I made it to Amsterdam. It is so beautiful here. Some complain of the fog but I think it is breathtaking because it compliments the cream colored windows on the dark,tall, stone buildings that sit on the canals. There are beautiful stone palaces everywhere that are carved masterfully, and trimmed with patterns of tile and pointed iron that curls and reaches up in a way that is magical for such metal. The streets of the city are brick, and clean, and the people flow about them as swiftly as the tram runs along it's track. The people are all clean, too; and beautiful, and walk about alone, or at most in a pod of three. As a new member of the streets here, scurrying along with my fellow americans was a bit embarrassing. And I was held back multiple times, tied to one spot waiting, because the group was too busy being blinded by unfamiliarity. They were gawking loudly and nervously amongst the swift natives, and all I wanted to do was be a part of it. Keep my American from showing and jump right into the ebb and flow of the traffic. I felt like I could at least pretend I knew where I was going and what I was doing well enough on my own. Anyway, I am so pleased to be here ,there is an element of design in every bridge and building that is thoughtful and more importantly, tasteful. It is inspiring beyond belief, that so many people in a city could keep it looking the way it does. I had to hold back tears of awe and tune out of my own flooding thoughts to make it seem to the group like I was 'there with them'. But, later, in a few months, I will find the souls, the art students, who see what I see. Who look around and see astounding beauty, old and new around every bend.