Submitted by Emma Smith on the 2024 Spring program in London, England…
This past weekend, my friends and I took a trip to Amsterdam, Netherlands. We took a 45 minute plane ride from London to Amsterdam and stayed in a youth hostel. We then went out to explore Amsterdam’s beautiful canals and architecture. On our first day there, we stopped at the Anne Frank museum where we learned all about her, her family, and their experience during the Holocaust. Even though it is a devastating story, this museum did such an amazing job of telling her story. The rest of the night consisted of eating and drinking various foods and beverages unique to Amsterdam such as stroopwaffles and heineken. We also attended the Heineken experience which is a self-directed walking tour of how the beer is made and the history behind it. We got to meet so many lovely people and our time there was amazing to say the least. It was also very cool to experience being in a country where mostly everyone does not speak English as their first language. Dutch is very commonly spoken in Amsterdam, so at times it was difficult to communicate with citizens and workers if they did not speak English. Biking is an extremely popular way of transportation in Amsterdam which was neat to see because I am so used to everyone driving cars or taking the train in London. This made Amsterdam feel smaller and more comforting when trying to get from place to place. My friends and I also went on a boat tour where we went around the river and through the canals while also listening to an audio guide directing our attention to different unique parts of the city. I would definitely recommend this city to anyone, it was absolutely amazing. (Submitted on February 4, 2024)