Our final day in Amsterdam started on a somber note. We hopped on the metro and made our way to the Anne Frank house in downtown Amsterdam. The museum had a guided audio tour in dozens of languages, which we listened to as we walked around the real office building and secret annex that the Frank family hid out in. Although I’ve read portions of Anne Frank’s diary before, exploring where she lived for those two years, seeing some of her real belongings, and hearing firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivors who knew her made it an extremely moving experience.

After the museum, we had some free time, so a group of friends and I decided to do the Van Gogh x Rembrandt experience near the Noordermarkt where our first-day scavenger hunt had ended. We booked tickets for later in the afternoon, so we grabbed a pastry and some authentic Dutch fries beforehand. Dutch tip: skip the ketchup, go for mayo!

The Van Gogh experience was a 40 minute audio-visual show inside the Noorderkerk church. It featured Van Gogh’s letters to his brother, read aloud while displaying his art onto the walls and roof of the church. This combination of primary source material and beautiful visuals in the same church that he was once in was very immersive. Being there made the connection between Van Gogh and Amsterdam feel more real.

After the Van Gogh experience, we took the metro back to the hotel to pack our bags and prepare for the alumni dinner. It was a lot of fun to talk to five Pitt alums stationed in Amsterdam. I found it interesting to learn all about their individual experiences moving abroad, and how each of their companies helped them transition. Working abroad is something I would definitely consider in the future, and if I were to have the opportunity of moving to Amsterdam, I would take it in a heartbeat! For now though, goodbye Amsterdam!