Amsterdam City Walk

David and I signed up for a 17km walk through the beautiful city of Amsterdam, and it was worth it.

Magna Plaza — Shopping center, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Hoi, my friend!

I hope you’ve been well. How was your week? I hope it was eventful, in a fun way, of course.

This is my first official postcard from Amsterdam. We haven't had time to explore the city because Dave and I are still homeless — The housing in Amsterdam is so bad that people hop from hostel to hostel to hotel for months before they get a place to call home. So, we are at that phase now, and it’s not funny, but we are hopeful that we’ll get somewhere soon. Otherwise, y’all might be seeing a GoFundMe account soon. But till then…

This piece is a simple one. I want to share my experience walking over 17km across Amsterdam.

Photo of me by me. This is just a show-off of my photography skills. This was at the start of the walk.

Some backstory…

Y’all know I like giving backstories.

In 2021, Dave and I signed up for a 16km jog in Uyo, Akwa Ibom. The Evening Church organized the jog, and surprisingly, we were among the top 20 arrivals at the finish line. It was a painful experience, but that experience reminds me that even I, who hates any form of pain and avoids it like a plague, can endure it if I set my mind.

For this 17km walk, I wondered if we were fit enough to go on this walk. However, thanks to the expensive transportation in Amsterdam, I have been walking a lot, which has helped me shed a lot of weight. For context, you’ll pay over 20 euros for a 10-minute ride using Uber.

Five months ago, I‘d have to squeeze myself into size 42 trousers; as I write this, I am wearing a size 38, and I haven’t run or gone to the gym for one day in the last couple of months.

Here is a beautiful photo of Amsterdam architecture from our walk.

How I got the idea for the walk…

A few weeks ago, some of my teammates at work were discussing events, festivals, and celebrations they’ll be attending to round up the year. It is weird how these people always look for opportunities to explore life. My manager has been to any major city in the world you could think of. And everyone on the team has traveled a lot.

During this conversation, a teammate told me about the Amsterdam City Walk. Saturday, 14th October, was the D-day for the walk. Dave and I woke up at 6:30 a.m. — More like I woke up while Dave took his time to boot, but you get the point.

We prepped and hit the road at about 7:40 a.m. because our walk was scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. at the Olympic stadium.

We saw a couple of fine places, and at four different stops, we got stamps and a snack.

A photo mix featuring me, my medals, and some.

At the end of the walk, we each received a medal for participating. I felt super proud of myself.

Today, the 15th of October, there is a marathon.

Moral Lesson

Oops! Theres none. The lesson is to challenge yourself to do something outside your comfort zone before the year ends.

As soon as we find an apartment and settle, I plan to return to the gym, register for dance sessions, do yoga, and stay consistent because I am getting old, and the waist pains are already hitting hard.

I am also considering signing up for my first marathon next year or two. I must find a way to prepare for that without disrupting the million and ten things I have going on. I am glad to have David with the ‘can do’ attitude because my chances increase with him.

I look forward to hearing about the crazy exploits you do, the ones I’ll do, and the postcards I’ll get to write you.

Till I write you again, Ciao.