Amsterdam, Netherlands

Hello again. Well I am in Amsterdam right now but I will get into that later. So here's what happened in Paris. Like I said I went out that night with the California girls to the student drink special and the cost wasn't that special. It was 5 Euros a pint which is expensive but apparently extremely cheap in Paris. Fortunately these lovely ladies knew all about the drinking beforehand process so we all got cheap bottles of wine and downed those before and on the way to the bar. It was full of international students and we all just partied the night away. Several of the girls had massive hangovers the next day. I did not though and it was a fun time for sure.

The next day I woke up and took my time in the morning but I ended up going for one of my now coveted walks. This is where I just walk all over the city from destination to destination. That way I see all the tourist spots but I also walk through the little alleyways that are of the beaten path and burn some carbs. I walked through the Latin Quarter and found some awesome cafe's and little eateries. I was on a budget so I couldn't stop at all of them but I still peered in and saw all the locals going about their ways. I went to the Panthenon first and from there they have a great view of the Eiffel Tower. As soon as I saw that I said, "Fuck it, I'm B-lining it to right there." I didn't B-Line it but I came pretty close to. I went a couple of blocks out the way to see a few more sites that were on the way but my destination was clear. The Eiffel Tower is just one of those monuments that you always heard about and I wanted to get to the top. I also got distracted by the tour guide who saw me wearing my San Jose Sharks t-shirt and he stopped his tour to shoot the shit with me about hockey for 2 minutes. When I got to the Eiffel Tower it was a mob scene. It took forever to get up there and some of the tourists were just plain obnoxious. It was still totally worth it though and the view from up there is amazing.

I then went to the Louve to meet Allie, her friend Julie and Cassandra. Allie, Julie and I went and got falafels but Cassandra went home because she had quite the spending spree in Amsterdam. These falafels were pretty damn good. And we just chilled out that night. Some of the girls did homework while I was fooling around on the internet. There was talk of P.S. I Love You but alas, it didn't happen. Regardless though it was just a lot fun to hang out with Allie. I barely see her anymore and it was fun to meet some of her friends from UCLA and meet up with her after a day of events and just kick it or go out and tear the town up. Plus staying on her floor is free and that certainly helped the pocketbook.

The next day, yesterday, I had another walking tour of Paris. First I walked by the Bastille monument on the way to Notre Dame. It was pretty cool but honestly I enjoyed the fresh croissants I had on the way more. Then I walked to the Louve and got an eclair on the way there. The Louve is amazing. It wasn't just that there's an enormous amount of artwork there but I spent 3 1/2 hours there which 1. is more time then I like to spend in museums 2. is not nearly enough time to see a good amount of everything they have to offer and 3. is so amazing that I wanted to spend all day there. That's not typical for museums for me. I get worn out. The Mona Lisa is a mad house. No one is there really looking at it and appreciating it. Everyone is trying to take a picture of it with their zoom. I just took a picture of the mob crowd surrounding it. It's the only time in a museum where it's perfectly ok to be incredibly loud.

I continued on up to the Basilica de Sacre Couer. I stopped for coffee and relaxation and I had a tomato, brie and baguette sandwich. Delicious. After that the walk was great. I entered the northern part of Paris where there were next to no tourists and it was an international community. People from all different parts of the world were there but they were just living there. It might have seemed a little run down for Paris but I thouroughly enjoyed it and felt safe the whole way. The Sacre Coeur was beautiful. I have to go back at some point. There are people playing great music on the steps out front, the architecture of it is amazing, you get an unbelievable view of Paris and inside the actual building it was one of the most calming spiritual places I've ever been to. Outside I sat and chilled with people who were just relaxing for 20 minutes and I spent even longer sitting inside looking at the ceiling. It was one of my favorite places so far and definitely a place I HAVE to go back to. The crypt and the dome are fantastic as well.

It really made me think about what exactly I was doing on this trip and what I was doing with the last trip in relation to this one. I realized that on the last one I didn't really know what I was doing. I was looking for more self confidence, new experiences, meeting people from different backgrounds and places and pursuing something that I had always wanted to do but I didn't really know it at the time. Now I wouldn't say I know exactly what I'm doing but I think I have a better idea than before. I'm looking to establish more independence, have a few more wild times because I'm starting to lose the energy for all of this crazy shit I do sometimes, make more great connections with people but also establish a certain peace of mind. I'm always thinking and being analytical (to a fault sometimes) and there's something rather soothing to me about doing what I'm doing and enjoying it. A sense of accomplishment in making the most of the opportunities I have at hand and knowing/finding my place in this whole spectrum of things. Not just traveling either but with the move to Chicago and all the changes that are going on in my life right now as well. It's interesting but at least for the moment I feel like I know what I'm doing moreso.

After that I hustled back to Allie's for dinner then a bunch of us went out to what one of the locals deemed as the hottest club in the city. It was pretty crackin. That disco in Ireland was nothing compared to this. There was a wild ass party going on, the bouncers were rough and serious about letting people in but it was worth it. They were handing out cowboy hats so I snagged one up and danced the night away in that. Once again with little sleep though I got up and hopped on my train to the next city. I napped, read and talked with the people sitting next me on the ride to Amsterdam. I had heard of a hostel called Bob's hostel where they don't take reservations so you can just walk up and get a bed. I strolled into the living room area and there were tables of people lighting it up in many different ways but people were just chillin, talking, having a good time and not being lethargic at all (the way it should be). I thought, "Alright I can get down with this place". I strolled up to the front and requested a room but was promptly denied because they were all filled up. Fucking Bob's. Well I strolled around Amsterdam with my pack looking for a hostel for a couple of hours. I stumbled into the Red Light district where everytime I'd walk by a window they'd see some young dude with a giant pack and a travel book and start tapping at the glass like crazy calling me in. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it and when I saw one window coming up I started to get ready for that same treatment but the woman was absolutly hideous and that put my arrogant ass in it's place. Don't worry though, I've got enough things on my regretful resume and I don't think I'll be putting paying for sex on it. I finally got settled in this other hostel and I'm liking it a lot so far. Good vibe, a little spendy but great spot and I can finally crash out now for a little snooze. So I'll talk to you all later.