When I first left for the Netherlands, I wondered when it would hit that I really was in a different country, an entire ocean away from my family back home and in abroad without them for the first time. In the first few days, I felt myself getting caught up in the excitement of being in a new place, not really taking in exactly how different things were. However, the first true “aha” moment, when it really was clear just how different Dutch life was, was my fifth day on the trip, where a combination of a historical site and free time exploring the city of Amsterdam made this very clear to me.
After a quick ride on the metro, we walked to the Anne Frank house, where we had a few minutes to spare before the start of our tour. Luckily, our guide Brian took the opportunity to talk to us about the history of the Church we saw in the area and about the Dutch landmarks we passed. We had the chance to see a street where the Dutch East India Company, one of the most important companies in history, was formed and where the treaty to establish New Amsterdam (now New York!) was signed, making a relatively unassuming area come alive with history. I really find it interesting how massively important buildings in Amsterdam are repurposed into modern areas. Next, we saw a large Protestant church built around the time primarily Calvinists overthrew the Spanish Catholic control of the area. I found it really interesting how this was done relatively peacefully, a stark contrast to the long history of inter-Christian violence in Ireland where I visited last summer. I found it really informative to learn a bit about how the areas we walk around in this city have such a long history and importance culturally, and this has helped me “look twice” at every interesting building I see, as I never knew what history may lie behind them! It was through this walk that I had the realization of how much was history hid in every corner of this country became clear, illustrating how different this was than the relatively young United States.
Next, we had the chance to tour the Anne Frank house, a powerful testament to her life and somewhere I have wondered about since I read her diary in Seventh Grade English. I was genuinely captivated by the records from German transport to concentration camps that showed her and her family’s name being right in front of me. It is always sobering to remind myself that less than 100 years ago, people had the capacity to be so evil to another human being (and that humanity continues to hurt one another today.) I also was surprised by the size of the attic, as I had always pictured it as being far smaller than it was. Being able to see such a famous and historic building in real life was a blessing, and I feel that I now have connected with an extremely important historical landmark. Further, I found it interesting that if Otto Frank had been killed on a whim like many Jews were at concentration camps, this entire museum would fail to exist. Once again, the history of Amsterdam struck me, and I feel the trip to the Museum was an important part in my appreciation and understanding of the differences between Dutch life and my own.
To close out the day’s activities, I explored Amsterdam’s culture further by exploring the city with some of my friends, trying Dutch French fries loaded with mayo and onions, having an espresso and croissant, and visiting the Van Gogh Museum for a live show about his inspiration from Rembrandt. We learned during the show that they both sat in the very pews we were sitting in to watch the show, and I continued the realization of just how much history permeates European cities like this. The day was the essential step in my realization of how different this place was, and I feel this can be an important learning opportunity for myself. Just by taking in all of this history, art, and culture, I feel like my own worldview has been rapidly grown, now encompassing an entirely different place than many of my peers back home have been. Through spreading this message and experience with others, and by taking in their own unique point of view, I feel so much of the hatred and anger between countries and the world’s regions can be eliminated, as cultural diffusion is an extremely important and potent part of building connection.
