Girlfriends Getaway in Amsterdam

When my dear friend Danielle (Cruise Miss) told me that she would be in Amsterdam after a cruise, it seemed like the perfect time to meet up in person for the first time. While we had become fast friends online, believe it or not we’ve never met in person. But all that was going to change with a girlfriends getaway in Amsterdam. How often do we get the chance to escape everyday life with our friends?

I was so excited to meet Danielle, but at the same time really nervous. Would we still be able to get along in person? Would I drive her crazy? Would she drive me crazy?

We met up at our hotel and honestly, it was like we had always known each other. No awkwardness or uncomfortable feelings and just loads of chatting and laughing. I just love that girl!

Amsterdam’s picture perfect scenery was the backdrop for our Amsterdam getaway. How did we plan our time in Amsterdam? It was relatively simple, but here’s basically what we did.

Have a plan: Figure out where you want to go, what you want to do, and how much time and money you have to do that. Get your calculator out and crunch those numbers. Go to the library and grab many Rick Steves books as you can shove in your bag.

Throw your plan out the window. Yes I’m talking to you Ms. OCD. Take those plans and completely and totally forget about them. Sometimes it pays to throw caution to the wind and let loose. Why not be completely impulsive and hang out with a bitchy cat like I did in Amsterdam’s number one gay & lesbian bar, Prik.

Allow spontaneity to be your guide. Maybe you are absolutely determined to go to a specific restaurant or club. Don’t count out the unexpected and how much fun you can have when you allow yourself to just go with the flow.

Case in point -> Who would’ve thought we would have so much fun by simply turning up just in time for drag queen bingo at the Queen’s Head? Damn look at those arms!

Drag queen bingo was a lot of fun! As you can imagine though, it’s not like normal bingo. I’m not sure if there was any way to prepare for the drag queen bingo. You see, when you’re playing normal bingo, you can decide to do it online through sites like SwankyBingo.com, or by going to a live bingo hall instead. Whichever option you opt for, you are learning more about the game (and winning a whole lot of money in the process). But drag queen bingo was completely new to me, but I do have to admit, it was probably one of the best bingo games that I’ve ever played. I can’t wait to play it again.

Be as flexible and accommodating as possible. Since you’re not traveling alone, try to be gracious and giving. Sometimes this means sitting in McDonald’s while your friend wolfs down a double cheeseburger and you get to watch since you’re a vegetarian and they have absolutely nothing that you can eat on the menu. Other times it means your friend will have the utmost patience as you wander the streets of Amsterdam determined to find somewhere to eat that you both will like, but you know you won’t find anything.

Don’t be a bathroom hog. If you’re sharing a room with one or more of your friends, try to remember that you’re sharing the room and it’s not yours alone. Leave enough vanity space so you both have room for all your crap and then don’t spend hours in the bathroom putting on your makeup and doing your hair. No one wants to be the one waiting for you to get all prettied up. Really.

Take pictures, but be willing to destroy any incriminating evidence. After all, if you plan on meeting up again, you don’t really need for anyone else to know the specifics of what exactly went on during this trip, do you?

Hey, I said destroy all evidence! Like this oversized tub of Nutella. So that’s how they filled the bathtub with chocolate. As far as food is concerned, Amsterdam’s culinary scene is a varied one and besides FEBO, Bitterballen and Hollandse nieuwe haring (herring), there’s bound to be something for everyone including street food like the most amazing chips ever from Chipsy King.

A girlfriends getaway isn’t like a getaway with your partner. No good behavior allowed. We’re talking debauchery and things that make you go WTF? And if for some strange reason you and your girlfriends aren’t getting along, keep the drinks and such flowing to reduce the tension and if for nothing else, it’ll give you more reasons to laugh together. Wait are you laughing with me or at me?

Fancy cocktails are not always easy to find in Amsterdam. You might find one on occasion, like I did with my appropriately named Ginger Red at Prik, but more likely than not you’ll have to suffice with a gin & tonic or rum & coke or maybe even a beer. But don’t worry because by the time you’ve decided on a beer, you’d probably drink lighter fluid anyway.

Adjust your overall expectations. Maybe you like to go to the spa or visit museums when you travel. Ever wonder why groups of girls go to Vegas? It’s because they’re not about to go visit a museum when they’re together. This is the time to let loose, get wild, and have fun. Enjoy your valuable girl time together and you’ll have plenty of time later to worry about Van Gogh and his ear problems.

With only a few days together, I had so much fun with Danielle hitting up bars, shops, cafes, the Red Light District, and so much more that soon we were already planning to do it all over again in a longer trip in 2016. Whatever you do, don’t end up in a foreign prison because that would put a huge damper on any of your friends wanting to do a girls trip with you in the future. Not that I know that from experience, but I’m just saying…

Above all else, have fun! With work and life in general it’s often difficult to even find the time to relax and unwind. To have the chance to do that with good friends is truly a gift so embrace it fully.

Have you ever enjoyed a girlfriends getaway abroad?