Day Two: Amsterdam

This was definitely one of the most tiring days of my trip.  Looking back I'm surprised I crammed so much in.  Since I messed up losing an evening of exploring I wanted to catch up as much as I can.

I bought my ticket for the Van Gogh museum at my hotel's front desk.  He assigned my time slot for 12pm since I was heading out for breakfast.  I woke up early to find a good restaurant to eat.  I looked up yelp reviews in my room earlier and found De Wasserette.  Luckily it was within walking distance.  Of course it's easier said than done but after a while of searching I found it on my own.   I enjoyed my eggs Benedict while I people watched.  Since it was after 9am the city was coming alive.  I finally left an hour later to look for museum square.

 I was getting lost again but eventually saw sign posts knowing I was nearby.  Sure enough I saw the infamous I AMSTERDAM sign from the horizon and knew I finally made it to my destination.   A large group of kids ran up to the sign and started climbing all over it.  People were going crazy taking pictures.  Two young high school students came up to me and asked if I could give them an interview on camera on why I came to Amsterdam.  I asked in return if they could take a picture of me at the sign and they agreed. 

I spent some time in the Museum shop and bought some souvenirs.  Of course once I walked out I saw another vendor stand and I knew I would find cheaper stuff.  The man who was working there was very friendly.  He was kind enough to give me the wifi code and we connected via messenger.  He advised me to go to the museum sooner if there is no line; so off I went.

I was super excited to be in the Van Gogh museum.  I took my time looking at his work and was enjoying every minute of it.   Since I got there early I had beat the rush.  But once that crowd came in I started to get  a little dizzy.  So far I only had one cup of coffee.  I'm a two cups of coffee person so I knew I had to get my java fix soon.  My new friend  messaged me how it was going and I told him I was going to leave soon for my fix.   He invited me back to his shop and we chatted up on my experience.  

I asked him what was happening at the Moco museum since I saw some people taking pictures outside of the museum.  He told me the Banksy exhibit was taking place.  I couldn't believe it!  What are the odds of me stumbling into this exhibit?  I rushed over to see it.  I am beyond grateful I had the opportunity to see his work.

After Moco I met up with my new friend again since now I was starving.  He was having a chicken sandwich from another vendor nearby and I wanted one too.  Once I finished lunch he was advising I should do a boat tour but I told him I was hoping to go to Ann Frank's house.  He was skeptical but told me that maybe some tickets were released since it was late in the day.  It closes at 7pm.

My new friend had to make a run on his scooter to another vendor shop and said he could drop me off over there.  As crazy as it was, I took my chance and got on board.  I couldn't pass this up since he did know his way around after all.  I definitely enjoyed my ride over there! 

Sure enough the line was super long.  I told my new friend I was going to wait it out.  He had invited me to go to the spa/gym with him but I told him I really wanted to see her house.  We made plans to have drinks the next day.  Luckily I found other Americans waiting in line, too.  One was a young woman studying in Paris.  She was from Wisconsin and her name was Claire.  There was an older couple celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary.  Their names were Suzy and I forgot her husband's name.  He was more quieter than his wife.  She was a teacher in Texas.  We waited 2 hours to get in.  The weather changed drastically and it got very cold and windy but we were determined to stick it through.  We got a chance to get to know one another since we were from all parts of the States.

Eventually we got in and it was very emotional for Claire.  She was very home sick being away from her family.  I'm glad I spent this time with them.

We closed the place down at 7pm and we all said our goodbyes.  My phone was dying.  I wanted to catch a cab back to my hotel.  I accidentally walked inside a weed cafe to look for wifi.  I left right away and luckily found a cab.  It's definitely not my cup of tea but at least I can't say I didn't visit  one!  

Once I got back to my hotel I started to get ready slowly.  I was tired but I wanted to go out and experience some nightlife.  I also had to take care of the hotel stay.  I asked the front desk if I could stay another evening and not check out in the morning.  Originally I had booked for 2 nights.  We arranged another night but trust me, it was pricey.  

I took an uber to sky lounge.  That place was really happening!  I met some guys in the elevator on our way up and they invited me to their table.  

We were having drinks and enjoying each other's company.  I liked the place but they wanted to go somewhere else.  I didn't want to leave just yet because I really liked the place.  I ended up staying behind.  

