Wrapping up Two Weeks of Normalcy

I feel like I can start every post off the same: SO much has happened in the last two weeks! It’s great. From post-birthday celebrations to a trip to Spain, a ‘normal’ week in Amsterdam, and a lovely weekend at home, the last two weeks have been filled with more cultural, gastronomic, social and work adventures…

HUSA (HEINEKEN USA) in the House

The Monday after my birthday I had a meeting at the brewery in Zoeterwoude. It was a nice way to start the week. I have been learning a lot about certain areas of the business that we just would not be privy to in the U.S. because we don’t have a brewery. So for me, the time at the brewery is invaluable.

After my meeting I met up with Bjorn, who was hosting six members of the American media on a press trip. They were going on a tour of the Pilot Brewery, or the innovation lab where new recipes are created and perfected. It was so interesting to get a look under the tent at where the magic happens. Of course, the Heineken recipe does not change, but many of the Heineken line extensions (e.g., Heineken Light, Heineken 0.0), as well as some of our other global brands, are born here – literally by scientists!

I find this all fascinating, particularly when you talk to a chemist who never thought he’d work in beer. Something we share in common. I was convinced I’d stay in travel/hospitality public relations forever. As I always say, you can do PR for any type of company or type of client, so why not find an industry that marries your professional passion with your personal passion (hence travel PR for me). But here we are, in the world of beer, and there’s no place I’d rather be. I think our scientists would say the same.

 

At the end of the day I hitched a ride back to Amsterdam with the crew. I was meeting another former HUSA colleague for dinner. Like me, Justin is now on the global team, except he is based in Washington, D.C. Justin used to lead Government Affairs in the U.S., but was asked to take on a global public policy role and started on the team a month before I did. I had the pleasure of working more closely with him in my last role at HUSA, as a lot of the work I did in CSR was in lock-step with his agenda.

Justin was in town for meetings with his team, and brought his wife and two adorable children along this time. It was great to see them all again (first time meeting the baby!), and tell them all about my adventures in Amsterdam thus far.

I was lucky to get in one more lunch with Bjorn on Wednesday before he was headed back to the States. I convinced him – and my colleague Dave – to try The Avocado Show – an all-avocado restaurant that has been the talk of the town since before I knew I was moving to Amsterdam. I kid you not! The second I shared I was moving to Amsterdam, I received articles from US and international news outlets from different friends that typically came along with the ‘We are going here when I visit!’

 

 

The verdict? It was good. Menu was more made-for-Instagram than lunch, so a bit of a let down. The wait on the weekend is 2+ hours and the menu, in my opinion, is missing some basic staples that should be there – like avocado toast! I’m sure I’ll go back, but not until the hype dies down.

Remember, Remember the 5^th of…May

The 5^th of May is Remembrance Day in the Netherlands. It’s a day to commemorate those who were victims of the second world war. That is, those who lost their lives due to their religion, and in many cases sexuality, as well as those brave souls who risked their lives to hide those in trouble, participated in successful opposition missions, and even found ways to fight for the allies. On Remembrance Day there are a lot of activities going on around the city – from marches and vigils, to the opening up of several Jewish homes to hear from survivors or family members of survivors.

The most significant moment of the day is a 2-minute national moment of silence at 8pm. This is followed by a ceremony led by the royal family honouring fallen victims of the war that takes place in Dam Square. The ceremony is televised, but of course, I had to be in the heart of the action.

My friend Jenna and I planned to meet for dinner and then head over to Dam Square. I was a bit early so was window shopping nearby when I heard someone call out my name – it was my friend Anouk! She invited me up to her apartment and we were able to catch up for a bit before I had to dash off to meet Jenna. So nice!

Jenna and I went to a popular restaurant that had been on my list to try – Cannible Royale. It’s a Dutch steakhouse that is also known for their burgers. It was my first burger in the Netherlands – and I loved it! I am not the biggest red meat eater, but love a good burger now and again. This place definitely hit the spot.

