The experience of a tourist can sometimes be overwhelming. In the midst of all the excitement and all the new things that you cannot wait to try out, it might seem quite easy to fall back into the kind of state of mind which brings you back to your comfort zone. You look around you, and your eyes might slowly sink back into some state of looking for anything remotely familiar, anything to remind you of home.
While this may be useful for allowing you to feel more comfortable in your vacation, it doesn’t do you any good if you are indeed going to exist as a real tourist. You need to try and do more than just lean into your comfort zone; there are things which you need to forget when you’re in a new place. And you know what? This is especially true when you’re in Amsterdam.
Here are the top 5 things you need to forget about (at least when you’re in Amsterdam):
First, forget about your attachment to the city center. Sure, where you come from, you had to look for and get life from the city center. So back home, you were used to the hustle and bustle of crowds and tight spaces. But in Amsterdam, that’s not exactly the case. There’s an unspoken beauty about places that aren’t crowded and aren’t filled with people. There’s a silent advantage when you’re just strolling around in quiet streets, not pressured about having to buy anything.
Second, forget about your car. Yes, you read that one right. If you are someone whose definition of a city tour is one that is done using an automobile, then you can very well let go of this sort of mentality when you’re in Amsterdam. You see, when in Amsterdam, it’s not your car that matters – it’s your pair of legs (for walking), and your bicycle (in case you want to travel faster than your feet can take you).
Third, forget about dressing to impress. Your city life was probably centered on wearing the perfect outfit to grab attention, wasn’t it? Or you spent a minimum of thirty minutes just deciding on what to wear? Well, you can forget about all that in Amsterdam, because here, people dress to match the fickle weather (the rain can be quite the traitor, really).
Fourth, forget about women in high heels (or, if you happen to be woman, forget about wearing them). Streets in Amsterdam are made of brick, and so these streets won’t really be a good pair with your heels. You wouldn’t want to walk around in that sexy pair, only to end up embarrassing yourself by slipping, would you?
Fifth, forget about booking a hotel for your accommodation. Honestly, an overpriced hotel is the last thing you need, especially when you’ve got quaint, charming apartments all up for grabs in Amsterdam. These apartments will surely give you a better feel of the city, complete with a picturesque view outside your window, if you like.
Without a doubt, being a tourist has to go hand in hand with thinking like a tourist. And if thinking like one means you need to forget about your comfort zone mentality, then do so by all means.
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