Gettin Feisty on Mijn Fiets

Dutch Prep for this post: fiets = bike. fietsen = biking. I will be using these terms cuz they sound better!

So my new obsession is fietsen. At first, I was terrified to ride my fiets because of all the traffic. Amsterdam is the #1 city for fietsen in the world and the fiets really do rule the road here (except for the tram). Even though it is super fiets friendly, you still have so much to watch out for: other fiets trying to pass you b/c you are that slow tourist, fiets jumping out of nowhere to cross the street, cars motorbikes trucks and other motorized terrors, pedestrians (especially the intoxicated ones), and the big bad monster TRAM which runs on tracks that are fiets tire size and love to trap riders.

I've had my fair share of almost getting run over, honked and yelled at by all of those. But my scariest experience by far was when I crossed the street in front of the tram and narrowly missed getting hit by a couple feet. You see...I bike slow, don't have a firm grasp of the traffic rules yet and trams can't stop with ease. Scarrrryyy!!!! I've been learning though and each journey I gain a lil more confidence. Being a successful fiets rider takes a lot of skills. You have to know your psychology and physics to figure out how fast, who's going where and when to chance that yellow light. You also need a super awareness of your surroundings so that you don't ride over a deep pothole and wreck your crotch or take a wrong turn and end up on a street with ladies in a window (which I did once).

It is such a rewarding experience though, once you've sorta kinda got the hang of it. A couple nights ago my ride home felt amazing, the only way I can think to explain it is: a warm blueberry muffin smothered in butter. Here are some of my fietsen milestones: riding all the way to school without stopping to walk my fiets cuz I'm tired, wearing my backpack instead of strapping it to the back, passing someone else, fietsen at night, in the snow, knowing my way without a map, conquering the roundabout, arriving early, fietsen less than sober (don't worry marm, it was at night and there was zero traffic), fietsen on my own with no one to follow, scratching my nose, finding a parking space.

I don't have a name for mijn fiets yet, which is strange because I usually always name things. Any suggestions? I'll be postin some fietsen fotos soon for jullie (=you all).