I hung out at the bar for a bit, asking the bartenders where I should go for some dance music.  I was getting tired but was trying to do my best to stay out longer.  Another group of guys walked in and were asking the same questions at the bar.  They just flew in from Sweden and after a brief introduction, they too, invited me to their table.  We chatted for a bit but then one of them got a message on their phone and they suddenly left.  That was my cue to leave as well.  I had tried my best to stay out as late as I could but having a full day had finally worn me down.  

Day One: Amsterdam

I'm back from vacation although it was short and sweet.  Looking back I did so much considering how long I was there.  I took my time gathering my thoughts and getting my laundry together last weekend.  Now I've been getting nostalgic lately and figured it was time to share my experiences.

I was SUPER ANXIOUS leading up to my trip.  The weekend before I flew out we had a birthday party for my cousin and I saw my family.  I told them my worries.  For the most part people assume I  enjoy traveling since I've been doing it for a while.  I don't think my family was aware of how much anxiety I get beforehand.  It sort of helped talking to them but I was getting too worked up.  Luckily I packed days before I flew out so I wouldn't forget anything.  I had an evening flight so I worked that day.  I rushed home, grabbed my suitcase and off I went to the airport.

I decided to have dinner there before I boarded and took some antidepressants.  I did manage to knockout on my flight to Heathrow but when I landed I was very groggy.  I had a two hour layover and checked in with my friend in Italy.  She advised me that I should eat something before my flight to Amsterdam.  But being hardheaded as I was, I decided to have juice instead.  I was starting to get anxious again and was hoping I would sleep on this short flight too.  Luckily I did manage to knock out but once I landed it was now after 3pm.  Now I was very groggy but I had to figure out where I was going.

I had printed out my google maps with my hotel information.  Of course I didn't know where I was going but I found a train to catch to the city.  It wasn't exactly the one I was suppose to get on but it worked out in the end.  After my train stop, I knew I was off on my map and asked a lady in a flower shop at the station where was I.  She told me I wasn't far from my location and advised I take the metro to get to my hotel.  It seems I had taken a railway train to Amsterdam (but it was not costly at all; €5,20).

I managed to find the metro station and asked which train was M51 and someone directed me to the right one.  Once I got off my stop I still had to walk over to my hotel.  I walked into a cafe/bar and the bartender showed me to the right direction.  She was warm and friendly.  So far so good.  
I'm happy I chose my hotel close to the metro.  There are trams everywhere but at least I can commute my way around. 

Now it was after 5pm once I checked in my hotel.  I decided to shower up and semi get ready.  By the time I got out of my hotel it was after 6pm.  I was hungry but I knew I wanted to eat light.  Up to this point, from O'Hare to my flight food, I ate pretty badly.  I wanted to get familiar of the neighborhood, and it was now dark in Amsterdam since it was nearing 7pm.  I was hoping I could have walked around but being a solo traveler in a new city, I decided to skip the outdoor site seeing til tomorrow.  

I found a busy cafe and settled there.  It was called Coffee and Coconuts.  I used their wifi to message my friend in italy.  I settled on some spring rolls and a glass of primitivo from the region where my friend was located in Italy.  A man sitting nearby me at the bar had asked for a Tempranillo from Spain and we striked up a conversation from our wine selections.  He was very helpful giving me information about Amsterdam since he was Dutch.  He lives in both Amsterdam and Madrid Spain and he compared both cultures.  


Me and my new friend continued the evening talking and went around the corner to Volt eten and drinken.  I decided not to go to sky Lounge but stay there instead with him since I was learning so much.  He smoked so we sat outside of the bar and had beer and wine. 


Since I was still groggy, I took it easy and by midnight we said our goodbyes.  He had a 9am flight to catch in the morning and I wanted to get up early to go to Ann Frank's house.  According to my new friend; it may not be open on the weekends.  Yikes!


Speaking of yikes, when I boarded my flight to London I found a pair of men's underwear and a sock on my seat.  Yuck. I used my gloves to tuck it in the seat in front of me in the back pocket.  Well at my hotel I found another pair of men's underwear in the closet!  What a weird coincidence!  

Calming my nerves at O'hare.

Saw these at Harolds at Heathrow and I'm in love!

The wine menu at Coffee and Coconuts...

