Today we traveled by ferry to the vintage market and met with Pitt alumni in Amsterdam!

In case you were not already keeping track, the ferry is the seventh mode of transportation for which the city accommodates (with the other six being the bus, metro, train, tram, bikes, and cars). The ferry ride was short and packed, like the other systems of public transportation, but yet another reminder of how easy it is to travel around the city. Unlike the buses and trams, the ferry did not require you to sign in with a ticket, so it is the only free form of public transportation for anyone to use in Amsterdam. 

When we arrived at the vintage market, I was taken aback by how enormous the market was. Though I knew it was the largest vintage market in all of Europe, I could not have ever anticipated the sheer size of the market. At one point I had thought I had reached the very edge of the market, only to discover there was another half. What also amazed me was the copious amount of items the vendors were able to fit into their cars. All of the cars in the Netherlands are smaller in size, so I felt like the mounds of clothes, jewelry, and ceramics at each stand could not have fit into each car in one trip. Back in Lancaster, there are many farmers’ markets with stands and goods, but I never experienced the need to bargain for a price. However, the process was not entirely difficult and many of the vendors were laid back. In general, people of the Netherlands tend to be kinder and more approachable than in the US, which may be due in part to a seemingly higher quality of life.

After the market, we went to a Pitt alumni networking event to meet and learn from Pitt alumni who currently live in Amsterdam. One of the major themes I learned from the alumni was the difference in work-life balance in the Netherlands compared to the US. While I knew the Netherlands has a healthier work lifestyle than the US, hearing about how alumni were able to get three weeks off for the holidays and have flexibility in where they were allowed to work made me realize how much the Netherlands values the quality of life for its citizens. The US has a very competitive and borderline unhealthy work-life balance, so I hope our country will take strides to model the Netherlands’ focus on the individual rather than the company. 

Tomorrow we get to tour the VU Campus and visit the Schipol Airport!