a wonderful year that encouraged personal growth

i had a wonderful time in the netherlands, i met so many people and got to explore and experience so many new things. i enjoyed music festivals, cultural events such as village-wide festivals, school parties, and holiday celebrations with family, as well as fun sightseeing outings and trips like playing mini-golf or going to the amusement park!
i truly loved getting to intimately experience the vibrant and different cultural life of my host family and friends. learning the new traditions, trends, and lifestyles of the netherlands was exciting and enriching. i loved crafting elaborate wrapping for my host father's present on sinterklaas, biking to germany at sunrise on hemelvaartsdag, eating oliebolen on the holidays and dutch pannenkoeken, seeing the vibrant gardens of het keukenhof, and walking through the village market full of bustling stalls. some of my favorite memories are of simply wandering, riding my bike alone through the cobblestone streets of my "dorpje" (village) and admiring the quaint and cozy architecture. my host family and friends spoke to me in exclusively dutch at my request, so i learned to speak fluently, which is a skill that i still value greatly.
while i was there i had an illness, and the AFS staff did reach out to me and offer caring support and help for what i was going through when they found out. i think that the volunteers really care about the exchange students and put in a lot of effort to make sure they are ok, and that was meaningful to me. its good to feel safe and supported when you're in a far away place. i developed a lot of independence and introspective insight while abroad, as well as cultural knowledge and deep lasting friendships.