Amsterdam: Everything I Didn’t Do

Reflecting on experiences I didn’t have: 19 August, 2024

Going to Amsterdam comes with expectations. It’s the party city, like THE party city. Sure, you have Barcelona with all the clubs and sunshine. Sure, Paris might be up there for those celebrating something. But, Amsterdam. Now that city has clubs, drugs and you can’t tell the difference between day and night. It’s perfect for those who want to get wrecked and party 24/7.

The first thing I didn’t do in Amsterdam was try weed

Can you believe it? It’s literally the only reason people go to Amsterdam. The weed is very accessible and avoiding it is a challenge, which makes me feel quite proud to have avoided it for so long.

You can buy weed in the form of a brownie, or a lollipop, you can smoke it, eat it, have it in a lounge, outdoors, or at your house.

You can buy weed sweets from bakeries or souvenir shops. Every single location smells like weed – trains, parks, restaurants… Everywhere.

It’s perfect for those who want to get wrecked and party 24/7.

I was so close to buying weed gummies from a street stand that sold hot drinks and snacks. I saw it was behind an R18 sign just in time. Imagine if I ate those gummies and couldn’t write this post.

Something else I didn’t do in Amsterdam – own a bike

I rode a bike but always someone else’s, never my own. Not owning a bike is an odd thing to do in The Netherlands. It’s how you get from A to B.

I suppose I was lucky enough to live in places that lent me their bikes, BUT I never owned one. Does that still count?

Last but not least – I never went to the Rijksmuseum

If you google things to do in Amsterdam, this one will always come up. You can’t get away from it. You literally walk past the entrance when you walk through Amsterdam.

The museum is right by a park and in the quarter that holds all the museums. I walked past it countless times and never went in. Should I be proud?

I went to other museums, just not this super famous one. And I feel pretty good about not doing these things.

What is something typical of a place you visited that you ended up avoiding?