A Year in Utrecht

After a year that felt like a lifetime in the Netherlands, I am headed back home in a few weeks. Although it will be nice to go home after a long time away, I cannot help but feel that my time in Europe is not at an end. Due the huge challenge that is finding a job and housing in this country, I am headed home for now, but it is my goal to return before too long and make another attempt at establishing myself. 

When I think back to who I was a year ago, having just arrived and scared out of my mind, I can barely recognize that person. Through all the ups and downs that this year has brought, I have become a more resilient and compassionate person, and going forward I feel more confident in my abilities to tackle any challenge that life throws my way. During this year I have delt with stupidity that is foreign bureaucracy, negotiated with tyrannical landlords, visited four new countries, drank enough beers to satisfy me for...ever, and made friends with people from across Europe and the globe, some of whom I will cherish for a lifetime. I juggled all this and more, while completing the most intense academic program of my life. This move was a test of sorts for myself, and I am proud to say that I have passed.  

During this time, this blog has served as a time capsule of my journey. Although I fell out of the habit towards the end here, looking back at my earlier posts still serves as a reminder of how far I have come and how I managed to find my way over and around hurdles I did not foresee. 

Being away from home has granted me an appreciation for a lot of things that I took for granted in the United States, or at least, in Oregon. I have noticed that Europe in general could learn a lot from the U.S in the attention we give to issues of equity and the multicultural essence that the majority of American cities possess. If someone had said this to me a year ago, I might have called them crazy, but it is true that the U.S is very aware at least of the different populations that exist within its borders and for the most part, make accommodations for the diversity that has been established. Here, it seems that diversity is the last thing on policymakers' minds, if it is there at all. 

This sentiment is clearly reflected in the minds of most people as well, not just policymakers. I was surprised when I first arrived to hear constant microaggressions towards people of different races and ethnic backgrounds in a way that I had been taught in school to be sensitive to and avoid. Although the U.S is not the only country with a deeply racist history, it seems my public education in Oregon harnessed that history to educate and improve the mindset of young people and is miles (kilometers) ahead of my European counterparts. 

You may now be wondering if I managed to educate my friends on these sensitive issues. The answer, I am proud to say, is yes. In the beginning I was unsure how to address the comments I was hearing without seeming like a woke, gen-z American. What I ended up doing was using my gen-z powers for good and created a light-hearted "cancel-culture" around racist comments, where I would simply "cancel" them and explain why after something insensitive was said. This was surprisingly effective, and, after a few "cancels" they even began to cancel themselves, and eventually stop making the comments altogether. 

This experience was foundational in opening my eyes to the broader issue of a blindness to equity issues in Europe. Once you open your eyes to the issue, most people have a desire to do better. You cannot blame someone for ignorance, and by educating, you empower as well. When I make my return to Europe in the next few years, this kind of equity work in planning is where I hope to land. 

Being abroad has obviously changed my perspective on the U.S, and Europe, and has made me more curious about other parts of the world as well. I had no idea how limited my thinking was, having lived in America for my whole life. So many things that I took for granted in mindset, are in fact, inherently American. Many ways of American thinking are beneficial, while others are not. This is true for any culture. Growth comes when you learn to recognize the way your culture influences your thought and how others differ in their ways of thinking. Learning comes when you ask why these influences exist.

Thanks to everyone for coming along on my journey, and for the support than you all have given to me during my adventures abroad. This marks the end of this blog, but rest assured, on my next journey, I will share more tales and reflections for all to enjoy.