Beef brisket spring rolls...

Outside at Voltet en Drinken

2 Fun Chinese and Ronero

Well today’s the day!  I fly off to Amsterdam in the evening.  As usual, I’m super nervous, but since I will be working today, I feel it will help me get my mind off the flight.  We’ve had a ton of snow hit us these past two days, so hopefully my trip will still be on time tonight.  If not, what can you do?

I’m still recapping February even though stuff mostly happened on the weekends.  I will say that because our weather was all over the place this winter, I took advantage of the nice days by running in the park, or hanging out with my friends.  The day after our friend’s son’s birthday party me and my friends hung out in Wicker Park.  Afterwards we went to a house party to play Cards Against Humanity.  It was nice catching up with everyone.  Normally a winter in Chicago will have you hibernating till April.  Lol

The following weekend a friend was coming in for a conference.  The weather dipped into the high 40s, but it was still bearable.  On Friday we got our crew together to meet at 2 Fun Chinese restaurant on Randolph as our first stop.  To top it off, one of our friends that we made in Miami was in town as well!  It was nice seeing her again.

We took our little field trip down the street to checkout Ronero.  That place was bumpin!  Lol.  We started to get loose there and closed the place down at 2am.  We were having too much fun that we decided to hit up a late night spot.  We found ourselves at Disco on Hubbard.  I love that place.  The music is fun!  I love dancing to Rod Stewart and Donna Summer.

The next day was Saturday and the weather took a nose dive into the 20s.  That was a deal breaker.  I ran my errands and took it easy, but me and my friends had made plans to go out again to host our out-of-town friend.  Unfortunately, due to other obligations some people couldn’t make it out.  I was indifferent, but in the end, I took an uber to meet up with him back at Disco.  That place has a lot of action going on, despite it being super cold.  He had a friend with him and we had a good time there.  We went to Key Club across the street to see what was going on but it was too crazy for us.  Sometimes the crowd can be obnoxiously drunk and we were pretty tired by then.

Wish me luck on my new adventure!  I’ll be back next week.  Until next time…

He's turning one!!

Well, it’s official.  I’m going on another trip again.  I’ve notified all of my credit cards, changed my international package on my phone, and over the weekend, had ironed out all of my clothes and started packing.  Since I fly out in two days I plan to finish packing and try to sneak in a workout or two.  As usual, my anxiety is all over the place, but what’s not helping is all the bad news I hear.  I feel people close to me are suffering all types of misfortunes.  I’m hearing terrible stories about friends and family, and how they are treating one another.  It’s making me depressed.  The word vacation is defined as “a leave of absence from a regular occupation”, etc.  This is exactly what I’m doing with my life.  I want to leave it, and come back to hopefully better circumstances.  Is that so wrong to wish for?

I’m hoping people figure out how to fix their current situations.  I cannot help but wonder why we are hurting one another.  On top of it all, there’s friends I know that are suffering from the threat of losing loved ones to cancer.  It’s a sad time indeed.  I’m lucky to have a few hours within the day of not hearing something so terrible.

I find myself looking back on life and reflecting the good times.  I know it’s possible to extend this part, but then misery creeps out of nowhere.  I want to be alone from all of this drama.  I miss my friend out there in Europe.  I miss the times we had together.  I want to keep my loved ones close by.  

Sorry to rant like this.  It’s been a tough few weeks.  There are moments when I feel incredibly sad.  It’s hard. 

Back to recapping February.  I went out on Friday to see the deejays Chus & Ceballos.  But I couldn’t stay out too late because I had to be up in the morning.  We had to head out to Glenview for a birthday party and we didn’t want to be late.  We only had a small window to celebrate at the party room at Kohl’s Children Museum.  Off we went!

I got my girlfriend’s son baby Jordans, but it was amazing seeing all the gifts he received!  This little fella had quite an entourage!  He loved being the center of attention.  We took a zillion pictures and had a blast.  All of my friends' kids looked so adorable!  I can see why everyone likes dressing up babies.  They can be very fashionable!

