"I love Amsterdam. The city is so vibrant and alive"

The first time I went to Amsterdam, it was the most life changing experience of my life. I was only there for 12 hours. I saw the Anne Frank House, saw her statue around the corner from the house, and then went back to school in London.

Those 12 hours were some of the best of my life. It changed the course of how I felt about myself, why I wanted to keep traveling, and how I thought about the world. The people were tall, blonde and beautiful. Not to mention incredibly kind.

I went back for a work trip and spent a little bit more time in the city. There were way more tourists - so less tall, blonde, beautiful people and more common looking people. But the city was still sparkling. It was a big contrast from Italy in how clean it is.

This time around some of the landmarks were under construction, and the Anne Frank House was a little bit more glamorous than when I was there last. It almost seemed a bit more commercial to me than focusing on the strength and beauty of a teenage girl in unprecedented circumstances. From what I've heard, they had to restructure the Anne Frank House so they could accommodate all the people that visit on a daily basis. But there's a part of me that wishes it didn't look so pristine. My biggest fear with things like the Holocaust, is that they've become more of an attraction rather than a place to learn and reflect. What is that balance? I'm not sure. But it's something I grapple with. It's why in certain scenarios I won't take photos of certain adventures I go on or landmarks I see. There has to be an amount of respect for the moment that's being represented, rather than be a brag on social media. With all that said, tourism is how a city makes money. A balancing act I do not envy anyone.

After seeing the Anne Frank House and the Westertoren under construction, I got to walk a lot more of the city this time. It was as amazing of an experience as it was the first time. Amsterdam is in my top 5 favorite cities in the world. It's also one of the cities I highly recommend you look into if you're thinking of studying abroad.