Ok, back to Rememberance Day…after dinner we joined the masses in Dam Square. The royal family walked down the middle the square to the main fountain facing the old palace. At 8 o’clock sharp the bell of the old church tolled, and everyone was silent. Really. You could hear a pin drop in the middle of the city. It was unlike anything I had experienced before. Needless to say, I had chills the whole time.

Then the honoring process started, and it was really touching. There would be a video of a family member of the survivor (child, or grandchild), talking about who the honoree is and what he/she did (or survived), with a silhouette of the honoree in the background. Then the honoree – helped by the family member – would accept a gorgeous, over-sized wreath from a member of the military and placed it on a stand on the fountain. Of course I missed a lot due to the language barrier, but you didn’t even need words. It was somber, it was chilling, and it was something I will never forget.

 

 

If the 5^th of May is like a Memorial Day, then the 6^th of May is like a 4^th of July. It is all about liberation and celebration! It marks the day the Netherlands was freed from Nazi terrorism. And all over the country festivals and celebrations occur. It is only given as a public bank holiday every 5 years, and this was not one of those years, but there was a fantastic spirit in the air nonetheless.

Up, up and Away!

On Friday after work I dashed to the airport for my next international adventure – I was off to Marbella for the weekend to celebrate Claudia’s 30^th birthday! When Claudia mentioned the prospect of doing this trip in France a few weeks earlier, I was in from the start. I heard so much about beautiful Marbella over the years from one of my best friends from home, Jaime. She spent a few summers there with a family she babysat for during the college years, and I couldn’t wait to experience one of her favorite places.

Marbella did not disappoint! Coming from about two straight weeks of dismal weather in the Netherlands, the warm sunshine and 26+ degree weather (Celsius, that is!) were such a welcomed change. Upon landing, I grabbed a cab from the Malaga airport to Marbella. I didn’t arrive until about 11pm, which in Spain, is actually right on time for dinner. How I love Spain! I quickly dropped my bags and met the girls for dinner, drinks and an over-the-top brownie sundae to celebrate Claudia’s birthday.

 

After dinner, we hit the town. Marbella was FULL of hen do’s, or the British version of bachelorette parties. I don’t know what was better – the people watching, or hopping to check out the Miami-meets Vegas - meets Southern Europe bars and clubs. It was a super fun night (turned morning) that made me realize age is just a number…I can still do this…kind of!

 

Needless to say, being able to sleep in until 1pm on Saturday was a godsend! Sleeping late was followed by an amazing paella lunch on the beach and a full afternoon of sunbathing. One of the best things about Europe this time of year is how long the sun stays out. Getting to the beach at 2pm wasn’t upsetting because you could stay until 9! (Don’t worry mom – not only did I put sunscreen on, I reapplied multiple times!)

 

It wasn’t until 6pm that we decided to make moves…to the massage table. I think getting a beach massage has to be one of my all-time-favourite things. Hands down. So, when in Rome.

Post-massage we found our way over to the beach-side bar where we spent the rest of the early evening soaking up the last few rays and testing out interesting mixes of tropical-style drinks. Life is tough sometimes.

 

Dinner that night was picture-perfect. We found an authentic Pintxos bar where they served tapas table-side. The waiters come around with different options and you choose whatever you want. I also tried Cruz Campo for the first time – the HEINEKEN-owned local Spanish beer which is quite tasty.

 

Sunday the girls all had earlier flights back to London. I went back to Malaga with them and then took a cab into the old city centre to explore. What a cute town! It was a charming medieval-style port city equipped with amazing food and equally amazing people watching. I basked in the sun while I enjoyed said food and people watching. Couldn’t has asked for a more perfect afternoon before heading back to a still cold Amsterdam.

