cafe, coffee shop (where they don’t sell coffee ;)), hardware store, and several restaurants. There are benches just where you might want to sit to admire a canal, tram stops just exactly you need them, food trucks strategically placed, and everything is organized for practicality and convenience.
The simple absence of cars as a part of daily life has a profound impact. It’s always the first thing I notice when I come back to the States. In Amsterdam, everyone is out on the streets on foot or bike, so that precious commodity of social interaction is pervasive and integrated. In Madison, we are all either in our cars or at our destinations; home, work, or the gym. All those in-between spaces are lived in total isolation.
People here value quality of life over dollars, and it shows. On any given sunny afternoon, sidewalk cafes are full, parks are buzzing, and the streets are alive. The norm is not an endless grind, making work the dominant feature of life.
I love being here, and it was just what I wanted as a touch down between Iceland and Norway. I am in the habit of pretending I live here, and seeing how far I can get in transactions before I am pegged as a non Dutch speaker. When I am here for a few days, I seek out a new yoga studio, try (and fail) to navigate without my phone, and always volunteer to do the grocery shopping, which I find endlessly entertaining. Bring your own bag!
