Finally being independent…

Coming to Amsterdam back in February was my first time traveling by plane, and definitely my first time in Europe. That being said, I was new to this whole traveling thing. I wasn’t too keen on traveling alone. When all the traveling started, I became really dependent on my friends, because I knew they had more experience than I did. However, the more I relied on them, the more I realized that I was not getting the full experience that I was looking for in any given city. Therefore, I decided to venture off on my own for a bit. One weekend, I decided to take a day trip to The Hague, the governmental capital of the Netherlands. I knew I wanted something close by, and The Hague is only a 40-minute train ride from Amsterdam.

Considering I had no real plans for the day, the first thing I did after arriving to The Hague Central Station was walk around the city center for a bit. After doing a bit of mindless shopping and eating, I began walking in the direction of Central Station again. However, out of the corner of my eye I see the top of what looks to be a Ferris wheel. I wasn’t too sure because there was an entire forest right in front of me, buy curiosity got the best of me. I walked along the forest in the direction I had seen this Ferris wheel, and sure enough, there was an entire fair on the other side of the forest. Immediately I decided to go in. First off, I was surprised that it was free entry; you only pay at the rides themselves. There were only two rides that I knew I had to be on: the Ferris wheel, and what I like to call the yo-yo. I’m not sure if that’s the right name for it, but it is the ride that takes you all the way to the top of a long pole and starts spinning. Your seat is hanging low on long chains attached to the top, so when the ride spins, your seat moves outwards, and you spin in the air. Afterwards, I got some chocolate covered fruit as a reward and continued walking around the fair.

Eventually, I did get tired of the fair, so I decided to venture elsewhere. I realized that The Hague has beaches, so I knew I wanted to go visit, even if I wasn’t dressed appropriately. I got on the next tram and went over to Scheveningen, The Hague’s most famous beach resort. Once there, I walked along the pier and headed over to a restaurant for dinner. And here is where the most eventful thing took place. The largest storm I’ve experienced in the Netherlands happened during my dinner. Furthermore, the building’s roof was made of aluminum, so the hail was extra loud. I could not hear my own thoughts and most definitely could not hear the server when he approached me. It was a bit unnerving I won’t lie, but overall, it was a nice experience. After dinner, nighttime approached so I went back to Central Station and took the next train back to Amsterdam. For my first time going somewhere alone, I definitely made the most out of it, and I am excited to do it again, but maybe a bit further next time.