anastasia

I recently had the chance to add another country to my journey — the Netherlands.
I’d heard a lot about it, of course. But what I found there was nothing like what I expected.

The streets felt like something from a miniature world — calm, cozy, and full of gentle detail. Amsterdam wasn’t just a city; it was a spirit. A place that held both silence and freedom in the same breath. From the first moment, it welcomed me.

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The City That Feels Like a Pause

What surprised me most was the rhythm of the city.
I come from places where everything feels fast — people rushing, things always moving. But here, in Amsterdam, time felt slower. Not lazy. Just… mindful.

Tips

🛫 Getting there was part of the magic

I used Kiwi.com to book my flight.The flexible search helped me find a calm route that matched the energy I was seeking — simple, direct, and with time to breathe.

A Swing Over the Sky

One moment stays with me most: the swing at the top of A’DAM Lookout.
It’s not just a ride. It’s something else.

You lean back… and suddenly the city is beneath you, stretching out in all directions. The canals, the rooftops, the quiet. It was both terrifying and grounding. I felt like I could see my entire life from that height — the things I’ve lost, the things I’ve become.

I remember gripping the handles, laughing, crying a little. It was a moment of release.

Tips

For those breathtaking rooftop moments
If you’re curious to try the swing at A’DAM Lookout, book in advance through Tiqets. It allowed me to skip the line and savor the view with ease — and with a little less trembling.

Bicycles and Bouquets

What I love most about traveling is noticing small things.
Like the way people park their bicycles here — casually, like they’re leaving part of themselves behind for a moment.
Or how the canals sparkle differently depending on the hour of day.

There’s music on every corner — not loud, not showy. Just someone playing a violin by a bridge, or a guitarist leaning against a red brick wall. I passed them in silence, feeling like I was walking through a memory.

Tips

Stay close to the streets that speak softly
I found my hotel through Trip.com, filtering by location and guest reviews. My little room overlooked the water — and the morning light was something I’ll never forget.

A Warm Drink by the Water

One of my favorite parts of the trip wasn’t an event.
It was a morning.

I sat at a tiny café beside the water, holding a warm cup of glühwein. It was raining just a little — that soft, poetic rain that doesn’t need an umbrella.

I remember thinking: “This is enough.”
No crowds. No big plans. Just me, the canal, the stillness, and a kind of happiness I hadn’t felt in a while.

Tips

Let the city guide your pace
Wandering is where the real beauty lives. I used no maps, no plans — just a warm drink and the soft rhythm of the city. If you want to feel the same, choose a place to stay near the canals, and begin your days without a schedule.

What Amsterdam Gave Me

This city didn’t ask me to be anyone.
It just let me exist.

That was the gift.
No pressure to be excited all the time. No need to perform.
Just walk, sit, breathe, look — and it would quietly hand you beauty.

I think we all need places like that.
Amsterdam was mine, and maybe — if you’re reading this — it could be yours too.

Light Travel Tips from Me to You
(not part of the story, just helpful if you’re planning)

✈I used Kiwi.com to find a flexible, affordable flight. You can mix transport options like flights + trains easily.
🛏 For my hotel, I booked through Trip.com — lots of cozy spots along the canals, perfect for quiet mornings.

The rooftop swing I mentioned? I booked it with Tiqets. It saved time, especially on a busy day.

🎟 And to make the arrival smooth, I used GetTransfer for a private airport pickup. Just easier when you’re traveling alone.

🧳 Travel Gear: Shop the Journey Glows

✨ Book now and let your own Travel story begin.

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  Amsterdam Through My Eyes
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anastasia

People romanticize Paris endlessly. But for me, it was never a city I felt drawn to.
I never dreamed of seeing it. It didn’t hold that magic for me — or so I thought.

But when my friend invited me to come along, I couldn’t say no.
Because for me, traveling is never just about the places — it’s about discovering parts of myself through the world.

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Expectations and Reality Collide

Through this trip, I didn’t just understand but felt what people mean when they say: Not everything is as it seems.
Until you stand somewhere with your own two feet, you’ll never really know whether a place or its culture will echo something inside you

Tips

🛫 If a place calls to you unexpectedly — trust it. Sometimes the cities we don’t plan for change us the most. If you’re curious, Kiwi.com can help you find a flight that fits what you didn’t even know you were ready for.

The First Breath at the Eiffel Tower

I had seen the Eiffel Tower a thousand times on screens. But the moment I saw it with my own eyes, my breath caught in my chest.
This thing I’d seen in photos and movies my whole life — suddenly, it was right there.
By day, it’s like a masterpiece by an architect whose name everyone knows.
By night, it’s something else entirely — shimmering with lights like a Christmas tree, alive and celebratory, like the city is throwing a party just because it can.

Paris feels like touching art, stepping into quiet luxury, and stumbling into a festival — all at once.

Tips

For famous sights like the Tower or museums, booking ahead saves you waiting in cold lines. Tiqets worked perfectly for me — more time to stand in awe, less time shivering.

A Simple Morning, A Perfect Cup

What stayed with me the most was one winter morning.
It was cold, but soft. I found a small café with a view of the Eiffel Tower — I didn’t plan it, I just wandered in, following my breath.
I sat there with the richest coffee and cream I’ve ever tasted.
That moment felt like everything people write about Paris — simple, beautiful, fleeting.

Tips

Wake up early, find a café, order slowly. The best moments in Paris are quiet, warm, and unplanned — trust them to find you.

