The city of Amsterdam is too busy and crowded, not to mention about the smell of… you know what I’m going to say. I am not saying Amsterdam’s not an ideal place to visit, it is! It’s just that I enjoy being in the countryside more than being in the city, with all the greens and blues, and the homey feeling that such a sight could bring.

And so we escaped from the crowd and found our space in the countryside; I mean real space, not the “space” that has a different meaning when you are in Amsterdam. :) And it is in this place that I fulfilled one of my favorite childhood dreams.

I dreamt of seeing windmills when I was a child. I imagined wearing a Dutch costume—a fluffy dress (one that looked like it had an apron) with a matching headdress. I imagine a lot even until now, and my imaginations always take me to far places. And growing up, I try to chase my dreams and turn those imaginations into realities. And this is one of those. No, I didn’t get the chance to wear the Dutch costume, nor see a girl wearing one when I was in Holland. But I am more than glad that I had the chance to see these windmills that I just used to dream and imagine.

“I do not miss childhood, but I miss the way I took pleasure in small things, even as greater things crumbled. I could not control the world I was in, could not walk away from things or people or moments that hurt, but I took joy in the things that made me happy.” ― Neil Gaiman

Date of Travel: 22 June 2014
Location: Zaanse Schans, Netherlands
How to get here from Amsterdam: Take bus 391 from Amsterdam Central station; it stops right outside, and costs 7€ return (as of date of travel). The buses leave at 25 and 56 minutes past the hour (between 9-4) and the trip takes 50 minutes. To return to Amsterdam, the bus leaves from the same bus stop – right outside Zaanse Schans. Visit www.bus391.nl for more information.