Wish You Weren't Here: Volume 1: Amsterdam

By Koko Terry

Amsterdam does not need you.

That's the point.

In an era of ranked itineraries, viral caf s, and cities reduced to backdrops for curated feeds, Wish You Weren't Here dismantles the modern tourism mindset-and rebuilds it with intention.

This is not a guidebook.

It is a recalibration.

Written by an American who moved to Amsterdam and stayed, this book explores what happens when visibility becomes infrastructure, when tolerance is confused with permission, and when optimization replaces presence. Through sharp cultural critique, lived experience, and grounded observation, Koko Terry exposes the hidden mechanics shaping how we move through cities today.

Inside you'll discover:

Why "seeing it all" guarantees you'll feel nothing

The difference between tolerance and indulgence

How walking-not optimizing-changes perception

Why cities don't need your validation

How to leave something better behind than consumption

This is not anti-travel.

It is anti-extraction.

If you are going to go anyway, go well.

Amsterdam is just the beginning.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GPL5MTPN
• ISBN13: 9798249014919
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 8.0"