Thanksgiving…. One of the holidays that I personally struggle to grapple with every year due to the history behind it. A part of my conditioned mind felt a sense of guilt for not spending this day with the people I hold dear to my heart. Two things that I took into consideration; My mama being scheduled to work and the fact that Amsterdam has always been on my list of places to travel.
We decided to try backpacking, a task in itself. I enjoy my cardigans, boots, and sweaters during the fall season, so the bulkiness of my bag was an initial concern. I was hell-bent on bringing all of my clothes, even if that meant I had to carry a few things in hand. I ended up carrying a pair of boots, a sweater (that I ended up leaving on the plane), and my MacBook.
Once we landed in Amsterdam, we decided to grab our first taste of Europe. The Uber driver took us to a small hole-in-a-wall burger joint called “Tastoeamsterdam”. The environment was cosy & casual. I was initially thrown off by the two small dogs shaking their tales on the other side of the door. I’ve never been an “inside dog” type of brotha (nothing against dogs, we just always had outside dogs growing up). The two dogs wrestled with one another while I ate and admittedly, the only thing I kept thinking about was dog hair in my food. Eventually I got over it and scarfed down my tastoeamsterdam burger.

We checked into the Van Gough Hostel (named after the famous Dutch painter), then began exploring the city known for legal marijuana and prostitution. The popular “I AM AMSTERDAM” sign was my first stop. Of course, it was crazy busy and hard to get a picture without a million unintentional photo bombers. I decided that I would come back later on in the night when it wasn’t as busy.
One of the reasons I’ve always wanted to visit Amsterdam was to get an up close and personal visual of the building where Ann Frank and her family hid from Nazis. This small space was their hideout from 1942 to 1944. To experience this was breath-taking. Here I was in the middle of the annex, reliving her days through audio recordings and visuals. Phones or recording devices weren’t allowed so I wasn’t able to get any pics or videos. Everyone should make it a point to visit the Ann Frank house at some point in their lives.
Amsterdam is known for its pancakes. If you know me, you know that pancakes are one of my favorite comfort foods. Pancakes Amsterdam was a block away from the Ann Frank museum, which made for a short commute on an empty stomach. There were a ton of toppings to choose from, some I would’ve never thought to put on a pancake. I decided to go with the ice cream and chocolate syrup.

We gathered our things and full bellies, then made our way back to the hostel. The first stop in Amsterdam had come to an end. Next stop, the city of lights.
MyMelaninJourney 