Oh the irony that a majority of this book what read while on a train/metro...

When in a large city you use public trasportation.
When using public trasportaion you have a lot of time to quietly sit in your own bubble.
When quietly sitting in your own bubble you get bored and need to find things to busy yourself.

Some opt to stare at their phones or listen to music. I personally have found this to be the perfect time to get some reading in. I have at least an hour and a half worth of commuting time on the metro every day and then sometimes more in addition to that if I choose to bop around the city a little more. Since I'm not the one driving I just get to read and it's so relaxing.

This was an amazing novel to read during my little commutes. I missed out on reading Gone Girl because I had to see the movie for a class before I had a chance to read that book, so I was not prepared to let that happen again with this suspense novel. I loved this book. It was beautifully written and so much fun to read. It was one of those stories that was just hard to walk away from. I feel like I don't read enough suspense or mystery type books because my go-to is more of a romance or coming-of-age type story. I'm not going to talk about the plot at all because it is a suspense and therefore background shouldn't be shared. Yes, I know the movie just came out recently so it's not that secret, but humor me for a bit.

Also just one more book and I can be done with these silly little book reviews. A one year goal turned into a two year goal, but the 12 book total will be finished nonetheless.

Julia Carrington

After three long months, I believe I have been in Paris long enough to have some repeat places and favorite spots in the city. I know this city better than the city I go to school in because I put so much pressure on myself to go out and explore in all of my free time. There's a lot that I am going to miss about here, so here's a sweet little list of some of my favorites in the city. My Parisian favorites list.




Le Peloton Café
I think I have a sentimental attachment to this place because of the way I happened upon at first. I was looking for another shop and walked past this sweet little hole in the wall cafe. It felt familiar, probably because I had seen it on Instagram before, so I decided to walk on in. Everyone in the room was speaking English. It was the first time I had that happen in Paris. The staff was so friendly to me. I chatted with the barista about what made him move to Paris and he gave me suggestions of things to do in the area. Since then I've kept coming back.

honorable mentions: Ten Belles, Boot, Chambre Aux Oiseaux, Nuage, The Hood




Chez Janou
This restaurant has given me some of my best meals in Paris. It's surprisingly difficult to find good food here, which I find very strange being that the French brag about their food so much. Chez Janou has very traditional food from the south of France and they do it well. But one of their biggest specialties is the desert. A giant tub of chocolate moose that you can eat as much of as you please. My personal favorite part of the restaurant is the experience. The ambiance is amazing and the same bartender that's been there every time I've gone is so funny and flirty. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a proper french meal.

honorable mention: Ober Mamma

Cafe Oberkampf
Cafe Oberkampf is the best all day brunch spot I've been to in the city. Everything is so good and at very reasonable prices. The location is in the heart of my favorite neighborhood, in this tiny little spot. But be warned, the place only fits about 20 people and gets quite popular on the weekends so if you don't time it right, you're probably going to have to wait a while.

honorable mentions: Candelaria, Du Pain et Des Idées, L'as Du Fallafel




Dome of Sacré-Coeur
When my mom came to visit me for a week we were wandering around Montmartre one evening and had a little extra time to kill before going to get dinner. We happened upon the entrance to the dome of Sacré-Coeur and it was something I had never done before so we bought our 6 euro tickets to take the hike up the many many stairs and see what it was all about. There were a lot more stairs than we realized we were signing up for and got a little discouraged halfway, but boy was it worth it. We made it to the top right as the sun was setting and got to just look out from the very top of Paris to see the most breathtaking view. There's no better way to see the city all at once.

honorable mention: *see metro section*


Musée D'Orsay
This is the museum that I have visited the most this semester. Both because I had class held here every week and because I love to just go hang out with my favorite impressionist sometimes. The Louvre is over-rated and crowded and too big for any person to successfully get through and really enjoy everything. Orsay has some amazing pieces of art and you can stop and take it all in without someone pushing at you, the way art should be enjoyed. Plus impressionism art holds a very special place in my heart and this museum has the most amazing collection on their top floor. The first time I was up there was a crazy experience and was the first moment that I thought "I'm going to like it here in Paris."