A Sweet Bite of Memory

And the food… it deserves its own love letter.
For anyone who loves delicate flavors and sweet treats, Paris is heaven.
I swear I tasted a Napoleon cake here that was even better than my grandmother’s — and I say that with so much love and a playful apology to her.

Tips

Leave space for dessert. Let go of calories and guilt — try the pastries you can’t pronounce. Taste is half the reason Paris stays in your memory forever.

What Paris Left in Me

This city taught me something simple but true:
You can’t really know a place just by reading about it.
Paris is one of those places you have to feel with your own breath, your own heartbeat, your own quiet mornings by a window.

Tips

Write your own version of every city you visit. Keep a journal. Take a photo of your table by the window. The real Paris will always live in those small details.

If I could tell my past self something, it would be this:

Don’t believe every story you hear — write your own.

Paris wasn’t the fairy tale people painted for me.
It was better — and messier — and softer.
A quiet morning, a warm pastry, a breath held under twinkling lights.

I left with a heart wider than before — and crumbs of croissant on my scarf.

So if you ever wonder if a place is worth it… go.
Not because someone said so — but because maybe there’s a version of you waiting there, holding a cup of coffee by a window, smiling back at you.

With love, from a little café near the Tower —
Anastasia 🌿✨

✈I used Kiwi.com to find a flexible, affordable flight. You can mix transport options like flights + trains easily.
🛏 Give yourself room for surprises. Stay near the heart of the city — Trip.com makes it easy to find cozy spots where you can wake up inside the story, not outside it.

Going with a friend can turn just another trip into something deeper. A private ride from the airport (I used GetTransfer) made our arrival smooth and calm — so we could focus on each other, not logistics.

🧳 Travel Gear: Shop the Journey Glows

✨ Book now and let your own Travel story begin.

Related Posts

• 
  Amsterdam Through My Eyes
• 
  Real Travel Diary — Paris Not What I Expected
• 
  I Waited 10 Years to Follow This Dream — Mexico Was More Than I Ever Imagined

Tenerife wasn’t a random choice.
For months, something in me had been quietly asking for rest — not just physical, but soul-deep. I was craving space. Beauty. A place where the noise would soften and I could hear myself again.

That’s when I kept seeing this island in my mind. A place where snow touches volcanoes… where the sea is black, and the breeze carries something sacred. I didn’t know why, but I felt called.

So I followed that pull — not as a tourist, but as a woman needing pause.

When I arrived in Puerto de la Cruz, the air itself felt different. Lighter. Slower. As if the island was whispering, “It’s okay now. You can exhale.”

The first morning, I walked along the rocky shore barefoot, with a coffee in hand. The ocean was wild and loud — but somehow, it made me feel quiet. Like it was roaring on my behalf.

That’s how my journey here began. With silence. With salt. With a heart slowly waking up.

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How I Got There — Following the Call Making the decision was the biggest step.

I stopped waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect company. I opened my laptop, searched for a flight, and said yes to myself.

Tips

🛫 Don’t wait for all the stars to align. Just find your route and trust yourself.

I used Kiwi.com to find the most flexible option — which honestly felt like a little bonus from the universe.

A Room by the Sea

I needed peace. Stillness. A view where I could watch the sea breathe.

I found Hotel Best Semiramis in Puerto de la Cruz, perched above the cliffs, with waves that sang me to sleep every night.

Tips

🏨 Let yourself choose beauty. You deserve a room with a view.

Trip.com made it easy — I could compare options without overthinking. That matters when your heart just wants to go.

Where the Elements Touch
Tenerife is a symphony of contrasts:

Green mountains draped in mist

Lava fields frozen in time

Natural ocean pools etched into volcanic rock

Villages where time slows to a whisper

I stood beneath Mount Teide and felt the ancient silence of the land. I swam in wild saltwater pools. I wandered streets scented with flowers and sea spray.

Tips

🎟️ I booked my Teide and Lago Martiánez tickets with Tiqets — their skip-the-line entry let me focus on presence, not queues.
🎧 And WeGoTrip gave me an audio guide that felt more like a story than a tour. I wandered with purpose, not a schedule.

Getting Around — At My Own Pace

Some of the most beautiful places on this island aren’t on a map. They live in the quiet turns, the mountain curves, the small towns untouched by time.

Tips

🚗 Freedom isn’t loud. Sometimes it’s a soft engine and a quiet road.

To reach them, I booked a private transfer through GetTransfer — it felt safe, respectful, easy. Later, I rented a car through EconomyBookings and let the road guide me.

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What I Let Go Of I brought less this time. Just what I needed:

My light shirt, a bikini, and favorite sunglasses.

Tips

🧳 Travel light. Let the place fill you — not your suitcase.

I found them all in the Journey Glows Store. Beautiful, simple, intentional. Like the trip itself.

Inside Me As a psychologist and coach, I’ve spent years helping others feel seen. But here, I let myself be seen — by the sky, the sea, the silence.

Tenerife reminded me that joy doesn’t always roar. Sometimes, it’s the gentle unfolding of breath… the feeling of sand under your feet… the warmth of sun on your back after tears.

I didn’t just visit a place. I came home to a part of myself.

If You’re Listening to the Whisper

If your heart has been whispering too… I hope you listen.
You don’t need all the answers. You don’t need a perfect plan.

You just need a reason to go. And sometimes, that reason is simply: Because I want to feel alive again.

✈Flights: Compare with Kiwi️
🛏 Hotels: Book smart via Trip.com
🎟 Activities: Reserve now on Tiqets
🧳 Travel Gear: Shop the Journey Glows

✨ Book now and let your own Travel story begin.

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