My Top 8 to Eat in Amsterdam

For those who know me, it comes as no surprise that I ate as much as possible during my travels. I always made sure to do my research and choose the dishes that were most authentic to the place -- but sometimes cheated with some comfort food.

In just the four days we spent in Amsterdam, we sampled a little bit of everything in Dutch (well, Amsterdam dutch) cuisine. Here are the top things I recommend you try during your visit:

CHEESE

The dutch are known for their cheese and it's everywhere. We ventured into a cheese museum in downtown Amsterdam and got to sample plenty of different types of homemade cheeses. Gouda, goat, truffle oil, young, old and so many more.

Whether you go to this specific store or any others, I'm sure you'll find something to take home (these were specifically sealed to be airplane-travel approved). Also, if you need a little snack from walking up and down the beautiful canals, you can fill up on some cheese samples ;)

NACHO'S at HARLEM
I would be lying if I said we chose this restaurant for any other reason than it was directly across the street from our Hostel and we were all a little hangry from a long day of class/traveling.

Yeah, so this restaurant says it's a southern / soul food restaurant. Being from the south, I'm going to strongly argue with that claim and just label this dive a bar with THE most outstanding nachos I've ever eatien

BAM.

VISIT A DELI
Our second day in the city, we wandered into a small deli looking for a cheap, more authentic meal. We filed in line with other locals as they made their sandwich choices. Luckily, there were some attractive Dutch boys waiting in front of us that spoke english, so we asked what they would recommend and how we should order.

When you get to the counter, you simply tell the worker which kind of bread you would like and choose your toppings. They can go ahead and assembly your sandwich for you, or you can buy everything a la carte. At this deli, I chose a crab salad and a few ounces of "young" cheese. Other people in my group opted for salami and cheese. This lunch cost us less than 5 euro.

PANCAKES

These aren't your IHOP or Bisquick pancakes. They're so, so much better and I love that the dutch consider them a dinner. The most popular is the bacon and apple pancake, and we grabbed them at the place that claims to have "the best pancakes in town!"

With a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a drizzle of syrup, they're perfect.

(Try also these: poffertjes.)

STROOPWAFELS

Again, NOT Waffle House. These are small, crunchy cookie-like waffles that are soaked in syrup. They're sold in grocery stores and at various store counters.

Or, at this market we found in Volendam.

POMMES FRITES
French fries are not just for the french. These fry stands are perfect for a late night snack after you've been out on the town. I was overwhelmed by the choice of sauces. Each stand has around 30 different sauces to choose from, so PLEASE don't get ketchup! My recommendation: garlic aioli.

HAGELSLAG
I thought my friend Ellen was crazy when she told me to sprinkle some of the "chocolate sprinkles" on my toast. Boy, was I wrong. This is delicious.

For more information, please see this "Stuff Dutch People Like" blog post.

BEER

No secret here, Meredith loves beer. And I try to drink locally when I travel -- it's part of the experience, right?

This windmill brewery is legit. Visit Brouwerij't IJ for some authentic local beer and people.

What'd I miss? More importantly, what do I need to eat when I go back?

You can see more pictures from my weekend in Amsterdam here and read about the full experience here.

Today I am thankful for Sunday mornings.

I have been dealing with not-so-great roommates since my move to Portland. Last night (this morning) around 3 am, two of them came home loudly yelling at each other despite their proximity, then continuing to yell into their phones on separate phone conversations. You could say I was frustrated having been woken up so inconveniently. (Say it.)

To continue, one roommate's alarm sounded at 7am and continued until 8 am, when I decided just to get out of bed. Two rude wakeup calls in a 4 hour period. 

After both times, I was angrily trying to devise my own loud rude wake up plan to disturb them from their precious slumber. 

Needless to say, I did not wake up in the greatest of moods this morning and decided to go for a morning walk. 

For me, Sunday mornings have always been about reflection, looking at and counting my blessings, relaxation and a chance to step back and look at the picture bigger than my little self. Cleansing. Like the sorbet of weekdays, if you will. 

Just like that, my mood did a 180. Revenge (no matter how petty and little as it is to return the rude favor of an abrupt wakeup) is no way to live your life. So today, I am thankful for my Sunday mornings. 

--------------

I have not forgotten about this focus since I decided to take it on. Over the past 2 weeks, I have been thankful for support, opportunities, friends who seem to call right when I feel like I need someone to talk to, people's patience, earplugs (see above bit about roommates), my blanket and my mobility. Many more, of course. 

Today I am thankful for vanilla hazelnut coffee.

Don't mind me, I'm just challenging myself to recognize my blessings daily. And with the help of this blog, and my

Mother, holding myself accountable. 

Mom recently inspired me to take the "Choose one word" challenge this year. In lieu of New Year's resolutions, choosing a word to focus on throughout the year. While it has biblical implications, it's open for anyone to mold to their own beliefs and find a center of focus and self-reflection for the year. 

Today I temporarily moved to Portland, Oregon and start my first big girl job on Monday. While THAT in itself is a huge thing to be thankful for, it's important to recognize the little things our lives are blessed with that often get overlooked. 