honorable mentions: Palais de Tokyo, Centre Pompidou, Musée de la Poupée


Merci
Merci is this insane concept store in Bastille that has just about everything. I warn you, it's rather expensive so try hard not to fall in love with anything, but you must take a peak because everything about the store from the design to the products to the building itself is amazing. They have beautiful clothing with terrifying price tags, kitchen and tableware, furniture, books, stationary, and almost anything else you can think of. The name Merci comes from the fact that part of every purchase goes to charity therefore when you buy something they say "merci." Another cool thing about this place is that attached to the store they have this sweet little used book coffee shop where you can stop to get a coffee and grab a book off the wall to read, given that you can read in French.

honorable mentions: Sezane, Reciproque


Line 6 (especially between Passy and Bir Hakeim)
Here's my little story about this metro line. On my second day in Paris and my first day actually seeing the light of day, I had to navigate the metro to get to orientation. I didn't have anyone to help me and a very limited knowledge of metros so after asking a kind french man for help I got on line 6. Now I always assumed that metros and subways were all underground, but I guess I was wrong. At the second stop, Passy, I thought we were still underground but then suddenly we came out of this tunnel and I saw the light and looked up out the window and saw this view. It was the very first time I saw the Eiffel Tower. This was my "shit I'm living in Paris moment." Now I get to pass this view every morning on my way to class and it's pretty hard to have a bad day when this is one of the first things you see.

honorable mentions: lines 1, 9, 7 bis, 13


Buttes Chaumont
Something cool about Paris is that even though it's very much a city with busy streets and so much going on, Parisians still find time to slow down and enjoy nature. There are so many parks in Paris. Big or small, you can't get very far without passing one. Of course, there are the big famous ones like Tuileries or Luxembourg and don't get me wrong I love Luxembourg so much, I go there just to walk around all the time. But this park is massive and green and just so different from all the rest that I've seen. It's unique with this gazebo at the tippy top of a cliff and suspended bridges. Very cool and very different.

honorable mentions: Place Des Vosges, Jardin Des Plantes, Jardin du Luxembourg


Canal Saint Martin
This area has been my favorite spot in the city hands down. There's something about the canal that is so calming to me. I love to stop and sit here to enjoy a nice day and journal. When the weather is not unbearably cold, you'll find me sitting at the edge of the canal with a book in one hand and a sandwich in the other. Honestly, Saint Martin is what I am going to miss the most about the city because it has been my spot. My place to be on my own and just think. To me, that's the best.

honorable mention:  Jardin Des Rosier


Oberkampf
So Paris is organized into arrondissements and within these, there are neighborhoods that each has their own little personality. There's the more central area's like Opera or Champs-Elysees that are very rich and touristic, but then there are the more bobo neighborhoods with the younger "hipster" population of Paris. Those are the neighborhoods that I prefer to spend my days wandering. It's hard to pick one favorite but Oberkampf has so many places in it and I could see myself living there if I ever came back to Paris.

honorable mentions: Le Marais, République, Belleville, Montmartre 


Palais Garnier
I am a huge Phantom of the Opera fan. It was one of my favorite musicals and movies while growing up. And guess what? That opera is in the heart of Paris. I still can't believe I got to walk up that amazing staircase and sit in one of the boxes to watch a ballet. The chandelier hanging above all those perfect red seats. Oh and this room in the photo. I have seen a lot of castles and beautiful things in France but this, this is the most breathtaking room in all of France. No opera ghost was spotted during either of my visits, but the Phantom of the Opera vibe was so strong. Another cool thing was that I learned that the strange painting that's been hanging in my home for as long as I can remember is an exclusive print of a section of the ceiling painting around the chandelier. So cool.

honorable mentions: Petit Palais, Musée Carnavalet


Giverny
Monet was a wonderful man who filled our world with beautiful art. Being about to take a quick trip away from the city to see the home he lived in and the garden and pond that he painted so often, indescribable. If I lived there I would probably be inspired to paint all the time too. I want this life. I now plan on designing my future home after his because the pink and green look is so dreamy.

honorable mention: Disneyland


Shakespeare and Co.
As much as I miss my car back home, the nice thing about taking public transportation is that now you have this entire commute to do something else. I quickly got sick of staring at a phone so I decided to use that time to read. As an English speaker, there aren't a whole lot of bookstores that will have something I could actually understand, but thankfully there's Shakespeare and Co. It's this old book shop right by Notre Dame that only has English books. I spent hours browsing their collection before picking out my next metro read. They stamp your book so picking something up here is a very special keepsake for your time in Paris.

