Our last day in Amsterdam started off with a stop at the Anne Frank House, a testament to the horrible and incomprehensible evils that the many diasporas and the Jewish people had to go through during World War 2. It was emotionally impactful and truly showcased how life could have been then. What is additionally impactful to think about is that the Frank family lived in conditions much better than the average Jewish and minority people in similar situations. Through this experience, I also indirectly learned the importance of the preservation of social sustainability. As many extremist and ethno-nationalist right wing groups and their ideas rise in popularity across the world relative to post WW2 era, it is important to try to stop this wave and push forward a viewpoint and policies that support all and maintain social sustainability.

After the Anne Frank House, we explored the city and experienced a cafe that only served plant-based milks, which I found interesting. The cappuccino I had tasted very good without the cow milk, and perhaps cafes or restaurants pushing a greener menu could be important in long-term environmental sustainability efforts. We then experienced a Van Gogh show, which was done in a 600 year old (or older) church. I found this multi-use of a building for multiple experiences to be both unique as an experience, but also another distinct environmentally sustainable method. Amsterdam is an overpopulated city, therefore reusing buildings for multiple purposes reduces the need for construction while furthering economic growth. These methods could be long-term implementations to push forward more sustainable practices.

Finally, we had our alumni dinner where I got to hear the stories of how many alumni ended up working in the Netherlands, what they do, and just fun stories overall. It was also a great opportunity as I got to meet with an alum that seems to be working a job that I’d be interested in doing and is stationed here in the Netherlands.