My biggest goal this year was to learn another language; I must unfortunately report I did not achieve fluency in any language. Dutch Culture is quite insular and University College Maastricht college culture is deeply international. Most European students attend there to improve their English, not to speak their home language. As such most of my friends and peers were only speaking English and the Dutch population is quite low at the college itself. In addition, Dutch citizens speak extremely fluent English and actively switch to English if they detect any hint of a foreign accent, making immersion difficult. Fortunately I did manage to pick up quite a lot of casual words and phrases in French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, and German. As I spent most of time traveling through these countries I can safely say I’m conversationally adequate in these languages. It’s not exactly what I wanted, but I was happy to make the adjustment and I certainly had quite a few funny moments in train stations switching between 5 languages. This was probably the most surprising element of my year abroad; I didn’t expect English to be as extremely widespread as it now is.
In terms of an academic experience, my expanded knowledge of European political systems was quite certainly met. Many of my classes were devoted to the critical analysis of these systems and I feel immensely grateful and helped by this knowledge. In fact, the more socialist leanings of Western Europe and the help which this provides to the people (single-payer healthcare, high minimum wage, active social safety net) has led me to take a more active political stance back in America. I am currently volunteering with the Democratic Socialists of America and am working to provide expanded government services for the poor and unserved. This has actively changed the direction of my career; while I’m not fully committing to politics as of yet I am taking far more stock what companies I work for and how they conduct business.
In terms of travel through Europe I more than met my quota. I somehow managed to fit nearly 3 whole months of traveling in my short stay and have fallen in love with many of the countries and cities. In order to avoid boredom I’ll avoid listing all of them, but I’m happy to talk about my favorites. A little bit by accident I ended up traveling through Romania for 2 weeks and absolutely fell in love with the country. Transylvania is stunning, incredible hikes and stunning vistas. The cities are lively, affordable and packed to the brim with delicious food. Prague is my all-time favorite city and I cannot wait to go back. The mix of architectural styles from the past 400 years is beyond inspiring and worth a dozen more visits.
The challenges I faced during my time abroad were mostly related to finances and loneliness. While I had enough money due to the immeasurable kindness of the Borton scholarship, I had no desire to waste any money. As such I worked quite hard to cook all my own meals, hunt for cheap modes of transportation, and in general be thrifty with all of my decisions. This allowed me to travel more than I would have otherwise. In regards to loneliness I had to learn how to be more extroverted than I was used to and made an extra effort to meet new people and attend events solo. Both of these skills will be extremely useful in my return, especially considering I’ll soon be moving to a new city and living on my own.
In speaking to prospective Borton scholars the value of such an experience is perhaps most encapsulated within the value of distance. One’s perspective can widen and develop with the benefit of space and a critical view. For me this development has taken place in terms of “American” values and how I view them. The style of life in The Netherlands and Europe in general places less of a focus of the amount of money made and material possessions accumulated and instead on the ways you spend your time. There is much more of a focus on time spent with family and friends and the act of giving without the expectation of receiving anything in return. This attitude, especially as it applies to labor laws, has actively changed my perception of the way America should more forward. I believe America can protect and empower its workers to live a better life, not just to be the most profitable.