La Vida Bella: Merry Chirstmas from Amsterdam!

Hey Everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas!

This year Zach and I went to Amstedam :) It was AMAZING!!!! We got a day and a half off for Christmas this year, and I think we made the most of our time. We left on the 24th early in the morning, and unfortunately there was a winter storm going through Germany. There was soooo much snow, probably the most snow I have ever seen in my life! Even though we were delayed like three hours...I say half the fun is getting there :) We met a few people who were going the same direction that we were, and they helped us out so much! Every time a German announcement about a delay or cancellation came on, they let us know what was being said, and what we should do. I think we changed trains like three times before we ended up in Amsterdam! All of the other trains were breaking down and the last train we got on to get into the Netherlands looked like it could go through a brick wall! This train meant business :) We finally arrived into Amsterdam, checked into our hotel, and went out exploring the town.

Getting around the city was so easy! There is this 24 hour public transportation pass you can purchase for 7 euros. If you are in Amsterdam for a day or two, then I highly suggest you buy this pass, our passes paid for themselves! The pass gives you access to the tram, metro, and bus lines that go throughout the city. I also suggest a map of the city, because most of them have the routes of the public transportation system. All you do is scan your pass when you get on and off...pretty simple. Since we didn't have an agenda to follow, we just hopped on and off of different buses all day. We did a little sight seeing and shopping :) Since it was the 24th some things were closed early, but there were still plenty of things to do and see.
Overall, Amsterdam is the most interesting place that I have ever visited! The culture is very diverse, and everyone speaks English! Yay!!! There is just such a laid back lifestyle there, and I understand why people move there! The liberal laws seem to keep crime down, and fun up! I totally recommend that everyone should visit Amsterdam!!!
Here are a few pictures of the city!!!