This past weekend we did something very stereotypical of American college students, for which I apologize. Kind of.
We went to Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is one of the few cities in the world in which a wide variety of drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy and mushrooms are legal. It is also one of the only cities in which prostitutes are protected, and prostitution is considered a viable means to make a living, along with other professions generally frowned upon or are illegal in other places.
While we were not terribly interested in experiencing the party culture in Amsterdam, we were excited to see what life would be like in the city with no rules.
Its lack of restriction gives Amsterdam a certain reputation, a reputation I found was nearly to entirely wrong. Turns out, it is very different from what we expected.
Amsterdam’s population is young and extremely creative. Each day that we went into the city we found a large street art market, a cheap gallery showcasing local work or an antique bookshop.
While it is normal in Amsterdam to partake in the drug culture, its lack of shininess meant many young people didn’t participate at all. Instead, the lack of restrictions within the city meant people felt more open to expression, creativity and connection than I have experienced in any other city I’ve been to.
Before I continue, I feel I should say this is not an argument for or against the legalization of certain drugs within the United States, as that is a more complicated, in-depth issue that cannot be addressed here.
Rather, it is to say that Amsterdam is not a city filled with seedy prostitution where young people go to be rebellious.
It is instead a city filled with extremely open and friendly people. It’s also centuries old, which means the buildings have all been added on to or reconstructed and are all beautiful.
The Netherlands has produced some of the best artists in the world, so the museums were jam-packed with Van Gogh, Vermeer and Rembrandt, among others. Dutch culture has had such a massive influence on the world that experiencing it was like walking back through history itself.
It is possibly one of my favorite cities, probably because it surprised me so much. So if you have the chance when you’re young, go to Amsterdam, because it will be more than you expected.
It was also a good reminder not to go off of reputation alone.
Being there is how you see what makes a place great.
ewenning@indiana.edu
