Today, my peers and I traveled to and arrived at The Netherlands. Despite the jetlag and overall newness, I have already begun to see and experience cultural differences from what I’m used to, and it is an exciting change that I hope to acclimate to during my time on this trip.

We started the day off by leaving the Amsterdam airport and going to our hostel in a train. This led to the most prominent difference I have noticed here in comparison to the U.S., which is the highly advanced and efficient public transportation system. Later, our on-site guide, Raha, taught us about all the different types of public transportation that are available to us and how to navigate them. I got to travel a few different ways today, and I hope to continue to do so and discover other ways to get around Amsterdam in the next few days.

After dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we also did a “Fault in Our Stars” themed scavenger hunt in teams, which helped us familiarize ourselves with key landmarks in the city, such as various significant monuments and buildings that also showed up in the popular teen movie. It initially felt sort of daunting, as we were let loose in a brand new city for the first time with very cryptic clues on where we should go, but, once we got the hang of it, it became a great mode of friendly competition and exploration of Amsterdam’s unique geography and pedestrian-centered city planning.

My favorite experience of the day was figuring out how to travel to and within Amsterdam, as it is so different from any other travel experience I have had so far. While international travel and navigating within a completely new place can sometimes be scary, it is a great way to work on problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking skills.

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!