honorable mentions: ofr, artazart


Le Kitch
I am legal of age to drink in Europe so I have discovered here that cocktail bars are my thing. Just a cool place to sit with friends and hang out sipping on a drink is so lovely. Still not one to rage and doubt I will ever be, but it's been great to just have a drink every now and then. Our favorite cocktail bar since the first time we went has been le kitch. The place has walls and ceilings covered in all these crazy knick knacks and the more random things. The vibe of the place is so cool and different, I love it. And the drinks have all been fantastic. I think collectively as a group we've tried just about everything on the menu and nothing has been a disappointment. My personal favorites have been the shrek and the tiramisu. Also, the prices are so good compared to most places. It's around 6 euros before 9 pm and 8 euros after.

honorable mentions: Hero, Comptoir General

This is just a simple little list of some of the places that I have really enjoyed during my time here. If you ever find yourself in this crazy city, maybe this could me a good help to find things to do a little more off the beaten path. There's just so much more to the city than the Tour Effiel and Champs-Elysees, you just need to know what you are looking for.

Bisou
Julia Carrington
SaveSave

This is it. A new years resolution turned two-year project is finally done. Yes, I failed to read 12 books in 12 months, but I was not about to give up and have that electronic proof just sitting at [6/12] blog posts of book reviews. So here, at the end of December 2016 I am writing a 12th and final book review, never again will I have to write one of these.

So in Paris, there is this little bookshop called Shakespeare and Company. It's one of the best known English bookshops in the city, sitting in the center of the city on a tiny street across from Notre Dame. When you purchase a book from here they put a little stamp with the shop logo on the first page, so of course, I needed to buy something purely for the stamp. I decided to buy a story that is special to me and very stereotypically "French" to mark my time in the city. There was no better option than The Phantom of the Opera. The story that inspired my favorite musical of all time which is set right here at the Paris Opera house.

I had never read the novel before, so I was expecting it to be the same story that I've seen on stage and screen so many times. To my surprise, the two plots did not align perfectly. The focus shifted in a way I wasn't expecting, it was written from a point of view that was completely separate from the plot, and it was a much more drawn out story than I was expecting. It was interesting to read as a source text for an adaptation. The musical adaptation just pulls a few key concepts from the novel such as the character of the Phantom, the love triangle Christine gets tangled in, and the idea that the opera is gaining new ownership. The adaptation takes these and creates a more appealing story for the stage, something that a viewer would become more emotionally attached to, while the novel is much more descriptive with the events that happen and the character Vicomte de Chagny's journey to save his love.

Overall I think it was a perfect little story to read during my last few weeks in Paris and a great keepsake from my time there. I will always love the story of The Phantom of the Opera, but I think I prefer the adaption that I've watched far too many times.

Julia Carrington

Life gets busy. I don't think I know a single person that doesn't use the word "busy" as a word to describe how things are for them. We fill our lives with so many activities and things we feel that we must accomplish. We do this so much so that we feel we have no time to do what we wish to do, but in reality, if we just reorganized our time and prioritized what was really important this constant feeling of busyness would begin to fade away.

Letting the word "busy" take over my life is something I know I have a problem with. Even at times when I have nothing important to do I still have this overwhelming feeling of busyness hanging over me like a cloud, preventing me from doing what I want to be important to me. I tell myself I would blog more if I wasn't so busy, but then in my free hour between work and dinner I watch a television show instead. I say I wish I would take more time to read or do a devotional in my bible every day, but in my free moments at work and before I go to sleep I choose to check my social media for the umpteenth time that day.

For those who are like me and have a problem controlling this busy feeling and let it control you instead, this book is a great reminder of how we must look up to what is really important instead of all the minuscule things in life. It is written from a Christian view talking about how improving a relationship with God and spending time with him can help ease the burden of busyness off of our shoulders.

I read this book during one of the busiest times of my life so far, working 8 hour shifts, often 6 days a week and took the time during the breaks in my shifts to slow down and read for a bit and just doing that helped me put everything going on in my life into a clear perspective. I would really suggest this book to any college student or young adult in the work world just to use as a reminder that sometimes we need to relax and reorganize our lives to help the monstrous feeling of being busy leave us alone more often than not.

Julia Carrington

Favorite piece from the senior art show #fashion

today's thrift find: a vintage "target" shirt covered in tootsie rolls

Little bit proud of this. Wrote and illustrated a kids book for a psychology project.