 

 

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away…Thankful I follow that Rule Religiously

After all the excitement of the last few weeks, I was quite excited to just be…home. Early Monday morning before work I had my next big cultural experience – this time with the healthcare system. The Netherlands is a bit different from most other European countries in that similar to the U.S., insurance is required and it’s not free. I’m lucky to be on a plan through work. Anyway, one of the first few things you are told to do when moving here is to register with a general practitioner. You must be registered with a GP in order to get referrals for specialists and even go to the ER (except in dire emergencies), so knowing how clumsy I am, and how inconsistently weak my stomach can be, I figured it was in my best interest to do this ASAP.

Monday morning before work was my appointment. The doctor (not receptionist) met me at the door and we went into the examining room/his office for a consultation. Because I had my annual physical and other doctor visits before I left the U.S., I wasn’t looking for anything further so the purpose the meeting was purely to register, find out how the system works, etc.

Main differences? Preventative health is basically not a thing. Annual physicals are apparently uncommon. Certain women’s visits are only conducted once every 5 years, and you can’t just go to a specialist which means things like routine check-ups at the dermatologist, gynaecologist, etc. don't exist. I guess this means the Netherlands has less cases of hypochondriasis.  

Not saying I am one…but, there was this strange, raised thing on my finger for a few days that was starting to hurt, and since I was in the doctor’s office…He examined my finger, asked a few questions, kept poking it (ow! I said it hurt!), and then just shrugged and sent me on my way. Comforting.

Update: the raised-ness is receding and ouch factor is now non-existent, but the thing on my finger is not fully gone yet. My own diagnosis: bug bite, shard of glass or weird reaction to gym equipment. But I am not the one with the MD so jury is still out on this one.

Let the Sunshine! And a COMPLETE Football #Fail

After the doctor visit, I am pleased to share the week got infinitely better. I had fun plans Monday – Wednesday that included trying three new restaurants that have been high on my list, and a canal-side, twilight kiss (sorry guys, I’ve never been one to kiss and tell).

On top of that, this was the first week I really felt part of the team at work. For the most part because things went really well, but even the frustrating, not-so-good moments (yes, those do exist! It’s not all sunshine and lollipops) came with interesting lessons and learnings.

But back to the sunshine…Thursday was my one free night this week, and what a glorious night it was. Just about 70 degrees (or 21C), and blaring sun way into the evening hours. My plan after work was to go home, change and go back to the Vondelpark for a run, to read, to people watch (if you haven’t noticed by now, it’s one of my favorite things) – just do something outside. Except as I approached my street I noticed the bench overlooking the Prinsengracht canal was empty and it was calling my name. So I sat. I pretty much never got up. If you received a response to an overdue email, text or message from me around that time, now you know why!

I would describe moments like these in one word: Magical. The combination of the brilliant sun sparking on the water, the bikes lining the canals, the rooftops of the canal houses glistening, and the sounds of music, laughter and general conversation coming from the floods of people walking the streets or cruising by on their boats is what makes this city magical. There is nothing like it anywhere else in the world.

 

Naturally, I had to Instagram the moment. And I am glad I did! My awesome neighbor Petra saw the photo and recognized her bike, made a comment, and a few moments later, she joined me on the bench! It was really nice to catch up with her and hear about her recently travels as well as discuss some cool places just outside of the city that are must-visits as the weather gets warmer (like a lake). Sign me up! She also told me about the fact that there was to be a big football match that night – Ajax (pronounced Eye-ax) is the local Amsterdam team and they were playing Lyon in the Europa league semi-final. There are certain things that I am still so out of the loop on here – point in case – so I am thankful she clued me in.

Shortly after 8 I decided it was time to make moves. After all, the big game was on at 9! I proudly watched Ajax beat Lyon and was amused to see our team WhatsApp group from work come to life. Except, wait. The score was 3-1 Lyon. So, they didn’t win. Why is the team celebrating on the field? Why is my work team so excited? Insert MASSIVE level of confusion, and innocent me trying to be part of the team, so I threw in a ‘Nice game!!!!’ What could be wrong with that?

