Submitted by Fiona Gorman on the 2024 Winter ENGL micro program in the Netherlands…
If your program takes place in a smaller city, traveling to your accommodations will most likely consist of more than just flying. In my case, getting to our hotel took a seven-hour flight to Amsterdam followed by an hour-and-a-half train to Arnhem finishing off with a fifteen or so-minute walk to our riverfront hotel. On paper, we knew what we were getting ourselves into. Our professors did stress the importance of mindful packing as we would have to lug ourselves through the streets of Arnhem after a full day of travel. But as naive college students we failed to consider a fifteen-minute walk in ADA-compliant America is not the same as a fifteen-minute walk in a riverside European city. Despite the broken suitcases, new blisters, and high levels of anxiety we made it to the hotel with our excitement intact. My word of advice after one week in the Netherlands? Don’t underestimate your terrain. Expect bumps and try your best to enjoy the view. (Submitted on January 14, 2024)