FYI: the map to the van Gogh museum is not much help finding your way home in Amsterdam

Finishing up almost 4 full days in Amsterdam and, other than being a little cold, I had a chill yet crazy time and didn't end up in jail (well, we almost did at customs but that's a whole separate story!). I'm sitting at the airport relaxing until I head on to Florence, Italy. I absolutely cannot believe I only have 1 week left and tomorrow is August. This trip and the summer have gone way too quickly. I'm both a little sad and also a little excited to see my cats, my friends, and my house and get to some YOGA classes!!!

I now have a dream to live in a houseboat surrounded by potted plants in a canal in Amsterdam. I feel like I'd even be inspired to cook dinner with the fresh herbs growing on my roof. Amsterdam fed me well, gave me some mileage on my toms shoes, and I had more heineken, cappuccino and tea than ever in my life and it was all delicious, even the walking.

We saw the Anne Frank house, the sex museum, the van Gogh museum, foam, lots of canals, and many many many windowbox hookers. Keem suggested we go to a "live sex" show but I decided I really need to draw the line somewhere and declined.

I forget after traveling for so long that it's a totally different world over here sometimes. I don't notice accents anymore, I don't notice crowds. I just hold my bag and do my best to figure out where I am and what people are saying and I forget that not everyone, including my parents, travel that way.

Speaking of my parents...I'm not sure what happened in Amsterdam but apparently they are not very pleased with me. I'm still trying to piece it all together but the end result was me deciding not to fight with them while being attacked on both sides and them storming off on our last night and flying out this a.m. with only a note under my hotel room door.

Did I tell them they should take a cab instead of a train and a tram to the hotel? Yes...because I knew that's what would happen anyway.

Did I rave about how excited I was to have peanut butter at breakfast because I missed it too much and also say I didn't think anyone should pay for the hotel breakfast because it was too expensive for the "crap" theywould get? Yes.

So yesterday, my parents went off biking and we decided to spend our day hopping around. We were all supposed to meet up at 6 for dinner. I had heard of a Jah Cure concert at 8:30 and, depending on dinner, was going to try to go. Reggae, Amsterdam... :-D

My parents were running a little late and by the time we finally left the hotel it was closer to 7. My mom asked what we did that day and I started off with "well we had this great breakfast..." and was cut off with some comment from my mom about how breakfast at the hotel wasn't good enough. I was asked what we were doing after dinner and I mentioned the concert...if we had time after dinner.

I was told to pick a restaurant so I chose one we all thought looked good. Sometimes choosing a place to eat with my parents is difficult. I would rather avoid being the chooser but I try my best. We sat down, were about to order drinks and the waiter, who was classic Europe-service stand-off-ish, didn't answer my dad's question nicely and also insisted they had only bottled water, no tap (also classic Europe in my experience). And my parents decided to go elsewhere.

I am pretty sure all I said was "we're going somewhere else?" And got up and walked out with them. I then said "ok, you guys lead the way to the next place." And then my mom started talking about why we had to leave and I said ok, not a big deal. And then my dad started telling me I had an attitude. And then my mom told me to go to the concert. I said I would rather have dinner with them on the last night. And they both kept talking, pretty much about all the things I did/said wrong. Rather than fight or defend myself I just kept saying that we should eat dinner and I wasn't going to fight or do the back and forth. And then they were gone...

Maybe it would have been better for me to yell back or something. I guess that's what they're used to. I just don't have the energy. I haven't argued with anyone since I left on this trip and I don't intend to start up again now, or really ever. It's all about breathing and letting go, yes?

So Florence and the Tuscany area! Back to the architecture and art (Paolo at my hotel already made me reservations at the Ufizzi and Gallery Academia), pizza and gelato and (hopefully) smiley face cappuccinos. I am going to need my fill of wine and olives as well and I fully intend to make my attempt to fix the leaning tower of Pisa. Oh, and back to the sweltering heat...I can't say I'm mad about that!

I should also be able to blog a bit more as I plan on reverting to a leisurely place before I head back to Philly.