The Story Behind My Love for Amsterdam's Canals
After college graduation, I realized something unsettling: I wasn't comfortable being alone with myself. So I decided to leap out of my comfort zone and booked a month-long solo trip through Europe—5 cities, 5 countries, one backpack, one carry-on, and just me. I bought a beautiful journal, promising myself I'd fill it with self-reflection, goals, and memories of this first big risk.
Amsterdam stopped me in my tracks. The canals were everywhere—stunning, serpentine waterways lined with narrow houses, each one wearing its own character like a different outfit.
One afternoon, I sat along the water's edge, journal open on my lap, and something shifted. I felt grateful—deeply grateful—to be there alone, feeling both safe and exhilarated about the month ahead. Before I knew it, my hand was moving across the page, trying to capture the beauty and uniqueness of the scene before me. My first sketch since middle school art class emerged: honestly, it looked like chicken scratch. But a question flickered in my mind: Could I get better?
The answer was yes. I've continued sketching the architecture of every city and country I've traveled to since.
Thank you, Amsterdam. I will forever love you for helping me leap into independence, for igniting my love of travel, and for awakening my passion for capturing what I see on paper.
—LHo
