“Carpe Diem”
Upon arrival into Amsterdam the snow was coming down and the cold was most definitely a shock to all of our systems. But… we got through and this weekend we all had a bit of a wake up call and it was truly life changing. Over the past few days certain events taught me lessons about myself and dealing with life situations in general.
After getting off a two hour shuttle from the airport, we were dropped off with our bags in a foreign city, with a very foreign language, and very little directions to get to our hotel. This is life without and iPhone and instant Google maps, or people who speak English. Luckily, they actually did speak English and thankfully everyone was very nice to us the whole weekend. Though our toes felt nearly frost bitten we made it to our hotel and began our weekend.
Observing the people of this town was entertaining. Everyone rides bikes, even with the slippery roads and inches of snow on the ground they get by like it were 70 degrees. The other option for transportation is the tram. Which somehow we figured out and took everywhere. it was quite the accomplishment, and having figured out the system we were able to fully experience this city.
My favorite attraction was the Anne Frank museum hands down. Truly a humbling experience, this place put everything into perspective for me. It makes you stop and think about how incredibly lucky we all are.
Our returning flight ended up being delayed for four hours, putting us in another testy situation. Let’s just say if you don’t have patience, don’t come to Europe. Without wi-fi, a charge on my ipod, a book, or a cent left in my wallet you have to make do with what you’ve got, and live in the moment.
I am going to see things a little differently after this weekend, now knowing that life is not predictable, nor can you have any expectations for what you will experience. Just live each day knowing there will always be someone out there in a far worse situation than yourself, and there is no reason to not have patience and seize the day.