This morning, we visited the Anne Frank House and toured the space where Anne’s family and other Jewish families hid for two years during World War II. The families stayed in a secret annex hidden behind a bookshelf in Otto Frank’s office building. They remained undiscovered until the end of the war, where they were found and sent to concentration camps. Touring this building was incredibly powerful and served as a reminder of the atrocities committed against the Jewish people and other minority groups.

Afterwards, we headed to the Albert Cuyp market, which is the largest of Amsterdam’s Street markets. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount and variety of vendors in the market. There was food and goods from countries all around the world. Then we headed towards the Museumplein, where the Van Gogh Museum is located. We spent a couple of hours viewing Van Gogh’s revered work and learning about his complicated life.

Today was an exceptional day in terms of experiencing Dutch culture and history. I thought deeply about the legacies of two important figures in Dutch history, Anne Frank and Vincent Van Gogh. Both experienced tremendous suffering during their lives, but persevered in their dedication to creating art. Neither saw success or fortune during their lives, but now millions of people have been impacted by their work. Today’s visits reminded me that life is fleeting and the actions that we take during our lifetimes are significant. As Anne Frank said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Thursday 5/15/2025