Buying soda just because the bottle is cute #justgirlythings #justhipsterthings

Adam and Julia show Abby around Redlands.. so much enthusiasm..  #theresnothingtodoinredlands

Landon and I made this girl look stunning tonight

"His blood has washed away my sins, Jesus thank you!"

classic "just got my nails did" photo because I just got my nails did with mommy #breakupmanicure #onlytwomonthslate

family game night got intense, but thankfully I won

He is risen indeed! Sunrise service on this beautiful Easter morning! #happyeasters

"I think it might be carrot cake" #happyeasters

can we just talk about how cute Roman is? #happyeasters

Thankful for study dates at Augies even if little to no studying gets done

I have written this post a million times now. I will have a time in my life that inspires me to talk about how important this topic is to me, and then by the time I get around to writing it I start feeling that is is too late or the timing is off for my personal story. Lately, this idea has been so important to me and I preach it to so many people so I’ve decided there is no better time to talk about going places by myself. I am currently on the biggest #juliagoesplacesbyherself adventure and even within this one big adventure I’ve been exploring more solo adventures. It’s crazy but at the same time one of the best ways a person my age can grow into themselves.

But to fully explain why this post is so important to me I am going to give a little background for each of the times in the past where I started really thinking about this because they all add importance in very different ways.

The first realization was way back in June of 2015 when I had a day to myself full of shopping, coffee, and cookies. Up until a little bit before then I had always had a someone. The person I could text or call to go to the movies with or the mall or just about anything. The year before this, that someone was my boyfriend who I did absolutely everything with so when I lost that person I became lost. I didn't know what to do with myself. I was so used to the habit that if I wanted to do something I’d ask him if he wanted to and if it didn’t work out I just wouldn't go. After coming home at the beginning of that summer, not knowing what to do, I realized I was a pretty dependent person. The amount of things I missed out on or skipped in the past because I didn’t have a person to be with was upsetting to think about. For the first month of summer 2015, I had no idea who to turn to to do things with. I ended up just bribing my brother to hang out with me in exchange for food, but that could only work so many times. I had been trapped inside the house for about a week just cleaning out my closet then this one day I had become too stir crazy to go on. I threw all the clothes I wanted to try to sell to a resale shop a couple cities over into the trunk of my car and just went. I was going to have a day in Costa Mesa by myself and figure it out as I go. I accomplished my goal and then decided to just stick around and explore the area. It was something I had always wanted to do but didn't appeal to anyone else so of course, it never happened. I sat down and had a cup of tea. Wandered in and out of cute little independent shops around there. Bought some sweet little macaroons. I moved at my own pace and did what I wanted to do and it was actually a really good feeling.

That’s how the rest of that summer went. It was my first #juliagoespalcesbyherself summer. I had essentially a two-month long summer with no job and far too much free time so every time I wanted to do something I just did it. I refused to let myself be afraid of what other people would think of me. There was no reason for me to miss out on what I wanted in life based off of what random strangers might or might not think of me. I did weird things that I would have never thought would be fun to do alone like go to Disneyland, which ended up being one of my favorite solo things to do. I go alone more often than with people because I choose the pace and what to do. I would go watch every show or sit on Main Street or paradise pier and just people watch and read a book. It’s so lovely. And no matter where you are alone, people don't care. They don’t really notice and judge or worry like we all think they do in our heads. Think about how often you see and judge a person for being in a coffee shop alone. Not at all right? It’s almost the selfishness inside of us that worries about others opinions when  nobody is thinking about us in the first place.

All of these “dates” with myself really helped me grow as well. I didn’t have any outside influences carrying the conversation or deciding what to do next so I learned what I really wanted to do. I discovered what my personal priorities were and what I enjoyed doing. I really got to know myself. I think being dependent or always in relationships took us so much of my time worrying about getting to know someone else while I barely knew myself. During our high school and college years, we are still trying to figure out who we are and who we want to be. Nothing is all figured out by any means. I found that it is so important to just slow down and hang out with yourself. Ask yourself the same stupid things you would ask another person to get to know them. Think about nothing else but yourself. Because there is no one on this earth that you will spend as much time with as you. Might as well know yourself and enjoy spending time with yourself. If you can’t do this you could end up being totally miserable and not make the strong connections with others that we crave. It is so true. I preach this all the time. You have got to date yourself a little bit every once in a while.