So, today, I am thankful for this cup of Einstein Bros Vanilla Hazelnut coffee to warm and wake me up. 

My Last Days As A Gamecock

 "December, you've always been a problem child."

Can't believe my time as a UofSC undergrad is winding down. Like I've said in all my social media posts and vocally to anyone with ears, I am SO EXCITED about all the new adventures that lay ahead, and equally as anxious/incredulous/shocked. But with new things and opening doors, comes leaving behind things that you love and closing doors. It's called the next chapter for a reason. You turn the page, leaving behind what you've just read, but every word before has carried you to where you are now.

<insert cheesy, but true, quote here>

As I pack up my apartment, send my graduation announcements and lock down details for my upcoming moves, I can't help but think about all the things I'm excited to do for one last time with the people that have made my time here amazing. *Most of these are food related and that is not only because I love food, but because these are social activities.* In chronological order, of course.

• Carolina v. Clemson

And Gamecock Football in general. I spent Saturday screaming for the Gamecocks and watching them beat our rival team, the Clemson Tigers, for the fifth consecutive time. I dressed head to toe in garnet and black and sandstormed over and over again. I never saw Clemson win against us as an undergrad at UofSC. I'll never step foot in the stadium as a student again, but I will always get chills when I hear 2001. Forever to thee, Carolina.

• 

  Freshman year. 

Sophomore year.

Sophomore year. 

Junior year! When I got to work with the amazing Road Trip crew! 

Senior year! 

Senior year! 

Senior year! 

Chicken Finger Wednesday
A UofSC tradition. Chicken fingers and CURLY FRIES in Russell House every Wednesday. Enjoy this picture of me holding the treasure of all curly fries.

Thursday night at the Whig.
A new tradition this semester (for us young people that just turned 21 this year.) Thursday nights at the Whig this semester held me together. No matter how sick I felt or how much I needed to do, I made sure this social time was mandatory and it was the greatest decision. Looking forward to seeing some of my favorite people on Thursday nights and catching up got me through most weeks.

Saturday Morning at Soda City market
Not a tradition, but a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning in Columbia, SC. This Saturday it'll be festive and the ice rink is out by the Museum so there will be a lot of life going on on Main Street. Something unique to Columbia that I'll miss (mainly I'll miss the goat cheese)

Spending a late night working in student media and solving my late night hunger with a Beezer's sandwich or late night Marble Slab.
This happened far too often. The amount of all-nighters I spent in Student Media because I couldn't focus on editing a video because of all the wonderful people around me. I would attribute at least 90% of all my laughs to time in Student Media. Or, spending hours being the one distracting everyone from their work. 

Graduation party.
This is still tentative, but I need to have everyone all together before everyone leaves for winter break. Which leads me to....

GRADUATION

• All the work I've put in over the past 3.5 years will be worth it when I cross that stage. This degree is something I will be proud of forever. Plus, my whole family will be in town and will be watching and they have done everything possible to support me and help me succeed.  

And, in regards to the beginning of December and this transition point of my life, I think my girl Sara Bareilles summed it up perfectly.

The month of December is always, kind of, a happy month because I love the holidays, but it's also always brought me a sense of melancholy. There's this idea of reflection where you're looking at the year that has past and you're thinking about what's to come. And it's this kind of transition point where you want to believe that anything is possible but, really a lot of times you end up reflecting on what didn't work from the year before.

Here's to whatever's next. If you know, don't tell me. I'll figure it out as I go.

Coffee in Austria, White Water Rafting and Wine in Italy.

From Germany to Italy, we made a quick stop in Innsbruck, Austria to grab some food and check out the home of Swarovski crystals.

Since the crystals were just a little out of my price range, I settled for my Austrian souvenir being a brunch of coffee and pastry.

We continued our bus trip through beautiful scenery to the Alps of Northern Italy, where we suited up for a whitewater rafting trip!

The water was around 40 Fahrenheit so we made sure to cover ourselves in neoprene wetsuits. Fashionable, right?

I wish I had pictures, but I still don’t think they’d do the trip justice. It was such a unique experience and an awesome way to escape the usual 100 Fahrenheit Italian heat.

After more driving, we finally made it to our hotel in the small town of Padua where we had our first Italian pizza and wine!

The next day, we left to explore Venice. Since Venice is an island, we had to take a boat after bussing to the port. Our group had our own private boat!

First stop for our boat was a glassblowing demonstration and the famous Murano glass. We watched a demonstration for a few different types of figures, and then walked around the factory store.

Just a warning, this stuff is incredibly overpriced and not really worth it. Small souvenir shops sell identical replicas for a fraction of the price in Venice.

The boat dropped us off in the center of Venice, where we then took a guided walking tour of the city. Even though it was still early morning, it was already scorching and full of tourists.

The city's history and architecture was beautiful. We could see stereotypical pieces of Italy everywhere - guys in striped shirts rowing gondolas down the canals, accordion players, narrow winding streets with gelaterias on every corner.

Of course, we took a gondola ride. How can you leave Venice without doing the most touristic thing?

Then there was this random Italian man. 

