But to be honest, I surprised myself with my choice to go to Amsterdam. I think I always pictured myself going somewhere else instead. Yet, when it came time to finally choose a place to go last spring, I had a lot of reasons for settling on the Netherlands. For those of you who haven’t already heard it, here’s my thoroughly rationalized answer to the question: Why Amsterdam?
1. I wanted to study abroad in Europe, but I wanted to go somewhere I had never been before. That knocked out France, Italy and Switzerland – all places I would love to spend more time in, but all places that I’ve seen before.
2. My college has a study abroad rule that requires us to learn the language of our host country while we’re there, unless that country’s primary language is English. I’m eager to learn another language, so I don’t have a problem with that, but we’re also required to study that language for another year before or after the time we spend abroad. There was no way that would happen with my busy schedule, so I had to work around it somehow. That meant going somewhere that spoke English, or going somewhere that did not speak French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic or Greek.
3. I wanted to expand my horizons just a little bit more than I would by going somewhere English speaking or somewhere with a culture very similar to home. I cannot wait to visit the large batch of my friends who will be abroad in the U.K. this semester, but I personally wanted to go somewhere a little bit more different. I started to think about the Netherlands as a potential destination, since everything there is in Dutch (although most people also speak English), and the culture is certainly more liberal than mine. When a professor who shares my dual interest in Psychology and Art History recommended the Netherlands as a place to visit, I took it as a good sign and set my sights on Amsterdam. Then I set out to continue defending my choice.
4. Back in high school when I was studying history, I was very fond of the Netherlands. For such a small and unassuming country, it’s always been surprisingly influential and ahead of its time, and it has a really rich history as a result. A huge part of that history is its amazing art. Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Vermeer, etc. - a slew of significant artists have had their start in the Netherlands, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to look at a lot of their work in person. And since I’m majoring in Art History, I can apply it all towards school as well.
5. Bicycles! Maybe it’s because I grew up in a place where it’s impossible to get around without a car, and then moved to a college campus that’s full of hills and frequently icy, but I’m pretty psyched about the prospect of biking my way around Amsterdam. I’ve only had a Dutch bike for a couple of days now, but I already know it’s going to be hard for me to come back to my car.
I’m incredibly excited for my semester abroad, and now you all know why. I’ll try to share my excitement with you through notes and pictures throughout the semester. This way everybody who cares will be able to keep in touch with me while I’m gone, and I’ll have something to remember my trip by when it’s over. Oh, and if you happen to be anywhere over on this side of the pond, I would love to have some visitors! Either that or let me know where you are, and I’ll try to visit you.
