It has been a few years since I’d been back to Europe, and just about every day since my first trip, I’ve thought about it.

So when I had the chance to come back, I jumped at it.

A friend in London was getting married and we were invited. And I also wanted to visit another friend — and her two dogs — who had moved from Honolulu to Amsterdam about two years ago. It sounded like I had all the excuses to go.

So I headed to London for one night before jetting off to Amsterdam, the hippest city in the Netherlands, to meet up with an old friend and check out what this progressive city has to offer.

Here’s what the first day and a half looked like:

Meeting up with Derek

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Derek and I met up in London to attend a friend's wedding. It was nice to see him, considering I haven't seen him in months.