Overall, I found Venice very overrated and not worth the trip. As I've told friends and family already, I felt like I was in an amusement park and nothing was real. They say the city only has around 50,000 locals with 150,000 tourists visiting daily. It definitely showed.

If you're planning a trip to Italy, I recommend going to our next stop - Verona.

A smaller town and more of how I envisioned Italy.

We got to see Juliet's wall, where lovers place a lock on a grid iron to make a statement that their love will last forever. There's also a wall where you can write your lover's name with a sharpie.

Hahah. 

We spent the next few hours strolling through the streets, stopping at a farmer's market for some fruit and a cafe for a shot of expresso.

I would love to go back to Italy and explore the smaller towns and countryside. We hit some of the most touristy areas, and I don't feel like I got a true taste of Italy. Who wants to plan a trip with me? :)

Munchen! Stop #1 of Traveling Beyond Study Abroad

My study abroad program officially ended on Friday, August 2. I knew I’d want to see more of Europe so I booked an additional trip through EF College Break to explore Germany, Italy and Switzerland. EF College Break gives people from 18 – 26 the chance to experience places with a packed itinerary and with people their own age.

After a night of no sleep from kissing Barcelona goodbye, my 8 am flight to Munich was an easy one. I landed in Munich around 10AM still exhausted, but ready to meet the people I’d spend the next week traveling with.

I spent the next 3 hours waiting for our bus to pick us up to take us to the hotel, and when we finally made it to the hotel, we waiting another hour to get our room assignment. It was a very long, hot day and I’ve never been so ready to take a shower. We immediately dropped off our bags, showered and met back up with the whole group to make our way into downtown Munich to explore.

This is where I, of course, had my first real German beer and pretzel.

Exhausted, we wandered through the streets and hung out in the main square while people watching. I will say that Germans are my favorite group – so far – to people watch.

I love how many clock towers there were around the city. Beautiful. 

The next morning, we boarded our bus and headed to Neuschwanstein castle (please never ask me to pronounce that) built by the supposedly mad King Ludwig II in 1892.

The castle is isolated in the Bavarian Mountains in Schwangau, Germany. 

We had to walk up the mountain in close to 100 Fahrenheit, but it was worth it. The castle and the surrounding view were completely worth it.

Princess found her castle! Ha. 

We spent the next few hours at the English garden, hanging out with locals and jumping in the river. Through the English garden runs Munich’s main river, which is known for its strong current and river surfers. The river's current makes a natural wave, and you can always find people surfing.

We quickly changed into our suits so we could join the locals and jump in the river.

Here’s how it works. You walk up to the top of the river, jump in, then pick up your feet and let the river’s current take you downstream. Think of it like a fast lazy river. For someone that usually hates water and isn’t a very good swimmer, I had a great time.

We wrapped up our last night in Munich with dinner at the famous Hofbrauhaus, one of Munich's oldest breweries founded in 1589.

Sit up front, right next to the stage for the best view of the live entertainment. These guys used whips to make music. 

And, if you're "lucky" like I was, a piece of the whip will snap off and land in your plate.  

Weizenbier. 

Apple strudel! 

I lied. We didn't wrap up the night with dinner. Because, when in Munich, go to the clubs at Kultfabrik for a great time.

While walking to this district, I ran into one of the german boys I'd met while staying in our hostel in Dublin. He lives in Munich, but it was still such a coincidence! How small is this world.

A long night of dancing and we were ready to sleep on the bus to Innsbruck, Austria and the mountains in Northern Italy.

More pictures on my Flickr account. 

Hasta luego, Barcelona. I will miss you terribly.

I spent my last day(s) in Barcelona having a sort of internal toddler tantrum. I can't tell you how many times I thought, "but I don't wanna leave!" in a whiny, pouty voice. Cue stomping of the feet and crossing of the arms. I couldn't believe this amazing experience would be over as soon as I walked out of our apartment door, two heavy suitcases and backpack in tow.

But, it didn't matter how many time I pouted about having to leave, time kept flying by and finally it was my turn to board a plane to Munich.

These past 6 weeks not only taught me so much about how to be a better traveller, to speak Spanish more fluently, to be a pro at mass transit and to survive constant, unbearable heat, but it taught me so much about myself in general. About what I want - and what I deserve - for my future.

I think one thing that made it so hard to leave was all of the incredible people. The students in my program came from all over the country. Some people will return to their home University with new friends on campus, or at least a short drive away. I was the only student from the Southeast at all to come on the trip. (There was a whole new meta-level of culture shock going on.)

Leaving my host Mom family difficult, too. How many times can you say thank you to the woman who insists on packing you a lunch so you don't have to buy food in the Airport? Lauren and I got so lucky with our living situation - I could not have asked for a sweeter, funnier woman. She was always willing to teach us anything. Her son, who is my age, and daughter who is a few years older, were equally as helpful and entertaining. I always looked forward to our nightly dinners.

So just like that, I'm on to the next one. Throughout the next week, I will be traveling to Germany, Italy and Switzerland. I'm excited to meet all the new faces I'll be traveling with and ready to explore these countries that are so different from Spain.

Barcelona will always, always have a special place in my heart. Planning for the day when I can return and be someone's tour guide!