Finito

I wrote this post on October 4... don't know why I didn't publish it then.

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Not too much going down as of late... sorry ladies and gentlemen.

I spent nearly one glorious week outside of Amsterdam -- visiting friends in Paris and Ghent, and back here in Amsterdam. I had my first overnight visitor to the apartment last week. Thankfully we did not encounter LL on the first two nights, however he reared his ugly maw on the third. He rambled on about buying a 'love ring' for his partner. It sounded like a really, really bad idea and I think he was drunk. He didn't come home until the next day some time. I can't even imagine the store was even open as it was past 7 and definitely dark outside when he left. He never mentioned what happened and I didn't ask.

The purpose of this post really isn't about weirdness, or about my roommates. I've decided to man up and leave Amsterdam. That's right, man up and QUIT!

I came here with the notion that Amsterdam would be amazing, and that I would want to stay a long time - longer than what my internship required. And once I had found a place, that I wouldn't want to leave it. I was a bit tired of moving around, after moving all my belongings from Oklahoma to Bordeaux, back to Oklahoma and then to Sweden, to Spain, to Poland and through Germany, before arriving here in the Netherlands. Plus, it's Amsterdam! It has one of the most unique reputations and histories as far as cities go.

Unfortunately, things just didn't really come together for me here. I definitely started out on the wrong foot - getting my wallet and legality stolen from me like a pauper stealing a load of bread a la Oliver Twist (did that actually occur?). I definitely do like Amsterdam... I had a really fulfilling experience here - I feel like I did get to know Dutch people, after working in a Dutch office, I saw the country, tasted the local cuisine, got high, partied, paid and arm and a leg for groceries at Albert Heijn, cycled in freezing rain just to save 2.20 euros, and withstood the unbearable awkwardness of my flatmates. The Netherlands is a beautiful and fascinating country, but I really just didn't find my place here. Another time, I suppose.