On May 7, we started the day really early, at around 6:30 a.m., to head to Enschede. After a long bus ride, we arrived around 11 a.m. and were greeted by some lovely people from the University of Twente. After dropping off our bags, we were given a tour of the campus. I really enjoyed seeing the beautiful architecture and all the greenery surrounding the area. The campus felt very peaceful and open, which was very different from the University of Pittsburgh since our campus is located in the middle of a busy city. It was interesting to experience such a different university environment.

After the tour, we ate lunch while listening to a presentation about Kristalbad, a water reserve located in Enschede. We learned that it is part of a water management system that naturally purifies sewage water while also helping prevent flooding by storing excess water. Afterwards, we visited the reserve and got to compare the cleaner water with the dirtier water ourselves. The walk ended up being around five miles, so by the end my feet were exhausted. Even so, it was a really fun and interesting experience that taught me more about sustainability and Dutch water management systems.