After that summer I went back to school where I was pretty much constantly surrounded by other people again. I felt bad but I reverted to my old ways of waiting on others. Partially due to the lack of a car and the literal dependence on others to get anywhere outside of the University of Redlands campus. I missed it so much so as soon as I would have an opportunity I would grab it and go out. Then the next summer came and I did have a job this time and this job actually created a ridiculous amount of amazing friendships so I spent so much of my time with them. But I still tried to make a little bit of that alone time. I would go into the Disneyland parks for a few hours before my shift because having that little bit of time would still make all the difference in my mood.

At the end of that summer, I was going somewhere totally by myself. Somewhere pretty far away by myself. It was gonna take a couple planes to get there and I would be hopping over quite a few time zones. Suddenly I was in Paris, France “tout seul”. I was scared and worried that maybe I had tricked myself into thinking I was an independent person for the past year when in reality I really didn’t like being totally alone like that at all. I was scared and lost and confused at first but then I just had to take a breath and think about what I had learned in the past.

This was just a great opportunity to go on dates with myself practically every single day. I knew I had lists on lists on lists of things I wanted to explore in this crazy city and I was in no mood to try to find an exploring buddy every single day. Classes for me were out around noon every day so I had so much opportunity to get out there without anyone holding me back. I know I’m a pretty particular person and my idea of a fun day isn’t the same as everyone else’s so I would go out on my own and wander in and out of stores, stop at a different coffee shop every hour, or spend an entire day at a museum. I was in Paris for me. I wasn’t there to share my experience with someone else all the time, if I was I would have tried harder to talk my best friend into coming with me. I was here to discover new things about myself and learn about and enjoy this new and unusual place.

You learn more about yourself when in a place you've never been before where no one speaks your language as their first language and you have to figure out how to get around and live. It isn’t an easy task. Every day can easily turn into a challenge and it can be frustrating if you don’t learn to make the best of it. I think about how easy it could have been for me to lock myself in my room every day after classes. I would have avoided a lot of awkward moments created by language barriers and cultural differences. It would have been simple to just wait around for my more fluent friends to be free and let them do all the talking for me. Yet, if I did that I would have seen a lot more of my bedroom walls than of this city that I only get to live in for so long. People in my program say that they think I have seen more of the city than anyone else just because I chose to push myself to go out and force myself to deal with those uncomfortable times. I knew the struggle would be worth the benefit. I know the city inside and out and would be totally comfortable giving anyone travel advice if they choose to come to Paris. And I wouldn’t have that if I was afraid to go out alone. Do you see where I’m going here? The world becomes so much more accessible if you drop the fears and stigmatism attached to being alone for a little bit.

Now back to Disneyland because, I’m sorry, but I love the place and it just so happens to be a big part of my life. If you didn’t know, there is a Disneyland park in Paris. Being a Disneyland cast member and a Disney fan in general meant visiting the parks was an easy no brainer. You could go back and read another one of my posts that goes more into detail about my experience there, but I am going to briefly mention it here because it was yet another experience of being somewhere alone. I was supposed to go with a big group of friends here in my abroad program, but low and behold they all canceled the night before. I was too excited about this day that I didn’t want to push it back just to wait on other people again, plus, as I mentioned before, Disneyland solo was something totally normal to me back home so why would it be any different here. It felt really strange and wrong at first and I was texting friends back home worried that I was making a mistake, but the day was perfect for me. I moved at my own slow pace. I was lucky enough to get in free so I knew I could come back again if I really wanted to. I accomplished my priorities that I knew the people I was planning on coming with wouldn’t have been on board with. I wandered the hotels for almost three hours just to stalk their lifeguards because that’s my job back at home so I thought it would be fun to compare. As funny as it sounds I had a completely personal experience that would have been hindered if I had not gone alone. That was a big day for me and I think it’s funny how worried I was that I would regret doing so.

Now I’m in London. I got on a bus at midnight and woke up this morning at 7 am in another country once again completely by myself. I felt a lot more confident coming to an English speaking country for my solo weekend which made this decision easier. As basic as it sounds, this city has always been a dream for me. I got through high school by watching British YouTubers all the time. London and Paris were the two cities I was going back and forth with when choosing my abroad home base. I had this city built up in my head and I was not prepared to miss out on my dream of visiting just because everyone else had already been there and had no desire to go back. I booked my bus anyway and just went for it. As I am writing this I am sitting in the most stunning tea room that I have ever seen, drinking a proper English afternoon tea. I don’t care that I’m the only person sitting alone at a table because this is what I want. A dream come true. Nobody wanted to join me in this ridiculously expensive treat but that wasn’t going to stop me.

