I think my body finally relaxed in the Netherlands.
For the first time since the trip started, I wasn’t waking up early, rushing out, trying to keep up with a plan.
I was waking up at 11.
Sometimes even closer to noon.
And honestly?
I think my body just needed that.
After Prague’s long walks, Berlin’s stress, and the emotional exhaustion… this was my reset.
We took a day trip to Zaanse Schans.
I think we took the bus from Zaandam — it was simple, direct, and honestly very easy to navigate. Everything in the Netherlands just felt… organized.
And when we arrived?
I was quiet for a moment.
Zaanse Schans is not just a “tourist attraction.”
It’s a preserved village that shows what life in the Netherlands looked like in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Back then, this region was one of the most important industrial areas in the world. Windmills weren’t just aesthetic — they powered production:
Today, the windmills are still standing, and some are still working.
You’re thinking:
“How is this place real?”
Green wooden houses.
Bridges over still water.
Windmills slowly turning in the background.
The smell of grass and fresh air.
I remember thinking:
“I could sit here for hours and not get bored.”
We walked slowly.
No rush.
No pressure.
For the first time on this trip, I wasn’t trying to “see everything.”
I was just… being there.
If you’re staying in Zaandam as we did:
From Amsterdam:
It’s one of the easiest day trips you can do.
We left around 3 or 4 p.m.
And the day took a completely different turn.
From quiet windmills and calm water…
to a stadium full of thousands of people.
That night, we went back to Amsterdam.
For Ed Sheeran.
It was my first time attending a concert like that.
A big one.
A real one.
Not just a small show.
The crowd.
The lights.
The energy.
And him — alone on stage, looping his music, creating everything live.
It felt raw.
Real.
Intimate, even in a massive space.
At some point, I stopped recording.
Stopped thinking.
And just felt.
And I remember thinking:
“This is why I travel.”
Not just for places.
But for moments like this.
After everything, we made our way back to Zaandam.
Late. Probably around midnight.
The next day, I woke up late again.
No alarm.
No pressure.
We had brunch somewhere, another café, another quiet moment.
Then we went back to Amsterdam just to wander.
No checklist.
Just walking.
Trying sweets.
Trying random food.
Stopping at places that looked good.
Exploring streets we hadn’t seen yet.
We also went to a few bars — nothing crazy, just enough to experience the nightlife.
If Prague opened my heart,
and Berlin tested me,
The Netherlands… softened me.
It gave me:
It reminded me that travel doesn’t always have to be intense to be meaningful.
Sometimes the best days are the ones where:
You wake up late,
eat something good,
walk without a plan,
and let the place meet you halfway.
