During my first week of study abroad in Amsterdam, I was able to complete a lot of fun activities provided for us as a part of the program with the College of Charleston and our partner program, WorldStrides. One day we were able to take a bike tour through the city and explore all of the different monuments in a fun and exciting way that was less tiring and more efficient than just walking. I was able to see the historical Anne Frank house and museum, as well as the church that she heard the bells of in her diaries. I thought it was super awesome that I was standing in the same place that such a monumental person of history did only decades before. We also got to go on a boat tour through the canals of Amsterdam, which is one of the main geographical attractions that Amsterdam is known for. With the program, there is no class on Friday or the weekends. My classmates and I prefer to use the time to travel to close countries and cities. This past weekend, I travelled to Paris on Friday evening and spent the night. We were able to see most of the famous historical landmarks in just one day, and eat amazing local cuisine. That evening, we took a cheap and short bus ride to Brussels, Belgium. After spending the night, we were able to spend the whole next day exploring Brussels. After a late dinner, we hopped on another bus back to Amsterdam and arrived back before midnight. It was fun to see how close most of the countries are and how accessible it is to travel around to other places. After my first week abroad, I have been able to explore three major cities and countries all while budgeting and maintaining class work.