Chus & Ceballos

I’m still not done recapping the month of February.  Looking back, I did not think I did so much, but technically, our winter was pretty tame this year.  It started to warm up mid month and Chicagoans took advantage of this opportunity!  Lol.  Earlier in January, I saw that the dj duo Chus & Ceballos was going to be in town.  They’ve been on my radar for a while and I am constantly listening to their podcast series.  They are originally from Spain and travel globally to perform, but FINALLY they were coming to Chicago!  I bought my tickets right away and was looking forward to see them live.

I found out as the weeks went by that a birthday party that was intended for that weekend Sunday was now changed to a day earlier.  UGH!  I wanted to make the most of my night out, since I knew I wanted to hear them til the very end.  But since they were performing on Friday, I had to be conscious of my time because I had to be up early in the morning the next day.  Oh well.  What can you do?

Since I had worked early that morning for work, I went home to take a disco nap before getting ready for my night out.  I had invited some friends to see them with me, but no one was around.  I have gotten use to going to these shows by myself since none of my friends really like them very much.  They feel the crowd  might be “too crazy” or they feel “too old”.  Whatever!  I love dance music and enjoy watching the crowd respond to a good dj.

Earlier that day I received a text from some friends.  They were going to attend an art show in the Gold Coast.  Coincidentally Primary Night Club is also located in the Gold Coast.  I figured I would attend the show and spend time with my friends before making my way to the club.  I knew that Chus & Ceballos probably wouldn’t be on til much later but the weather was so nice that night.  I had a feeling Chicago was going to be busy downtown.

I met up with my friends at the art show and we had a good time catching up with everyone.  They don’t usually don’t step out much so it was nice seeing them besides a family event.  Lol.  Once the show was finished they wanted to go home right away.  I wasn’t successful trying to persuade them to stay out longer.  I stopped by Public House to have a cocktail before the show started.  I have to admit, I’m getting a little old for this.  I was SUPER TIRED but finally they came on and they were awesome!!  I miss dancing to good music.  Luckily a friend was there so we hungout together.  I have gone to festivals with him and his girlfriend since we have the same taste in music.  In the end, I DO have to admit, you have to like this kind of stuff in order to truly enjoy a dj set.  

Grammy Viewing Party

I’m still recapping my brother’s birthday weekend!  Lol.  I’m telling you, he was spoiled rotten this year.  The following day my dad wanted us to come by for a birthday dinner for my brother.  It also happened to be the day the Grammys were on.  FINALLY I wasn’t going to be watching some sports game on tv!!  It was my moment, and I told my brothers to make sure the channel was on for the Grammys.  Both my brothers and my father are obsessed with sports.  As the only girl, it has its drawbacks.  You would think I warmed up to sports with mostly men in my family, but it never happened.  I DO although, love music, so I enjoy the Grammys very much. 

Since we were going to be hanging out at my dad’s, I dressed super casual.  I bought a pair of Puma sneakers with collaboration with MCQ online.  They’ve been out for a while, but I found a good deal and was super excited about getting them.  They were my Valentine’s gift-to-myself this year.  Lol.  I’m not a sneaker head, so I am still trying to figure out a way to wear them.  I chose a pair of straight leg jeans with my knitted beanie to complete my outfit. 

My brother was very humbled by the birthday dinner.  It’s challenging sometimes being a product of divorce.  The fact that our dad’s wife took time to prepare this little party was very sweet of her.   And on top of everything, I got some good photos of my dad smiling too!  Another candid moment caught on film!

Casino Royale

Recapping my brother’s birthday celebration back in February!  We took him out to dinner at Las Tablas on Friday, but Saturday we made different plans.  My little brother invited us to celebrate another birthday party at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.  It was for a friend of theirs.  We decided to claim it was my brother’s birthday bonanza since he also knew the birthday boy himself.  Nothing wrong with celebrating two birthdays at the same time! 

We made our way to Rosemont.  I’ve never been to the casino part, so I was curious to see how that was about.  I mostly head to the Fashion Outlets Mall if anything.  I was pleasantly surprised!  Not only do they have a Hugo’s Frog Bar in the casino, but they have a variety of restaurants as well.  We gathered around the main bar to get our orders in, when we noticed the dj setting up his equipment.  Next thing you know, he was spinning dance music while the crowd grew bigger and bigger.  People started dancing right there in the casino!  There is a dance club located at the venue, but it was nice to have some entertainment while people played at the tables.  I felt I was on a mini getaway!  Regardless, me and my brothers had a good time…