Today we started off by visiting Zanndjik Zaanse Schans, an older town in the Netherlands country side. This contained a cheese and clog shop, a petting area for sheep, and old styled windmills that had been preserved. These windmills are symbols for sustainability providing renewable energy that produces resources like wood, oil, and textiles to the town. Not only this, but the materials used to make the windmills were recyclable and did not take much energy to get. Although our newer style windmills may be more efficient, the older style was a huge step for sustainability.

After heading back to Amsterdam, we then visited the Anne Frank House. While I went through the museum, I could imagine the family being there as the bookcase, posters, and photographs were still in the same spot. Towards the end of the exhibit, they also featured quotes from children attending a Jewish school before the laws disallowed them to go. The exhibit was truly impactful and I am very thankful we went. After, our tour guide told us more stories about the war. He had pointed out a building that had a completely different architecture from the rest because the previous building got bombed. A new modern place was then built there. We also heard about Jewish people that were hiding in bars, houses, and shops, but were eventually found. It was sad to see how much this war is embedded into the Netherlands culture, but also encouraging to see how far they have come since then.

At the end of the day, we met with Pitt alumni who currently live in the Netherlands. It was interesting to hear how they experienced their transition between countries. Most didn’t know they would end up here, so learning how that happened was really intriguing. It was also just fun to talk to former Pitt students!