If there is any advice I could have for packing before going on a study abroad, it would be to pack a variety of clothing for different seasons. The suitcase I packed to go on my study abroad trip to The Netherlands included a lot of summer clothing. However, I quickly realized my mistake in packing once I arrived in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In the middle of May, the weather in The Netherlands was very chilly, and the black rain jacket I packed was not going to work. As an individual born and raised in South Georgia, the daily temperatures were sometimes equivalent to a South Georgia winter. Searching for warmer clothes in Amsterdam was an adventure and not a huge success, but the fun came with trying traditional Dutch desserts.
The first dessert a group of my fellow classmates and I tried was called a stroopwafel. A stroopwafel is a waffle cookie with a caramel filling that can come with various toppings. I tried my first stroopwafel from one of the most famous shops, Van Wonderen Stroopwafels, established in 1907. The stroopwafel was amazing, and I visited this location multiple times while in Amsterdam. Stroopwafels are an excellent experience that should not be left off any itinerary when exploring Amsterdam.
Last but not least is a candy shop. My entry into the candy shop gave me a nostalgic feeling of home and my childhood of going into candy shops that use wooden barrel style containers to store their products. The overpowering sweet smell was the same. However, the different types of candy provided were fun to experience. From the sweet gummy candies to such wide varieties of chocolate, I could not decide what to try first. The candy shop left me with an amazing end to an unsuccessful clothes shopping trip with reminders of home and fun new memories to look back on.