Turns out, as my colleague explained the next day, the winner was determined in a best-of-two situation. They played one game in AMS and one in Lyon. Then the combined number of goals determined the overall winner. So, while in fact Ajax LOST on Thursday 3-1, they WON the game prior 4-1, making the overall scores 5-4 with Ajax coming out on top.

No one said a word after my comment on the WhatsApp group. I was officially that girl. Sorry, guys!

Hello, Weekend. Nice to see you again!

Saturday was supposed to be the big bike purchase day. I promise, it really was. But it was torrential on-and-off rain and for a girl who has been hesitant for the last few weeks, I took this as an omen to hold off just a litttttle bit longer.

So instead of buying that bike, Saturday started with an awesome workout followed by brunch with my friend Colleen. We tried a great all-day brunch place called TEDS in Oud Zuid. De-lish! After brunch we ventured around the neighborhood and decided to head towards the Albert Cuypstraat market in De Pijp. I think we both impressed ourselves with our ability to figure out how to get there rather quickly and once we realized where we were in relationship to the rest of the city, set off in that direction.

No crazy stories of getting lost, ending up on the other side of the tracks, etc. And while that may be far less entertaining, it was such a moment of pure excitement! Major win.

Less of a win: the downpour that started again as we approached the market. But, we stuck it out as the locals do and continued to wander around the stalls. We had one thing on our minds: stroopwafels. And we found them. Yum yum yum. These could easily be the death of you, so luckily I am good about making it a once-in-a-while treat vs. an every day habit (apple a day, apple a day, apple a day).

We parted ways late afternoon to run some errands and catch up on whatever we needed to do, but reunited later that evening at our friend Leah’s apartment. She was hosting us to watch Eurovision. Which, naturally, I thought was a BIG football match. WRONG. It’s a major singing competition across Europe that happens once a year. Even people in the States knew about it. Whoops?

Super interesting for those not familiar (please say there are plenty of you out there and it’s not just me!!!). The prelims happened a few days before and 26 countries were not represented in the finals. Some take country pride as a theme and are in traditional dress or perform native songs and dances. Apparently Romanian yodelling is a thing. At the end, votes are given by each country in Europe via jury and then a round of vote-at-home from viewers all around the continent. The catch is, you can’t vote for your country. Portugal took home the grand prize followed by Bulgaria. The winner hosts the next year’s competition. So, see you in Portugal next year, Eurovision. This time, I’ll be more prepared.

Sunday brought the usual – laundry, straightening up, grocery shopping with some nice additions: brunch with a new friend on Gs Brunch Boat. Gs is a brick-and-mortar restaurant with two locations in the city, but then they have this brunch boat. The food is meh, but any time I can get on a boat, I do it. It was super fun and we got our 2-hour sail in before the rain rolled back in.

Later in the afternoon I hit the gym – trying to get back into a somewhat normal routine. I was back up to 5 times at the gym this week which was a steady improvement from the 1-2 I was averaging the last few weeks! With all the eating and drinking that comes with socializing, staying fit is super important to me.

After having some good workouts this week, it reminded me how amazing a good workout can make you feel. So, I think I am finally back on track and just in time too. I am joining some of my colleagues in a global FIT Challenge at work. It kicks off 24 May and lasts for 100 days. We were each given a device that is similar to a FitBit that tracks steps/movements. We have a pretty active team, so good motivation to keep up the work through the summer season.

Wish me luck!

Until next time…

 

  

April is the Month of Celebrations!

From Easter Weekend to Kings Day and my Birthday, the last two weeks have been action-packed with bank holidays and birthdays!

Castles and Croissants (and Wine)   

Where to begin? When I last left off I was just arriving in France to meet up with Hallie and Claudia for Easter weekend in the Loire Valley. It was an incredible success…after I actually arrived and found them, that is. The train ride from Amsterdam to Paris was a quick three hours – passing through major cities like Rotterdam, Brussels, Antwerp and then Paris.

