Settling
I have been in the Netherlands for almost two weeks and I’m amazed at how quickly The Hague has become home. Riding into work in the morning is becoming familiar (now that I don’t have to use google maps to find my way or accidentally find myself on a new route because I took a wrong turn). Despite this growing familiarity, I still find myself thrilled by the different perspective on everything from groceries to recreation. In so many ways, there is still so much to be experienced. This week I began exploring The Hague’s beach. From a lively pier filled with shops and restaurants to a quietly nature preserve dune park, I spent a number of hours after work either riding the coast or just walking around and enjoying the atmosphere.
At work, I have begun researching the constitutions of Anglophone African countries. My research is focused on the type of government (Parliamentary, Presidential, or Hybrid) that each country has adopted since independence. I will then compile this data into a comparative analysis of each countries’ decision to either adopt or abandon a Parliamentary, Presidential, or Hybrid system. Ultimately, this data will be used to better understand the Hybrid systems of Parliamentary-Presidential governments and how they function.
As I write, I am on the train back from Amsterdam. After two weeks in the Hague, it was nice to visit Amsterdam and all its' busyness. Its' canals are wider, its' buildings taller,and its' cyclists even more daring (a feat I did not believe possible). I saw the oldest church in Amsterdam, the outside of both the Van Gogh and Anne Frank museum (tickets are sold out months in advance), and the beautiful Vondelpark. I also spent time just walking and biking beneath the old buildings by the canals. As enjoyable as it was to get out and explore a whole new place, and it is also nice to look-forward to resting after 20,000 steps and traveling 9 miles in total.