I studied at the International Summer School of Maastricht in the Netherlands thanks to the UCEAP Program. My experience there changed my life. I was able to act independently and explore the entire city of Maastricht. The country of Netherlands had so much to offer, such that on the bus drive from Brussels Airport to Maastricht I was baffled. It is extraordinary how different, serene, and beautiful it all was. The food overall was absolutely delicious and fresh; my favorite, were the ice creams that tasted different and better than any I had ever had before in Los Angeles. Grocery shopping was quite a challenge since I didn’t understand the Dutch language, but with the help of my roommate we managed to use context clues to shop what we needed and now we know “aardappel” means potato.
My study abroad experience in the Netherlands changed my life. I was able to explore the entire city of Maastricht independently. It is extraordinary how different, serene, and beautiful it all was. The ice cream tasted better than any I had ever had before. Grocery shopping was a challenge, but with the help of my roommate, we managed to use context clues to shop, and now we know that “aardappel” means potato.