I had a 55 minute layover and had to transfer from the major train station (Gare du Nord) to the regional train station (Austerlitz). This would not have been an issue if the #5 metro that connects the two stations was running. But it hasn’t been. For 3 years. So, I ran like a maniac to take the RER train – transferred to another RER – and arrived in the actual train station 5 minutes before my train was to depart. Arriving at the train station and arriving at your track are two different things. So my run turned into full on sprint, and I somehow managed to get myself on the train with 45 seconds to spare.

As I wandered to my assigned car and then found my assigned seat I was sweaty and out of breath. There was some lady sitting comfortably in my seat. Typical. After arguing with her in very broken French and then resorting to English, I decided to just take someone else’s seat because two wrongs make a right, right? Turns out in France it does. You just sit where you want regardless of assigned seats. So, that’s what I did.

When I arrived in Amboise, now slightly dishevelled from my marathon training in Paris, I noticed I had just enough battery to get from the train station to the Air BNB before my phone died. So I thought. Because then my phone died. Luckily, I had looked ahead and knew I had to cross over two little bridges and then turn left. Or was it right? It looked like a right. So, I went right.

(Hint: it was a left)

Walking along the Loire I didn’t mind that my phone was dead and I was lost in a foreign country. After all, if memory served me correct, it was just about 3 blocks after the right, then a turn off the main road, and bam – Air BNB. That would’ve been the case if I went left.

As luck would have it, I eventually ran into a tourist info center. Got a map, and confirmed I can’t read the GPS (or have 0 memory). So, I turned around and started off in the correct direction this time. Made it to the Air BNB a bit later than planned, but all good – found my friends and time to charge my phone. Phone charging. And then a message pops up that the SIM is locked. It was the first time the phone had actually restarted since I put my Dutch SIM in. It gave me 3 tries to unlock the SIM with a 4-digit code. Naturally, I decided to try my 4-digit code that unlocks my phone. Didn’t work. Two tries to go. Afraid I’d forever be locked out, I decided to wait until I got back to work Tuesday to attempt again with IT. So I was phoneless in France. Old Dayna would have freaked out. New Dayna thought it was fantastic. Turns out you enjoy yourself more when you're disconnected from the world ;-)

The rest of the weekend was picture perfect. We spent Saturday afternoon exploring the quaint town of Amboise. It is your quintessential French village – street market, boulangerie, charming hotels, wisteria-covered houses, a castle, AND an accordion player. We stumbled upon this charming inn with beautifully manicured gardens. It was a bit cold out so we sat in the hotel’s sitting area with a bottle of wine.  

Once the bottle was gone and the sun set, we decided to make moves and find our next spot: dinner. We struck out at this cute little restaurant that was at capacity, only to find our next option up the road, which may have been the best meal of my life. We quickly selected another bottle of local wine and ordered away. We also befriended the owners and chefs. Everyone was so friendly and warm. We were having such a great time we decided to have a nightcap at a local bar right up the road from our apartment.

 

 

 

On Sunday we started our day at the boulangerie. Just in front of us in line was the owner of the restaurant from the night before! Love that small town feel! We grabbed quiche and croissants and sat down on the main street to people watch as we ate. Then we boarded the train and went to Chenonceau – one of the more famous castles in the region. These castles are truly incredibly! So much history. I loved every minute.

 

 

On the way back from Chenonceau we stopped in Tours – the biggest city in the region. It was quite dead because it was Easter Sunday, but we roamed around for a bit to see some highlights.

For dinner we decided to head back to Amboise. Good move – there was a lot going on! Not super hungry for dinner yet, we stopped by a cute bar that had big comfy seats in the window that were calling our name. We hung out there for a drink before heading down the block to this amazing pizzeria. Pizza in France? Yeah. And it was delicious. It rivalled some of the places I’ve been to in Italy. So good!

