First Impressions
Dragging a suitcase and bag full of "first-day freebies" behind me, I pushed open the door to my new apartment. The halls were dark and musty and a broken light flickered down the dimly lit hallway to illuminate piles of trash strewn all about. I crinkled my nose at the smell of pot that hung thick in the air and stepped over a crate of empty bottles, bumping into one of my (many) new roommates. Louis, dressed in baggy, colorfully patch worked pants, quickly introduced himself. I only picked out pieces of the sentences coming out of his mouth, spun together like the thread of an industrial sewing machine, a never-ending stream of words. From Spain. Lives here. Room number three. After introducing myself, I continued down the hallway until I found my room, room number nine.
My room was tucked in the back corner where no working lights were to be found, so I fumbled trying to get the key into the lock. Slightly overwhelmed with the disarray of everything that I had walked in to, I was eager but slightly nervous to see what my room was like. I opened the door to discover a sanctuary filled with the soft natural light that shone in from the wall of windows revealing the canopy of gray clouds outside. There was a small bed tucked in the corner and a mini fridge next to it along with a small table, a large desk, a bookshelf, and a wardrobe. The room even had a balcony that overlooked the nearby canal and surrounding campus housing. I immediately fell in love with the space and was excited to unpack my things and settle in. After living for a month out of a suitcase, it was satisfying to unpack everything and put it in its new home. It did not take me long to stack my clothes in the wardrobe, fill the bookshelf with notebooks and mementos from traveling, and hang up the pictures I had brought on the walls.
As I was unpacking and settling in, more of my new flatmates continued pouring in. I introduced myself to them, but knew it would take a while to learn all of their names. There were six Americans (myself, Christian, Gabby, Hannah, Aviva, and Estelle), one Spaniard (Louis), three girls from Singapore (Amanda, Sam, and Jean), and two Turkish girls (Eilul and Fundha). Our apartment was definitely relaxed, with a welcoming atmosphere perfect for hanging out. Although it was truly a mess, I was not too bothered by it and settled in quite easily. We all share a kitchen (with two freezers, two stoves, a sink, and a dining table) and living room, along with a row of sinks that sit across from the laundry area, two shower rooms, and two toilets. I loved the setup of the apartment, with enough common space to make some new friends and enough privacy to stay partially sane.
Throughout the following week, I established a daily routine of sorts. Breakfast before heading out to Crossfit at 7:30, then class, lunch, homework and relaxing, and dinner. I enjoyed all the free time that I found myself with and was excited for my classes. School in the Netherlands is similar to the U.S. in that students are encouraged to synthesize existing theories and opinions to create their own. They are expected to ask questions and challenge information presented to sharpen their understanding of the subject, which I am used to. I found that the hardest adjustment for me was how long classes were. My lectures range from two to three hours each, an exponential increase from the one hour lectures at my home university. Since I only have these classes for eight weeks, the topics are very focused and specific and much of our grade is based on the final exam. I’m not sure how well I will do in my classes, but I have already found myself learning a lot.
My favorite part of the week was when our floor got together for dinner one night, using it as a time to discuss the practicalities of living with one another. We each made a dish from our home, so the table was filled with homemade mac and cheese, Turkish soup and salad, “Juicy Lucy’s” (burgers filled with blue cheese), clam chowder, seven-layer dip, mashed potatoes, grilled cheese, Singapore fried rice, and more. It was a feast of cultures and a time of growing friendships as we all gathered around the table, vying for a corner to cut, mix, and prepare our food. I’m looking forward to getting to know the other people in my flat, a group that is so mixed and yet so cohesive, and I hope that we all get along well.
As far as first impressions go, Amsterdam did not disappoint. I already find myself enchanted with this city and grateful that I get to spend the next four months discovering its many hidden gems.