When my sister and I hit the Red Light District in Amsterdam, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. We had heard a lot of stories and the hype around this “anything goes” part of the city and we wanted to see if it lived up to its reputation.
The Red Light District was filled with an abundance of pleasure destinations — marijuana cafes, peep shows and more — and while some people might derive a lot of excitement from visiting a place like this, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad.
As I walked through this part of town, I thought about the workers here who keep a place like this thriving. I had had the same feelings while in Las Vegas — a feeling of sadness because someone, somewhere was going home after a long day of work and their work had consisted of people leering at them all day.
I get that, for some, it’s an empowered decision to work in a trade like this and I do not place judgement on it whatsoever. Although, I suppose feeling sadness is most definitely a projection of my inner thoughts around that particular job choice. However, I do hold the hope that these men and women get home safely each night and feel protected, happy and empowered.
For those of you who travel to that area for some fun, enjoy it! I do not pass judgement on deriving pleasure from a place like this. It was not my experience but that is the beauty of travel and adventuring — there are different strokes for different folks (pun intended.)
xo