Monday was our last day. We planned a vineyard tour in Vouvray – at a family-run vineyard. Our tour was conducted by the daughter-in-law of the family who owns the vineyard. She was super knowledgeable and we learned a ton! The tour included a walk through the vineyards, the cellars, and then of course, a tasting (with accompanying French treats!). A definite highlight and an amazing way to end a great weekend.

 

Let the A’Dam Food Tour Begin! (and the weekend chores)  

The weekend after Easter I was looking forward to having a nice weekend home, in Amsterdam. Without sounding like a selfish millennial, one of the things I promised myself I was going to do as part of the move was focus on…myself. Since I graduated from college I had certain professional goals, and I stopped at nothing to achieve them. Aside from promotion goals, my biggest goal – as you may have guessed – was moving abroad. Check. And now that I am here, it doesn’t mean work is no longer a priority, and I am not going to stop working towards my next set of crazy, ambitious professional goals, it just means I am finally ready to focus on some personal goals. Like, dating.

So, my weekend kicked off with a Friday night date. And with a Dutch guy! I was super excited. But it was terrible. So terrible it’s funny to laugh about now. I know you’re hoping I am going to share stories of what made it terrible, but I’m not that terrible of a person. And it wasn’t terrible because he was Dutch. Don’t get the wrong impression! This guy was just straight up bizarre. I tried. And I found some fun new bars in my neighborhood in the process. There’s always a bright side…

Saturday I had to plans to meet up for brunch with a new friend I was introduced to via email back in February . We tried a really cute omelette place called Omelegg. The menu had 15-20 different types of omelettes, or you could make your own. Heaven. After that we walked around the neighborhood brunch was in and then slowly made our way back to the area where we both live in and hit some of the shops (the 9 Streets).

Saturday night I had plans to meet up with a friend of a friend who is on a short-term assignment in Amsterdam. We tried an awesome Spanish tapas restaurant that I’ve been hearing about. It was delish!

Sunday was the dreaded chore day. I’d skip this part, but I figured you’d want to hear about my failed attempt to figure out how to use the washing machine and dryer. It all started with mistaking the dryer for the washing machine, and quickly went downhill from there. Once I figured out what was what – I mean, c’mon, who places the dryer on top of a washer? - it was go time.

Instruction booklet for the washing machine – in Dutch. Instruction booklet for the dryer – non-existent. Great. After Googling, and illegally downloading similar brochures that probably installed every kind of bug on my computer, I somehow got the washer to work. Now it was time to dry. The machine was set to 1.25 hours at a standard dry cycle, which seemed excessive, but I couldn’t figure out how to lower it. So, for 1.25, I sat in the laundry room next to the dryer convinced I was going to start some sort of a fire.

^ Repeat above process for 5 loads. That was my Sunday morning.

Sunday late afternoon I met up with my friend Judith. Similar to how I met my friend Anouk, I met Judith at the Nudge Global Sustainability Challenge in 2015. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon so we took the ferry over to Noord and enjoyed an afternoon of catching up in the café area of the EYE film museum. It was so wonderful to hear about her new job and life in general. She lives in The Hague, the “DC”of the Netherlands, which is about an hour from Amsterdam. I look forward to visiting her there soon!

Work, Work, Work, work, work

You might be wondering how work is going? After all, that is why I moved here. Truth is, it’s going really well. I have been acting like a sponge – trying to soak up as much as possible and am starting to strategize how I will carve out the role to make it my own.

Over the last few weeks we said goodbye to my predecessor Holly. She is a true legend at HEINEKEN, and it is clear that I have very, very big shoes to fill. Holly is off (starting today!) to lead all of Corporate Affairs in Myanmar. An incredible move and opportunity. I know she is going to have much success in the role and wish her the best of luck. I have greatly enjoyed working side-by-side with her and will miss her! Her final goodbye celebration was an epic sendoff with in-office drinks at the bar, a team dinner at a delicious Italian restaurant and final drinks at Freddy’s, a swanky, HEINEKEN owned bar.

