17 Dec End of semester

The end of the semester is approaching, it is incredible how quickly time has gone by. Four months ago, on the 9^th of August, I arrived with my pineapple suitcase at SFO, not knowing what to expect, but determined to make the most of what was to come. I still have some time left – I will return to Amsterdam on January 15^th, so I have time to finish my courses and to discover a bit more in this enormous country. Nevertheless, since a lot of the people that I have got to know by know are leaving. And because everyone is talking about going home, or rather, not wanting to go home, it does feel like some sort of ending. And endings are always a great time to reflect on what you have learned, or what has changed. In one of these final blog posts I would like to reflect on something that I have learned from American culture. I hope I will not be too cliché when I say that American people have taught me how to be more open. Being open to the people around you often just means doing very small things. For instance by having a little chat to a complete stranger on the bus, or to buy someone who has forgotten their wallet a coffee in a coffee shop. By doing these little extra’s at which the American people are so good, you create a much more positive atmosphere in a city, or community. The other day I experienced another perfect example: I thanked the bus driver for dropping me off at the airport and as I walked out he said: “you’re welcome, have a good one and be safe”. As a Dutch person, I am not used to so many friendly words in such a casual encounter. And those words immediately lifted my spirit and the stress for my flight was slightly relieved. This is what Americans have taught me, just expressing a little extra friendliness can make such a big change for someone else.