How Traveling Sparks The Memory
Life was always a journey with my mother. Getting the chance to travel with her made these experiences all the more interesting – and the one that stands out most of all was the infamous trip to Amsterdam in 1987.
I tried being the generous daughter and spent all of my money on her airfare. That was the kind thing to do, right?
She wasn’t too happy, though, when I ran out of cash. It also wasn’t ideal that it was at 3:00 in the morning, just a few blocks from the red-light district. It’s not like I did it on purpose!
We were sitting in this little Italian restaurant when I broke the news to her. She sat back in her chair, rolling her eyes. “You don’t ever have any god damn money!” She took a few more bites of her food, snapping at me in between bites about having to pay for my meal.
Our waiter came back to our table, wide-eyed, as she continued yelling at me for my depleted funds. Apparently, he’d never seen two Black American women out in the streets of Amsterdam arguing about money and food. Eventually, the restaurant service slowed altogether – the entire staff seemed afraid to come back to our table. This was apparently new for them, but this was a normal day for my mother and me!
We still laughed about it years later, and I still think of her when I travel. I have a few travel essentials of my own that make this easier, like an airplane footrest, travel bottles, a toiletry bag, a garment steamer, and an Amsterdam pocket guide!
If you’ve ever had a chance to visit Amsterdam with your mother, this frame is the perfect way to remember it by!
[…] that my mother used to have. Oh don’t let me forget to tell you ya’ll about the argument in Amsterdam, laugh out […]