Day one was filled with travel, as expected. We landed around 6 in the morning Amsterdam time and proceeded to the hotel where we stashed our bags and participated in a scavenger hunt across the city to explore and get our bearings. My group traveled across many beaches, discovered a church, a historic gay bar, the city hall, and much more. I learned that the Netherlands is very progressive in terms of sexuality and recreational drug use. I learned that FAR more people smoke cigarettes here than they do in the states. I saw more bikes than I ever have in my entire life.

After the scavenger hunt, the group split up to get lunch. Me and a few of my peers went to a restaurant and sat by the sidewalk and ate, laughed, and people watched. This was probably my favorite part of the day. I learned that tipping culture is not nearly as prevalent as it is in the United States. I learned that they charge you for water here because they serve it to you in little glass bottles. My water almost cost as much as my meal, which to be fair, wasn’t very much.

We then checked into the hotel, had an experience on the train after a long awaited nap, and had dinner in an Australian restaurant. From this, I learned that the Dutch use public transportation much more than back home, and take care of the transportation much better as well. I noticed that the fair for a train ride is only a euro or two, whereas back home I just paid a 8 dollar for a 20 minute train ride into Boston.

The first day was very enjoyable, and tiring. I look forward to exploring more of Amsterdam tomorrow.