After a sleepless 7-hour flight, our study abroad group landed in Amsterdam at 6am local time. From there we met with our travel guide Brian, who welcomed us to Amsterdam and introduced us to its modes of public transportation. We then took a train from the airport and then connected to the metro to arrive at the hotel.

As a devoted fan of public transportation, I had been looking forward to seeing the Netherlands’ efficient multimodal system in action. I was not disappointed. The trains and metros arrived on time every time, were clean and comfortable, and were easy for users to navigate. Specifically, the signage in the metro station and inside the cars is simple but effective in showing the user where they are and how to get where they want to go. I think that this communication is essential in making public transport accessible and enjoyable for all.

After learning how to ride the train and the metro, we jumped into an exploratory scavenger hunt in the Center of Amsterdam. A variety of clues and questions created by Brian led us around the city, highlighting some of the important historical and cultural sites in Amsterdam. Following this challenging activity, some of us headed to the Keukenhof Garden. We got to put our newfound knowledge about the metro into action and successfully navigated an hour and a half outside of the city to the world-renowned tulip gardens. Many of the tulips were dead or wilting, but we got to enjoy the tulips that were still thriving in early May and took our first foray into the floriculture industry, an essential part of the Netherlands’ economic strength.

Sunday 5/11/2025