Cramsterdam*

So, I spent New Year's Eve in Amsterdam! Yeah yeah yeah, better late than never. It's still within the one-month official blogging grace period!**

The entire night can be summed up in one word: craziness. SHIT WAS NUTS. I mean, you would have to really search for a chill night in Amsterdam on NYE, but I have never seen so many excited, drunk-and-otherwise under-30-somethingers in one place. The crazy started in Leiden, before we even left for A-town (peace up). We met at Thomas' friends' apartment, where we were promptly fed Serbian grain alcohol and the most delicious mix of curacao liquor and orange juice, which tasted like orange Starburst DELICIOUSNESS and looked like what would happen if The Hulk had hemophilia and suffered from a massive paper cut.

Thomas models The Hemophilic Hulk

Next stop on the Crazy Express: trying to get to Amsterdam. The last train left at 8:30, and of course we missed the bus to Leiden Centraal, so we had to book it to the station with little time to spare. Fortunately, we made it in time, along with every other young person in the Netherlands. I have never seen so many shenanigans in one place. You could smell the alcohol wafting out of the train (Party Train?) as soon as the doors opened. The heavy fog of booze that hung throughout the train cars gave way to a new sort of fog as we walked out into the streets of Amsterdam. Apparently, NYE is the only night on which fireworks/firecrackers/general pyrotechnics are allowed in the Netherlands, and people celebrate accordingly. Even on the way to the apartment in Leiden, children were throwing firecrackers at buses and people like it ain't no thang (ps, it is a thing when they are THREE FEET FROM YOUR HEAD). Again, craziness. Anyways, it seemed like everyone was at once holding a firecracker in hand, a bottle of champagne in the other, and a joint in the other, because people in Amsterdam definitely have three hands. Craziness, remember? This added a very smoky, apocalyptic, awesomely blind feel to the night:

Just noticed this dude's wig. Amazing.

Anyways, we walked down the main stretch for a while before making it to Museumseplein. I probably didn't spell that right, but again, way too lazy to correct it. On the way, we stopped for some great drunchies, a Tomato and Mozzarella and Way Too Many Condiments, Oh My God, What Was I Thinking Putting Ketchup, Mustard, AND Thai Spicy Sauce On This Sandwich, that truly hit the spot. We finally made it to the main square by midnight; it was a little surprising, since there wasn't a countdown or anything, just an explosion of an impossible number of fireworks. I've never been in such a large crowd for NYE, and it was definitely exhilarating to ring in the new year with so many people. There was a lot of champagne-swilling and shouting and sparklering and kissing and hugging and HAPPY NEW YEAR texting and general elation and excitement. 

We planned on moving to Leidseplein, a bar district, for the rest of the night, but there was a bit of an incident. Two of Thomas' friends thought that a fountain was filled with snow, and jumped in to...play in it? Make a snowball? Not entirely sure. Anyways, the snow was actually soap, and they climbed out much wetter than when they charged in. Needless to say, they were no longer up for staying out in the cold, so we booked it back to Amsterdam Centraal.

post-fountain

We narrowly missed the 1:45 AM train (like, by two minutes), and spent the next hour people watching and helping Thomas' friend who had dropped her cigarette and was crawling on the ground trying to find it, eventually lighting it by the wrong end. The 2:45 AM train was still a Party Train, only this time, there was much more puke in the stairwells. I also received my first backhanded compliment of the year when two Dutch guys told me that I must be "the popular girl in school," since I wasn't fat. Thank you?

In conclusion, this New Year's Eve was, in the words of Drake, the best I ever had, and it'll take a lot to top it in 2012. I mean, unless my parents are willing to recreate Cramsterdam in their living room. My guess is no? Anyways, happy 2011*, everyone!

* That's Crazy + Amsterdam. You're welcome.

** This is a completely fabricated guideline that I made up to compensate for my laziness.

*** I honest to god forgot it was 2011 today. I was reading a Wiki article about Modern Family, which was renewed for its second season on January 12, 2010, and was like, "oh, I guess the next season won't be coming on until later this year." OH SIKE.