The Bucket Life – Amsterdam

Amsterdam holds a unique elegance. It’s about bikes and boats and cannabis and coffee. But really it’s about finding comfort within your own skin.

This is a frenetic city – one that’s constantly in motion. And, with Amsterdam’s hierarchy of cars to scooters to bikes to pedestrians, there are endless options for exploring the city.

Feeling the wind on your face and the current within reach, a boat ride on the smooth waterways of Amsterdam offers perhaps the most relaxing way to see this great city. Along the route, your focus moves from the water to the merchant houses, Golden-Age gables, famous towers and beautiful churches.

From open minds to open fields, Amsterdam effortlessly offers both a respect for others and by others. People here celebrate individuality, embrace the saying, “Life is what you make it,” and pay homage to those who paved the way before them.

Many know of Amsterdam city, but Holland’s offerings reach beyond the city limits. Digging into the culture, you can easily gain appreciation for the Dutch way of life – from cheese-making to clog-fitting to flower-growing to peace-making, this humble culture shines brightly as one of today’s progressive cities.

Windmills scattered across the countryside are reminiscent of a time in history, but also an era of prosperity and artistic greatness – the Dutch Golden Age. Rembrandt, one of the most well-known Flemish artists, captured this rural richness on canvas, but there’s nothing quite like seeing these windmills in person. Driven by nature, these wind-powered machines define the horizon, and gracefully remind us of simpler times when a strong breeze was celebrated by an entire village for its ability to help them flourish.

There is a peace here that leads to confidence – that everything is okay and everyone is who they are meant to be. It’s an unconditional freedom of expression. A fullness gained from self-esteem. A Holland-version of happiness.

The Dutch are deeply intentional. This is a country that collects global data on happiness – a literal database of delight. It’s a place that recognizes and accepts, one that builds and inspires. Joy matters here. Peace matters. And they matter at an individual level. This is, “The Bucket Life.”