Wednesday, January 11, 2006

My Typical Day in Amsterdam

In 1993, I resigned my job. I was living in the UK at the time. Instead of moving back to my hometown (Houston), I decided I wanted to experience a cold winter. I had never seen a cold winter before. So I moved to Amsterdam. Just a 45-minute flight from London.

Freedom!

I had money in the bank and all the time in the world. To do whatever I wanted to do. After leasing an apartment for 6 months, I quickly fell into a routine. I am very routine-minded. Very consistent.

My typical day would go like this. Wake up (or get home from the gay baths) around 5am-ish. Drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee while watching BBC News and smoking a joint or two. I just had to keep up with the world news. Shower and shave and leave the apartment about 7am. I would walk to an Irish pub in the heart of the city; a 20 minute walk. I'd get a newspaper and drink 2 or 3 pints of lager while reading. Then I'd go next door to one of Amsterdam's 200+ Coffeeshop's and resupply my hash. Smoke another joint while there and move on down the road. By now, it's around 10am.

I adopted a basement bar/pool hall as MY place. It opened at 11am every day. I was there to help open it. Made a number of acquaintances during the 6 months I lived there. We'd play pool and stay stoned (while playing) well into mid-afternoon.

Nap time. Head back home. Sleep, then wake up and begin that routine all over again by 6pm. I would alter the bars each night and visit different coffeeshops. Sometimes I would spend the night at the gay baths which didn't even open til 11pm. I was pretty fucked up by that time. But I was loyal. Consistent.

Six months and $18,000 later, I decided to move back to Houston. I just spent the mildest winter Amsterdam had seen in years. It only snowed once and the canals froze over once too. But my brain stayed frozen for the entire time.

3 comments:

Sam said...

It's a testament to my insanity that part of that sounds appealing. It's a testament to my recovery that I recognize the insanity of it.

Unknown said...

Reminds me of many years of "wake and bake".

JJ said...

Thanks for sharing that part of your life. Wild is the first word that comes to my mind.
I see you,
JJ