Dear Sara,
I made it! After 24 hours of traveling, many flight delays and running to catch my connection in Dallas, I am finally in Amsterdam.
The first few days got off to a bit of a rocky start. Lauren, my best friend from Wellesley, is also in Amsterdam for the semester. Her flight was cancelled and then once she got here, she realized they lost her luggage! We were placed in housing that was very different than communicated to us (but luckily, we were able to move!) and we are slowly getting over the jet lag.
Still, I couldn’t be more excited to be in this beautiful place! There is so much diversity, history and culture here. Amsterdam (as I am sure you already know) is home to the most nationalities in the world! Everyone that I have talked to or met is incredibly friendly and kind. The city is clean and safe. I am really excited that I get to spend the next few months here.
Things that I have noticed are cheaper here than in the US: Pads (seriously, I am really excited), Birkenstocks (I got a pair today for $35! Crazy!), Nutella
Things that I have noticed are way more expensive here than in the US: Soda (I bought a coke today for $3.50. WHAA??), Public transportation (but it is WAY better), bathrooms
I think my favorite part of being here so far is just the ability to see so much. Because I know I have months to explore the city, I don’t feel pressure to do everything in just a few days. I can wander the streets and get lost among the canals.
A funny story: Lauren and I wanted to take the tram from our housing to the city. We took one of the trains to Central Station and then spent the day exploring the city. On the way back, we figured we just needed to take the same tram the opposite direction so we hopped on and thirty minutes later we were somehow at the University we are studying at (which is a twenty minute train ride from our housing). What should have taken 15-20 minutes ended up taking us an hour..oof. We are slowly getting the hang of it.
This weekend I am heading to Brussels and I can’t wait! We are staying at a lovely Airbnb in the heart of the city. I will be posting lots of pictures.
Enjoy these last few days with your family before heading back to Wellesley. I know how stressful move-in day can be so I hope it goes well!!
Love & Liefs,
Shannon
