If you are looking for your next european destination, you must consider this amazing city! It is filled with so much life. You'll see endless canals and of course tourist using them as backdrops for their new instagram posts. Don't worry about having to wait in line to sneak a picture in front of one because there are loads around the city! It isn't called the city of canals for nothing!

As I arrived at the Schipol Airport, I knew I would be having a great time in Amsterdam. The Dutch were very welcoming.

Though, be warned, Dutch people can be blunt at times, but don't take this as them being rude. This is really just an aspect of their culture. They don't tend to beat around the bush like us Americans, so do keep that in mind!

If you do decide to stay in Amsterdam for a bit, I promise you will not regret it!

First things first, where to stay!

Iris Hotel

Our hotel view.I sat on the windowsill every morning just to get a glimpse of a morning sight in lovely Amsterdam. — Our hotel view.
I sat on the windowsill every morning just to get a glimpse of a morning sight in lovely Amsterdam.

Can't rave enough about this cute little hotel gem.

I loved this little hotel we stayed at! It was honestly one of the cheapest and decent ones we could find. I will say, Amsterdam is EXPENSIVE. Be prepared to lay down some cash for your stay.

Also, If you cannot deal with the European size of rooms, then don't stay here! It was a tiny room, with hardly any walking space. That was probably the only flaw this hotel had. Everything else was exceptional! They had a cute patio out in the back and a dining room for breakfast & lunch.

Klaas giving me a little wink as we started our Amsterdam trip.

The building was old and quaint. It was an authentic Dutch/European building. It was three stories, with steep and narrow staircases. It was basically a playhouse, but I still enjoyed staying there.

The service was great! The girls at the front desk were so accommodating! Plus, it was close to the city center were most things are poppin'.

The Streets of Amsterdam

Amsterdam is easily one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It definitely displays a Nordic vibe, with doses of hipster atmospheres here and there.

Important: the dutch love using their bikes to get places.

Amsterdam is deemed the bike capital of the world. Coming in second is Copenhagen (one of my other favorite cities).

The dutch use their bikes like Americans use their cars. It is one of their main modes of transportation, so expect many cyclists! Please stay out of their way, or you will hear their bike bells ferociously ringing, which translates into "get the hell out of the way!" Just fyi.

Don't get me wrong, you will definitely see cars and trams, but the city was not originally built for cars.

The best way to get around in Amsterdam is by foot or bike! Either one you choose, you have the right of way!

Canals, canals, canals. I wasn't lying about how many there are throughout the city!

Then there are those neighborhoods that look so picture perfect. This one house/building was probably one of my favorites that lured my attention. Those red shutters against the charcoal-colored brick created such stunning contrast, I just had to get a photo of it!

And like any other city, there is always a hustle and bustle aspect. Of course, I was fascinated by this.

There's much to see in this city, so you'll need a satisfying meal to get through the day.

Bruincafe 't Centrum

Location: Rembrandt square

When I say this was the best sandwich I've ever had, I truly mean it. These puppies were full of flavor and so fresh. They where definitely worth the 7 euros!

Klaas and I stumbled about this cute little cafe as we walked around the city center. You can probably never go wrong with any of the local cafes with outdoor seating, but I highly recommend you stop by this one for their sandwiches!

They also have delicious pancakes! Don't expect traditional pancakes, the Dutch like theirs large and flat! It's more like a crêpe. Nonetheless, it's fantastic.

Pannenkoek or pannekoek is the dutch spelling for pancake!

They also had delicious cappuccinos served with a Biscoff cookie, yum!

And of course their table settings were instagram worthy.

Bloemenmarkt

(The Flower Market)

Any step you take, Amsterdam will have you turning heads, whether it be the interesting people, the amount of tourists, the "adult" stores (sex shops), the coffeehouses (weed shops), the cheese shops, the endless bike racks, or the amazing amounts of flowers and tulips being sold (my favorite head turner).

If you are heading to Amsterdam in the Spring, you cannot miss this market even if you tried. At least, I hope you don't miss it! You can find it on the street Singel and close to the tram station Koningsplein.

So many vibrant flowers to look at, take pictures of, or actually buy!

Ah, I fell in love and immediately told Klaas we had to go into the shops.

Heineken Experience

So if you follow me on snapchat, you might have vicariously experienced the "Heineken Experience" with me. Basically, it's an interactive tour about the origins of the Heineken beer company. I literally had no expectations, I was just excited about the free beer-- which is funny because I don't drink much.

As a heads up, I highly recommend buying tickets at a Tourist Ticket Shop. You can find one outside the Rijks Museum. Buying your ticket at one of these places will allow you to have a fast pass, basically cut in line. Buy it. Waiting in line kills time you could be using to explore the city more!

I won't go into much more detail about the Heineken experience because surprises are a good thing. All I'm saying is 3 free beers and a whole lot of fun, DO IT!

Rijk's Museum

Rijk's Museum is a well known museum in Amsterdam. The Dutch Art displayed in this museum gives an overview of dutch history from the middle-ages and beyond. It is very touristy, but if you are interested in Dutch history then this is a place for you!

The Museum is massive and so beautiful. Though, I can't say it's a favorite of mine.

Don't look for any modern sculptures or paintings here! You'll have to look elsewhere.

Although, this wasn't my kind of Museum, I still found the Dutch history found in this maze of a museum insanely interesting! I think I might have enlightened Klaas about his own culture. Maybe not.

I Amsterdam

You can't really say you visited Amsterdam if you don't get a picture with the I Amsterdam sign! I mean, yes, you can, but why not make it fact?

There are two places you can find this sign! One is right outside the Schipol Airport, and the second is outside the Rijks Museum.

Anne Frank Huis

Visiting the Anne Frank house was at the top of my list, and I scheduled a whole Sunday morning around it. I'm glad I did. I didn't believe Klaas when he said "there will be long lines, and we will need a whole morning for it."

Plan to definitely spend the morning waiting in line. You will easily spend 2.5-3 hours standing (depending on the day and season you visit). There are little shops around, so if you are with someone, trade off and take line breaks. This will help make waiting in line doable.

Once you are in, you are taken back to history class to relearn about the events during WWII (1939-1945). You are taken behind that famous bookcase that separated the Franks and Van Daans from a Hitler controlled Germany and death.

It was an emotional experience for me.

Make sure to visit the Anne Frank Huis on your Amsterdam trip.

Screaming Beans

Favorite coffee shop in Amsterdam!

They had the best hot chocolate. This may sound odd, but my favorite part of the hot chocolate was the whip cream. Usually I ask for every drink sans whip cream, but for some reason I asked for it. No regrets with that choice. America definitely deprives us of authentic, natural-tasting whipped cream.

Final thoughts on Amsterdam

Loved, loved, loved, the city. I was a happy, clog-wearing bumble bee. I couldn't have had a better start to my spring break vacation.

Amsterdam, Netherlands