[This is a transcript of a handwritten document.]
Amsterdam
20-30 August 2023
For those of you who have not read one of my trip write-ups before, I ask that you lower your expectations. For those of you who have, I ask that you lower them further! This vacation was about relaxing and being overseas - I'm not a fast-paced adventurer to begin with and this trip was a lot of just soaking in the vibes even by my standards. With expectations set, let's start in the middle.
I was sitting across from a little girl and her littler brother on the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. I'd had a mediocre day - while I spent it walking around the Hague, Delft, and Rotterdam, a bad sleep meant that I didn't have the brainpower to appreciate arts & culture and I chose not to enter any museums. The kids were goofing off and running back and forth to their mom (who was watching a stroller near the door) for snacks. At one point, the girl was distracted and the boy leaned over and took a big bite of her snack. It was something out of a cartoon - I laughed pretty hard at the sight. Which meant the kids now knew I was paying attention.
The little girl said something to me that I didn't understand and I apologized for not speaking Dutch. Of course, we're in the Netherlands - she simply switched to English and started quizzing me. Sasha (6) decided to teach me math and draw things on the 'blackboard' (the window). We finished the trip by chewing increasingly large (mimed) amounts of gum and blowing (mimed) bubbles. Honestly it was one of the most 'pure fun' moments I've had in a long time.
