Submitted by Evan Ciecko on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in The Netherlands…
This week was my last week in The Netherlands and it was absolutely amazing. I got to travel to The Hague for our last 4 days of the trip, and there was a huge difference between this city and the town of Arnhem that I had been staying in. The Hague has a population of around 1 million people, roughly the same size as my home state of Delaware’s population.
Of all of the cities I visited on this trip, The Hague most closely resembled American cities with its towering skyscrapers. While it is not the official capital of The Netherlands, it is home to the country’s parliament and I was able to visit many of their government buildings. I saw the International Court of Justice, Binnenhof (City Hall), and The Royal Palace. Unlike cities in America, it has a series of canals running through it that are absolutely beautiful- especially in the sunlight as it dances over the water. Many of the canals throughout the country, not just in the Hague, even have houseboats. It’s amazing that a style of living that is considered unconventional in the US is extremely common in Dutch culture.
The Hague is also only 4 kilometers away from the coast, and one night I traveled down to see the North Sea. I was glad we got a decent stretch of clear weather because rain is very common in The Netherlands. I put my feet in the ocean so that I could say I have been in the North Sea! It wasn’t too cold, so my friends and I hung around and watched surfers before navigating the buses back to the hotel.
As my trip came to an end this week I was so grateful for the experience to be immersed in another culture. I feel that I learned a lot not only about Dutch culture and climate change, but also grew as an individual by pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I highly recommend study abroad and believe it is a great opportunity for personal growth and to meet an amazing group of individuals and faculty! (Submitted on January 29, 2024)
