As noon approached, participants began trickling into the lobby of our funky hostel in lovely Oosterpark, where we were scheduled to meet. Trendy pop music pulsed through the modern, vibrant space as those of us who had already arrived gathered around the table, chatting with each other for the first time. Although electronically we’d already shared introductions, discussed course themes together and even worked collaboratively on group projects, none of it matched up to the wonder of finally interacting in person.

Most of us had flown into Amsterdam just that morning from the States. Which meant… JET LAG! But, the exhaustion of time travel and sleepless red-eyes were no match for our collective energy and excitement, knowing this was the start of what would be a thrilling 12 days. Few of us had visited either Amsterdam or Berlin before, and most of us had only traveled to Europe infrequently (if at all!). We weren’t completely sure of what to expect (at least, I wasn’t), but we did know that we would be embarking on an entirely extraordinary journey.

Enter Annabel Aardenburg, our CIEE Program Coordinator (and our Dutch cultural correspondent) with twinkly eyes and the sunniest smile you could imagine. Together with Professor Richter and Annabel, we numbered a neat dozen. Annabel led us on a short walk from the hostel to a small square in Oosterpark for our welcome orientation. Lush greens surrounded us on all sides as we walked. Bikers cruised by, soaking in the view and lovely weather. It was a happy sight, and, as I’d come to learn, quite representative of the Dutch. Even more unique to the city, however, was the notoriously aggressive nature of these bikers, which Annabel emphatically warned us of. In Amsterdam, bikers reign supreme and they know it, unapologetically claiming their right to the road and scolding those who violate these rights. (If you ever find yourself walking in the bike lane…… Good luck!)

And so the cultural immersion continued as Annabel launched us into our introduction to the Netherlands. Did you know that the Dutch are particularly direct and honest? That they’re a practical people? And that they’re tallest people in the world?! She even took a few minutes to teach us a bit of Dutch. Dank je wel, Annabel!

For lunch, we headed over to Dappermarkt, a daily outdoor market, lively and bustling with shoppers and vendors. Stands of all kinds were crammed along the street. Think cheap clothes, ripe fruit and classic, simple Dutch foods. Highlights included stroopwafels, the famous, indulgent Dutch snack made of two thin waffle biscuits and stroop, a unique caramel-like syrup made by boiling fruit. And haring, the notorious Dutch snack consisting of raw herring classically eaten in one gulp, with or without some chopped onions. Can you guess which of these two Dutch classics most of us went for? My own lunch ended up being half a papaya, a log of goat cheese and a Turkish pizza, feasted on beside one of the city’s many canals with Jacob and Damien.

Next was a relaxing canal tour of Amsterdam. All ten of us students cozily crammed into the boat’s open air seating out back. It was a beautiful afternoon, the breeze was blowing, and we even exchanged fun facts (sadly, none of which I now remember besides that Professor Richter is planning to visit his cousin in Ho Chi Minh City in the somewhat near future!). For one hour, we cruised smoothly through the city’s orderly network of canals. Wait a minute. Traveling through a city with ease, by water? Such was the fruit of intelligent city planning and a rich demonstration of the history of the intimate relationship between the Dutch and water. The architecture was even more stunning from the perspective of its canals.

After a tram ride, ferry ride and walk, we ended up at Annabel’s home in Bosrankstraat, where we spent the rest of the evening. She and her husband Wim, a professional architect and engineer, gave us a tour of the place, which they’ve been building themselves (!!) for three years now. As you might imagine, building a house yourself is no easy task. All the things we take for granted in a house: plumbing, heating, electricity, stairs … even windows and doors, Wim and Annabel have tackled on their own. But, by building their home independently, Annabel and Wim have full creative control over its design, and have taken this opportunity to design the house–and its components–as sustainably as possible. And so, radical innovation was woven into every fabric (perhaps “steel and wooden beam” is more apt) of the home. Step 1, divorcing from the mandatory power grid system that homes in Amsterdam are required to link to for energy so that they can use more sustainable means of collecting energy.  Solar panels and permeable tiles (to let rainwater seep into the earth) are already in place. Coming up: plants along the staircase, a green balcony, and highly insulated windows and walls to reduce the costs of heating. Good luck building, Annabel and Wim!

Finally, while munching on scrumptious Turkish food for dinner, we listened to a presentation by Anna Goede from Rainproof Amsterdam, an organization aiming to increase Amsterdam’s resilience in the face of extreme weather events and heavier rainfall in general. She emphasized the need for increased awareness among Dutch communities on the importance of flood damage prevention and protection. Remarkably, many solutions to achieving the goal of rain protection both prevent damage and beautify the city — for example, green roofs and front gardens. And to slow down and reduce automobile road traffic, Amsterdam builds roads with cobblestone (which has a longer life that asphalt), lets rainwater seep into the earth (whereas asphalt completely obstructs it), and slows down drivers who’d otherwise zip down the road (which makes the road a safer place for bikers and pedestrians alike). And we can surely all agree that cobblestone are more beautiful than asphalt. Such sensibility and ingenuity — that’s the way of the Dutch!

Even for the Dutch, a people already especially linked to water as an element (and thus nature), awareness of its presence, implications and threats fades. Many inhabitants living in regions at risk of flooding (about one third of the country lies below sea level) feel a false sense of security and are ill-prepared for the disastrous consequences of flooding. This issue is rooted in a current lack of salience of the nature of the Dutch relationship with water, how the Dutch are constantly pumping water out of the country and into the ocean to keep their land dry. The threat and consequences of flooding in Amsterdam, for example, are grave, yet few realize it. This is what Rainproof aims to change, and what makes me think of how similar problems are echoed in the States. We are faced with colossal environmental issues, depleting finite resources with no regard for future generations, often completely oblivious. How can we integrate with nature instead of merely shielding ourselves from it?