To just think that about going on this expedition made my body shiver with excitement. I was eager to get taste of something new. Amsterdam was the first time I realized all the beauty around world. Amsterdam was going to be filled with new experiences and full of memories. I was ready to go on this journey.

Amsterdam was full of unique houses, canals, and people riding bikes. My family walked almost everywhere we went. Walking around the town, you could hear the classical music being played by a violin. The trees seemed to be listening too as the speed with the rhythm of the music. I was excited to explore the art of Van Gogh.

As soon as I stepped into the museum, my eyes consumed all types of colors on the wall. Different shades of pinks, green, blues, oranges, I could go on forever. The levels of the museum seemed to go on forever. I looked at his art one by one. Each art piece seemed to portray a point of his life. The colors faded from oranges and yellows to colors that weren't as vibrant and joyful. Dark blues, purples, and blacks. You could tell that at this stage of his life he wasn't feeling that great inside. All of this was exciting and interesting to see, I am glad that I got to see how paintings can express so much.

.  .  .

I looked up at the blurred clouds. The crisp fresh smell was in the air from the last nights rain. The cool breeze that lightly kissed my face making my nose and cheeks light pink. As we were walking through this gloomy town, I was thinking about what interestings things I would learn at the Anne Frank Museum

Walking in the Museum, there pictures of Anne and her family in every direction.

“Wow,” my sister said in aww.

We were walking into a story of Anne's life. Looking into the small rooms where they had lived. They couldn't talk nor see the precious light of day. There were quotes on the wall and all were very powerful.

“One day this terrible war will be over. The time will come when we’ll be people again and not just Jews.”

I looked around to see everybody that was there, they were seeing and feeling the same emotions that I was. I blinked once, my eyes flooded with tears. They had to hide in order to live.

The rooms were small and the faucets all rusted. I was observant, looking at everything that came into sight. Watching little clips of Anne Frank's life one step at a time. All of this because she kept her diary.

“She was only 13.” I whispered to myself. To know that she was my age was beyond what I could imagine, she was just like me, but had a life that no one deserved.

We exited the building. We were back into the same place I was a couple hours ago, but yet I viewed it so much differently.

The first time I went to Amsterdam was exciting because I learned about the life of Anne Frank and Van Gogh. Van gogh's art was mysterious in a way that told a story with different strokes and thicknesses. He painted his art with emotion and that thrived through all of his paintings. He showed struggle by painting with dark blues and purples. When I was looking at all of his art pieces, I realized that paintings can be a sign for what people are truly feeling.

In summary I had a great experience learning about our history in the Anne Frank museum. I also learned some things too.  I learned that Anne Frank was just a girl like me and everybody that was once 13. She had the same emotions like us and liked the same things. I remembered that at the museum they had kept the magazine clippings that she used to have. She would hang the clippings up in the Secret Annex. She would probably have pictures of Justin Bieber on her walls. But yet the 13 year old girl went through things that we couldn't even imagine. Losing her family and having her taken from her home. After realizing this I learned that underneath all the labels, we are the same and we should be treated that way too.

Altogether going to Amsterdam was a great journey that will always be remembered. From the Van Gogh to the Anne Frank Museum, I learned a lot. Labels don't define a person and art has a voice of its own. I learned all of this because of my journey to a different country a different culture.