I’m sure this is obnoxiously long and I’m starting to sound repetitive, but I cannot stress this enough. I love to hang out with myself every once in a while. There is no excuse to ever miss out on something you want to experience. Yes, I agree some experiences are better shared with someone else, but would you rather try it out alone or miss the experience altogether? It’s strange to think about how different I could be if I had continued in my ways of waiting on others. I know who I am and who I want to be and I have myself to thank for that. What an awesome feeling.

So why are you waiting around all the time? If you want to do it, just go out there and do it.

xoxo
Julia Carrington

Oh, Amsterdam. You were the most confusing place I have ever been to. I wanted to love you with all of my heart and in moment's, I did, but then you would remind me about how much of a disappointment you can be. Yet with all of that, I will still allow you to hold a special place in my heart and hope that someday when it's warm, we will meet again.

Amsterdam is a very beautiful city. The city is covered in these picture-perfect canals. The streets are lined with homes and buildings that are so unique to the city. Everyone is riding bikes and there are hardly any cars. It all seems like a place that you could be nothing but happy in. I was so content exploring the Jordaan area with all its sweet little shops and beautiful streets. Then we wanted to stop and get some coffee and suddenly I had trust issues with this city.

If you didn't know, a coffee shop in Amsterdam is a weed dispenser. A name that is so dear to me is ruined by cannabis. I was so disappointed that a city that has so much beauty and charm makes something so gross readily available for anyone who wants to partake. It's hard for me to understand why people enjoy drugs as something that enables them to be in full control of their self. It goes the same with the over consumption of alcohol or anything of this sort. I also struggle with knowing that when I get back home to California, where weed was just legalized, this could very well become a normal thing to see every day. Just another road I'll have to cross when I get there.

Now the scariest thing that Amsterdam normalizes, and is famous for, is their Red Light District prostitution. There are streets in the city that have women standing in little rooms with glass doors, dressed in lingerie, waiting for a man to come up and knock so she can take him back and do god knows what.

It's personally hard for me to see these women or the big neon signs saying "live nonstop sex show" because the whole concept is so foreign and unreal to me. I grew up in a conservative Christian home so I have always had the values that sex is not just a recreational activity, but something special that should be only for two people who care deeply for each other. 1 Corinthians 6 speaks about this idea that when two bodies join they become one body and when a man "joins" with a prostitute he becomes one body with her, a strange woman whom he will never see or remember again. It saddens me to see that the world I live in has people that will readily knock on these doors.

These girls willingly give out their body day and night for cheap sex and pleasure. They all have their own personal reasons to do so and I wish I could sit down and talk to some of them to try to understand. Some do it for the money, but others somehow see it as empowering. They only see that they have some small sense of power to control men's emotions, but they ignore the fact that they are still being taken advantage of because, at the end, he will always just pay and walk away.

It's a crazy world we live in and so many of us easy accept or ignore the gross sin in the world. I guess it's just easy to blindly let it happen, but that doesn't make it right. The theme of how Amsterdam conducts their businesses is the whole concept of "if it's going to happen anyway, might as well regulate it." That whole idea is what's starting to spread elsewhere. I know tons of people who argued for legalizing weed back home saying "people are still going to smoke so might as well tax it." But that's not the issue. Once it's normalized and said to be okay more people will willingly fall for the traps.

One cool thing that I was able to experience while in the city was in the hostel we were staying at. We found a Christian hostel and decided to book there mostly because it was the cheapest and most central in the city. It seemed a little odd and dorky, but one morning I was able to have a conversation with one of the girls working there. She was a recent high school grad from America so I asked her what made her want to come live here. She told me about how she wanted to take a year to do ministry before going to college and while searching the internet for possibilities she happened upon the website for this hostel and God was just calling her to come here. She said it was an amazing experience because being in the hostel she could interact with people coming to visit and share the gospel by showing that there is more to the city than the gross. She was a light in a dark place and that's the best that we can do as Christians. It's not our job to save the world, but just to share love.

So that was my Amsterdam experience. You may or may not agree with what I have to say, I know it's all very sensitive and controversial. You do you and I'll do me.

till next time,
Julia Carrington