Whenever I arrive in Amsterdam I truly become Alice in Wonderland. It is the greatest feeling in the world.
I first stumbled upon my Wonderland aged 20. It was the summer of 2002 and I decided to travel to Denmark to pick strawberries on a farm. It seemed like a good idea at the time but after nearly a week of having conversations in my head (no one spoke a word of English) and eating virtually nothing but strawberries, I packed up camp and headed cross-country, back to Copenhagen with no idea what to do. I knew I couldn’t very well go back to England since I had told everyone I’d be gone for a few months I would of felt like a failure to arrive back after a week.
Somehow I found myself buying a one way ticket to The Dam. I had just enough money for the flight and a little to keep me going for a few days, but after that I had no idea what would happen. I had no plan B. All I did know was that I had heard that a girl who had been a few years above me at school was living there and working in one of the most famous bars/coffeeshops, The Grasshopper. I had never spoken to her but I seem to remember that I had no doubt that I would find her. Like I said, I had no plan B therefore I had no expectation of any kind of failure.
I will never forget the moment when I emerged from Centraal Station on that warm June evening. After living in silence, in a tent surrounded by horny Spaniards in Denmark, the noise, the smells, the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam was a gift from God. Always trust your instincts anywhere you go.
So, after finding a cheap hostel I ventured through the beautiful city to find The Grasshopper. Somehow in Amsterdam, things often just work out. Good things will happen to you if you have courage in your convictions. I walked into the Grasshopper and immediately recognised the girl behind the bar as my old school associate, and she recognised me, which made things even better.
Within a couple of days I had managed to find a waitressing job in an Argentinian steak house. It is easy to find casual work in Amsterdam if you arrive early in the summer season. It helps if you have a SoFi number (a social identification number which any EU national can obtain very easily, all you need is your passport. If you do not belong to an EU country don’t panic, you can very easily find work such as cleaning hostel dorms where you will usually work 4-5 hours a day in return for your bed. Then all you need is food and entertainment money!
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