The moment I got off the plane in Amsterdam, I put on my Hokas and was set to go on a run. I had one mission, I was going to try to explore all of Amsterdam before I had to start class. I managed to run 5.5 miles that day, running through the Royal Palace, various parts of Centraal, along the Amstel Canal, and passing by the Opera House. However, little did I know that my exploration of the city wasn’t over.
Each class provided an opportunity to learn about a different aspect of the city. One day, we set out to explore places including, but not limited to, the STRAAT Graffiti Art Museum and Gazelle, the famous Dutch bike company. What I also appreciated was that these places Hesam would let us explore were not tacky tourist attractions. However, they all captured things that make Amsterdam in some unique way. Additionally, visiting these places nicely aligns with the concept of design thinking. While Amsterdam is a different city from where I am from in the States, Houston, the design thinking process almost felt universal. It was neat to see how applicable the process is in operating multiple facilities from manufacturing a bike for the Dutch to cultivating a multipurpose space that can act as a co-working space for big technology companies by day and a venue for a techno party at night (This was a real place we went to during class. It was surreal. If you don’t believe that this place exists, search it up! It’s called DB 55. It’s an incredibly cool concept).
Aside from the field trip visits, we also collaborated with students from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) on a project addressing a societal issue in Amsterdam. I was tasked to work on e-waste management along with another Rice student, Sebastian, and four UvA students: Roel (pronounced “Gu”), Muhan, Zhingyi, and Minh. The topic was incredibly interesting and, overall, eye-opening. Amsterdam is an immaculate city that prioritizes accessible and sustainable disposal practices. The process of disposing of electronics, while there still needs room for improvement, was more comprehensible than the established (or lack there of) systems in America. A lot of these electronic waste management systems are easily accessible through grocery stores in Amsterdam. Whereas, in America (or at least in Texas), such a system does not exist.
Out of the four UvA students, Sebastian and I had one favorite, Roel. Roel was an incredibly charismatic and charming guy who lived right outside of Amsterdam. He was also a very hardworking and motivated individual, always willing to lend a helping hand to Sebastian and me when conducting interviews for the project. Roel, if you are seeing this, I love you so much… and don’t tell the others about what I said.
Hesam also loved the idea of having us seek discomfort, doing wacky exercises that borderline felt like rejection therapy. These tasks ranged in extremes. A warm-up activity for embracing embarrassment and rejection was to walk around and say “Hi” to every person you passed by. As an American who doesn’t beat the allegation of being overly friendly, this didn’t seem like a hard task. However, once I started saying “Hello!” to other people, I was immediately met with weird stares, very few smiles or responses, and someone even flipping me off. Once again, to set the tone, this activity was only a warm-up. You can only imagine what other activities we did. Though my description sounds like Hesam put us through brutal exposure therapy towards rejection, I would say that it was far from that and, if anything, transformative. I came to realize how entrepreneurship embraces mistakes and imperfections. You also have to look past the word “no”. Initially, hearing “no” stung me harder than ever; I would easily get demotivated after hearing that rejection. However, this class has taught me to use rejection as fuel for success, seeing it as a drive to “bite down” and push forward. I know these sentences sound like a motivational quote you would see on a tacky wooden plaque in Hobby Lobby, but it’s genuinely true.
Outside of the class, I loved running through the parks, exploring all the alleys and shops within Centraal, and looking into their music scene. One thing I wanted to do in Amsterdam was do the same activities I love doing in Houston, just to compare. I did just that, and instantly fell in love with the city. I wanted to integrate myself in a way that allowed me to envision what it would be like to live in Amsterdam. Honestly, I thought it was a strong strategy, and I really saw myself living in a eclectic city like Amsterdam.
Overall, these two weeks were absolutely unforgettable, memorable, and transformative. I fell in love with a city that I initially knew absolutely nothing about, and strengthened myself as an entrepreneur and design thinker. If I had to give two pieces of advice for those doing the iSEED Amsterdam trip it would be the following:
1. Embrace uncertainty! Many of the activities Hesam planned were surprises, and yet each one was equally fun and interesting. Initially, I wasn’t accustomed to the suspense he would create when he let us sit with the question, “So…what are we doing tomorrow?” However, the surprise activities turned out to be the most memorable.
2. Beware of the train strikes! Honestly, I can make a whole separate blog post about this. I was personally affected by these darn strikes. However, for my sanity, I will keep it brief. You have not experienced Amsterdam if you haven’t witnessed a strike. It happens fairly often that the Dutch train workers choose to go on strike, so plan accordingly and be flexible.