After a long and loud flight from Boston, we finally arrived in Amsterdam around just before 6 AM. I had struggled to get any rest, so I was really feeling the jet lag throughout the day, but I was incredibly excited to accustom myself to the new environment. Once we arrived, our on-ground helper, Bryan, gave us a quick tour of the city (at least the path to our hotel) and a tutorial on how to use the various modes of public transport offered by the Netherlands.

After we dropped our luggage off at the hotel, we departed for the city center and were tasked to find certain locations in the nearby area. While doing this, my group and I passed several scenes that were completely foreign to what would be in the US in the best way. For example, we would exit an alleyway-looking street and enter a bustling, lively square, filled with vendor stalls and dining establishments. One of the most notable locations we came across was a picturesque canal flowing through lines of Tudor-style businesses and houses, with a couple canoeing in the middle.

After we left the city, most of us decided to go to the Keukenhof, one of the most famous flower displays in Europe, for its last day of operation for the season. We had a great time looking at all of the beautiful flower patterns and displays, walking in the warm weather, and taking in this once-in-a-lifetime experience overall. We found it entertaining to look at some of the featured flowers’ names; for example, a variety of one specific purple flower was simply called “Ronaldo.”

After leaving the Keukenhof, we went to a group dinner at Batavia in the city center, where I enjoyed a large kielbasa paired with mashed potatoes with ham bits inside, all covered with a delicious gravy. Afterwards, we all walked a few blocks to get gelato, courtesy of Dr. Kerzmann. I feel that this was the perfect way to end my first day in the Netherlands, kicking off our Plus3 program once and for all.