 

I also did a day trip to London to meet with two of our agency partners based there. Two good meetings. Catching a quick glimpse of Tower Bridge and Tower of London en route from one meeting to the next was such a tease. I have to get back there soon! Miss that amazing city so much.

 

On the 26^th we had an in-office celebration for Kings Day (see next section below for what that is). I got to try a traditional Dutch cake called Tompouce. Traditionally it is pink frosting, but on King’s Day it’s Orange J

 

Celebrating the King

On the 27^th of April the Netherlands celebrates Kings Day (Koningsdag). Kind of like a combination of the 4^th of July and the purpose of President’s Day in the U.S., Kings Day is on the actual King’s birthday and is public holiday. The festivities start the night before on Koningsnacht (Kings Night) with celebrations throughout the city.

I kicked off my Koningsnacht by meeting up with my friend Taylor. She works for Brown-Forman in Louisville. We met about a year ago, but really got to know each other better when she invited me to speak at a conference at BF in January. She was such a gracious host, so I wanted to return the favor. After she had a chance to explore the HEINEKEN Experience, we met for beers and Bitterballen at Berkhout, a local HEINEKEN employee favorite right near the office. We caught up for a bit and then met her colleague and my colleague/friend, Amberly, who was in from the USA for Indonesian food.

Indonesian (and Surinamese) food is HUGE in Amsterdam. Like Indian in England, both are former colonies and the food scene is incredible. I have been meaning to try Indonesian and got my wish. We did the "Rijsttafel", which essentially is a tapas-style where you get one of everything on the menu and share with the table. It was delicious!

Post-dinner Amberly and I headed out to meet my friend Anouk and several of her friends. We went to a pretty popular local bar called De Hobbe in Spui, a cute street with bars/restaurants/etc. close to my apartment. It was great to see Anouk again, and to meet some of her friends.

The next day was the big day! I decided to host a brunch/apartment warming that morning. Restaurants and cafes get so crowded that most people tend to host friends for brunch before heading out in the afternoon. There’s nothing I love more than hosting a good brunch or dinner party, so I jumped on the opportunity.

I had 10 people over – something I could NEVER do in my tiny NYC studio. I had so much fun planning the menu and shopping for goodies all week. I even found Kings Day themed napkins, cups and straws to add some color.

 

The big thing to do on Kings Day is walk around the city. I didn’t understand it until I experienced it. “What do you mean just walk around? And do what?!”I bothered people with that question all week. So, after brunch, we went to venture out.

The city comes to life with street concerts – DJs in canal house balconies, pop-up stages line the streets. Children set up shop selling their used household goods (like a garage sale). Open container laws do not exist. Oh, and EVERYONE is wearing orange.

 

 

 

 

After a few hours, the group returned back to my apartment to rest our feet and refuel on food. By this point, it was nearing midnight, and with work on the agenda for the next day, we decided to call it a night.

29 and Feeling Fine…Because Age is Just a Number

Yesterday was my 29^th birthday. The last year of being a “twenty-something.” I am typically gun-shy about sharing my age. For the longest time I tried to conceal it. I have always been self-conscious because I am friends with so many work colleagues on social media, and I wanted to be judged for my work and not for my age. I feel so fortunate to have had a seat at the big kids table in every place I worked since day one. I've typically always been the youngest one in the room, and I didn't want anyone to know it (but really, who was I fooling? I look about 12~and would be the ONLY one to get carded at the dinner table. Still do).

I have so many thoughts on this…so much so that I will make this a chapter or focus of the book I plan write…one day J So, more on all of this at another time. For now, the point of sharing is that for the first time, 29 felt like a legit age to share and be proud of. Not quite 30, but having passed all the stages of the twenty-something – from early 20s and finishing college, to mid-20s and starting a career, to late 20s and starting a life – I took the time to reflect on the last few years and how much change has occurred. Even in the last 1.5 years alone, 27.5-28 brought a new role at work, a promotion at work, and then an international move for work. Personally, the birth of my niece, the marriage/engagements of lots of close friends, moving my grandmother up from Florida to New York, and visits to over 10 countries and countless cities.

