Day 3 brought us the most social day of the trip. We started bright and early at 8 am with a bus ride to the Amsterdam countryside to view the old windmills used to boost the area into an agricultural powerhouse. The windmills were commonly used to make clogs, grind spices, and pump water. Using the Archimedes’ screw the Dutch could clear large areas of land of water, which allowed for more farming land. The increase in land, specifically in the area we visited, allowed for the dairy industry to boom. This could most comparable to the American westward expansion, but instead of finding the land to farm on they had to make it.

      In addition to their physical use the windmills were also one of the first innovations in sustainable energy. They provided the framework for future innovation and let people see the benefits of renewable energy. They let people see that renewables were essentially free and always available.

     After the windmills we had some time for lunch so a small group of us visited an Italian restaurant in downtown Amsterdam which had some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. Then we walked over to the Anne Frank house, which I think shocked everyone to see the actual size of the hiding space for Anne Franks house. We’ve read the books and just heard stories about the living conditions but to actually see the cramped space gave me a whole new perspective.

     After our site visits for the day we headed to the alumni dinner to do some networking. For a couple of hours I talked with data analysts and former CEOs. Even though the food wasn’t the best, it was a really fun time.