So some might see the complaints I have made in the last few days and ask why bother with making a move? Sure, lots of things suck about Amsterdam and Europe. Customer service is lacking. Dog crap is on the sidewalks. Selection is slim. and so on. But there is so much more to love. Take for instance my walk this morning to the grocery store. I walked along the Prinsengracht, one of the canals here in Amsterdam. These canals are stunningly gorgeous. The buildings on either side of the canal are probably older than anything in the US. Walking past these places and taking everything in is just mindblowing for someone who grew up in the states. Go inside the store and the quality of basic ingredients blows away anything you get back home. The basic Albert Hein yogurt is incredible. The standard store brand bread is so much more flavorful than the most overpriced ‘artisan’ bread I could get at the local Safeway or bakeries in SF or Seattle. Really good wines are affordable enough for daily glassfuls. And thats just what I have found after moving here 4 days ago. I am sure over the next few weeks, months, and maybe years that I will find many more things to love, and probably quite a few things to get really angry about. But so far this gamble is coming out in my favor…