Windmills, Borrels, and Friends

Well could not have asked for a better day after the crazy that it took to get here. We started the morning at IES student center, it was the first time in the city too… it’s even better than I could’ve imagined!! The center is where I will have my classes and am able to just hang out. It’s so homey and right in the heart of Amsterdam! There the other late arrivals and I got a rundown of everything we missed and they grabbed us some casual quick breakfast which consisted of the best croissant I’ve ever had in my life… yk casual. From there we went straight to the Central Station and met the other IES students. Then to Zaanse Schans! So so SO picturesque and quaint and truly Holland. The windmills which are still used and active, the breeze carrying over the smell of fresh chocolate from the cocoa factory across the canal, and of course the sheep, cows, and chickens that roam the area just made it all feel so real! From there, Violet, Avrey, and I made friends with Eloise, Lily, Avery, and Hunter and decided to go to a Borrel for some drinks! Thankful that day 1 we found an awesome group of people! We rode the bus back to the grocery, grabbed some food ( for 35 euros may I note), and walked back to our apartment. The cherry on top of this day is coming back to my luggage which was found and shipped to my apartment!! Still a little jet-lagged and need some time to truly move in now that all of my stuff is here, but again could not have asked for a better 1st day.Read more