Amsterdam!

When they tell you that this place is smoker's paradise, hooker heaven and laid back like no other, whoever "they" are, tell the complete truth. I walked down the streets mid-day, heading no where in particular, people watching as they walked past me. Here, you can't tell who's high or not. Apart from the group of British guys laughing uncontrollably with a spliff in their hand, anyone could be blazed and you would never know. It hit me how magical this place is when we were in a coffee shop and this older couple walked in. They had to be in their late 50's, early 60's, hanging out on vacation. The dialogue between the older lady and the cashier was priceless. The older lady ordered a space cake, asked a few questions about it, all before mentioning that she could stand the smoke so she and her husband were going back to the hotel to eat it. She asked if it was legal to take it to her hotel. It made me laugh. John, Fabi and I couldn't help but ask the cashier how often that happened.. she just smiled and said all the time. I wonder what the couple did after eating the cake? I hoped I would run into them later in the day, but I never did.
The laid back part of this city was discovered when all the plans we had for the "touristy" part (besides one) didn't happen. But I think that's how Amsterdam is... that's how you discover this place. We realized it was enough to walk around and do nothing. Although doing nothing meant eating and gaining a dress size (in 5 days), we were content, happy and full- pretty much all the time. Venturing to the Anne Frank House was the one thing we managed to do, and although the walk wasn't that far, it felt like miles. The house itself (the office) was touching, yet depressing as we walked through the bookcase we all read about in 7th grade; maybe it was the fact of knowing the ending of the book and the seeing the seclusion Anne Frank was in for the last years of her short life?
On another note, we met some really cool people, and some really bad people, too. My camera was stolen in our first hostel, and still, every time I think about it I either, want to cry, or kill someone. Unfortunately because of that reason there won't be any photos until John or Fabi post some for me to steal. But the photos captured in my memory are enough for now. 5 days in Amsterdam when by so fast, and so slow at the same time. Although I would say 5 days there is too long and you get easily burnt out, it wasn't until our last day that we sat down on the edge of a canal and watched Amsterdam go by. We had stayed in the "Red Light District," walked by women in windows, stopped in the various sex shops, took a break in the coffee shops, gone into the condomiere factory store, made epic shopping trips, watched March Madness, had Mexican (twice), and tried to rent a bike (which did not happen due to the 150euro deposit they wanted), took an interesting "Red Light District" tour- that we bailed from half way through to get food, but it still wasn't until the very last day that we saw the Dutch in their daily lives, Amsterdam as a town, and felt the sun as we watched the water go by and the ripples from the boats, fade away.
Even after the crazy excursion to get to Geneva, having to sleep in the doorway of the airport (what airport closes in the middle of the night? seriously now), hardly getting any sleep, and all the money I spent, the 5 days (minus the stolen camera), all became worth it. By the end of the trip- after another night of sleepin gon a floor (in a corridor under the airport), the strike, and Fabi and I hitchhiking back to Grenoble, we were WORN OUT!!!
My crappy Berlioz bed and shower felt like a luxury and the beautiful 65 degree weather and snow topped mountains back in my view relaxed me. As mush as I love traveling, it's always nice to come back to somewhere familiar. Grenoble has become my home, that I will soon be leaving- taking off on another epic adventure! Yes this time it will be for 3 months, not 5 days, and I wonder by the time it's over, where I will feel like "home" is?
People always say home is where your family and friends are, but I believe it can become anywhere you feel comfortable, you enjoy, and have people who care about you. Virginia will always be where I'm from- but I think home is in my heart. That's why I'm an adventurer, a traveler, a wanderer, because wherever I go, I bring home with me!