Hi everyone!

Whew, this week has been intense. We’ve spent the last three days diving deep into abuse, addiction, and trauma–and grappling with our own brokenness in the midst of our desire to see others healed. It’s been such a blessing and I can’t wait to share more about it in the next week or so, once I have the chance to process everything a bit more. In the meantime, I wanted to share some of the little things that have brought us joy in the past few weeks, and give you a taste of life here beyond the heart-rending stories. So, without further ado, here are some of our favorite things about Amsterdam!

1. Hagelslag

Also known as sprinkles, I love eating this with nutella on my toast every morning! It’s like having dessert for breakfast! If nothing else, these get me out of bed every time.

2. Stroopwaffle McFlurries

I can’t even describe how good these carmelly-crunchy bits of deliciousness are in vanilla ice cream. I think Ben would eat one every day if they weren’t such a long walk away.

3. Pesto-infused gouda

It looks weird and green, but don’t be deceived. I personally think this would take pizza to a whole new level.

4. Fresh flower markets on nearly every corner

5. Sunsets over the canals & evening city lights

6. Separate bike paths–even in the countryside!

7. Birds that are so friendly it’s almost frightening. This guy walked right up to say hello!

8. Coffee/tea break every mid-morning.

When my stomach starts grumbling an hour or so after breakfast, I’m always so glad that I can look forward to tea and some Dutch cookies before lunch! But tea and coffee aren’t just for morning here–I’ve counted that on average a drink 5-6 cups of tea a day. Even more lately, as I’ve had a bit of a sore throat.

9. Dutch Staircases

(I see them as a personal challenge. Actually, I’ve found that some are easier to jump down the last half rather than navigate their thin winding stairs.)

10. Being amidst so many cultures. Not only is our class made up of at least 12 or 13 nationalities, but the city of Amsterdam is filled with people from every region of the world. Which means there is also amazing, authentic food from pretty much anywhere to be found here. 🙂

(just a fun little reminder we found this weekend)

So, there you have it! A bit more insight into all of the wonderful things we are enjoying here. I could go on to tell you some of the things that aren’t my favorite, such as finding marijuana joints in the drinking fountains…but I will stop here. More thoughts coming soon!