So, what to do for the big 2-9 in my new hometown? Luckily, one of my favorite people was in town – my friend Bjorn. Bjorn and I met when he joined HEINEKEN USA just over two years ago, and he’s been my partner-in-crime at work ever since. He and Amberly met me at Wenkel 43 – a “Brown Bar” (traditional Dutch bar) - to start the celebrations on Saturday. Wenkel 43 is in the heart of the Jordaan (my neighborhood), and is known for one thing: apple pie! I decided when I moved here I would save this as a special treat for my birthday weekend. After blowing out the candles, it was time to dig in. The verdict: unreal. Not only was the inside of the pie incredible, the whipped cream (which I LOVE) was amazingly fresh, and the crust was the best sweet I have ever had. Ever. Well done, Wenkel, well done.

 

After our pie and drinks, we headed over to Foodhallen. It’s a really awesome food hall that I can best describe as a modern Chelsea Market meets Highline (train tracks inside) meets an indoor Smorgasburg PLUS a Lower East Side club with a DJ and a pool. Because, why not?! The pool doesn’t actually have water, but you can sit in it. What could be better? Super cool place for the day and the night.

 

An awesome crowd came out (thanks guys!) to celebrate – a mix of the HEINEKEN pals from the US + new friends I made over the last few weeks, who also brought some new friends to meet. We spent a few hours at Foodhallen before moving to a Mexican bar in De Pijp (kind of like the Lower East Side in terms of area type) called Calle Ocho. It was a really great night!

 

Sunday – my actual birthday - I woke to brilliant sunshine – a rarity in Amsterdam. So, instead of sleeping in a bit as planned, I jumped up to take advantage of this glorious day. I made a stop at Van Stapele Koekmakerij, a famous cookie bakery in Amsterdam that makes one thing: a chocolate cookie with white chocolate oozing out from the inside. The line is typically out the door, so I took advantage of the early hour and snatched up a tin to share with friends in the afternoon.

Except, I couldn’t wait. So, I devilishly enjoyed a fresh, hot cookie while pausing to sit on a bench overlooking the Keizersgracht (one of the main canals). I mean, could life get any better?!?!?!

 

I walked off the cookie by heading back to De Pijp area waiting for all the normal people who didn’t get up at the crack of dawn. Main item on the to-do list for the day: A canal cruise in the sunshine. I met up with Bjorn and we moseyed on over to the dock for the Friendship Canal Cruise.

There are a million touristy canal cruises in Amsterdam, but this one was recommended by my new friend Jess. It’s the only open-air and least touristic, so perfect for a day like yesterday. They also have a full bar, and if you can get one of the first spots on the boat, you can snag a laying-down spot at the front or the back of the boat. Glorious. Bjorn and I took full advantage. And yes, we enjoyed those cookies whilst sailing.

 

Post-cruise Bjorn and I went our separate ways and I accidentally ran into De Berkenhof (a department store) on the way home. I have been purposefully avoiding this store – it’s like Saks, or Galleries Lafayette. And up until now was really successful. But it was my birthday, so….

A few purchases later, and a few awkward FaceTime and Audio FaceTime calls from De Berkenhof with family and friends, I made my way home for a bit before meeting up with my friend Rob for dinner. Rob is also a HEINEKEN USA friend in town this week for work, and his birthday was a week ago. So, it only seemed right to have a celebratory birthday dinner. We stumbled upon a new Italian steakhouse-type restaurant that was fantastic!  Amazing steak, delicious sides and perfect wine. What a winning combo!

After dinner we grabbed a quick drink around the corner before calling it a night. What a fun day, and an awesome weekend! I was so touched by all the FaceTimes, emails, texts, WhatsApp messages, snail mail cards, etc. that my family and friends from near and far sent. You made me feel so incredibly special. Thank you for that!

Until next time…