And so, the journey ends....or does it?

 



    Going into this trip, I didn't expect to learn as much as I did. I thought I would learn a bit more about sex ed and then mainly explore the city, however I am very pleased to say that this trip has given me incredibly valuable knowledge that I would not have had the opportunity to learn on my own. I have learned more about Dutch history, LGBTQ+ history, sex education in The Netherlands vs the United States, sex work, past/present LGBTQ+ groups and organizations, and the Dutch view on tolerance. This trip has taught me so much and given me information I was previously sheltered from, giving me a much better and healthier way to view sex and my own sexuality. 

    The readings and lectures were the thing I was least excited for, however they easily became one of my favorite parts of the day. I loved hearing from all the lecturers and learning more about the readings we had assigned. All the speakers were kind and created a very safe and comfortable space to talk about topics I might not have been comfortable talking about before. My favorite speaker/class was Brenda/Lucy, the sex worker/sex assistant we spoke to at the prostitution center. Not only was she very open and nice, but she gave me a perspective on sex work I did not have before. Overall, I think this lecture was the most impactful for me, as it changed an existing mindset I had on sex work.

    I thoroughly enjoyed all planned class outings on this trip. I especially loved the canal tour and the food tour. The canal tour was a great way to relax after some busy days of prep and travel and enjoy the amazing scenery. I also really loved hearing the guide talk about the city's history and giving some fun facts. The food tour was more of a walk, but after the first stop where we were given some of the famous Amsterdam fries, we all found ourselves very motivated and happy to continue on. My favorite stop on the food tour was the poffertjes, but I also loved trying, and managing to keep down, the pickled herring, as it is a popular staple in Amsterdam. 

    Another thing I really enjoyed was experiencing Dutch culture firsthand. I found that people in The Netherlands are much more open, especially on topics like sex, than Americans. I thought it was fascinating to see how little religion's effects are in The Netherlands compared to the United States. I really enjoyed learning how religion has close to no power in the government in The Netherlands and how conservative right-wing groups are not nearly as prominent. 

    My absolute favorite part of this trip was visiting Zaanse schans and seeing the windmills and small village. I thought it was fascinating to see the inside of the windmills and how they worked. I loved seeing the windmill in action crushing up the rocks. I adored the small village and was very happy to walk around and explore. I loved seeing all the souvenir shops and watching clogs get made in person. The willow tries, streams, tall grass, ducks, and sheep all gave the town a fairytale feeling and I loved exploring the quieter portions. It truly made me feel like I was in a story book, and I am so grateful I got to experience it on this trip.  

    This class has made me realize how sheltered I was before, and how I want to educate myself and others in the future. Learning more about sex work and kinky cultures has changed my views on sex and sexuality as a whole. Before this class I still saw sex as a taboo topic, and it made me nervous and shameful to talk about, however I feel much more comfortable now. I want to pass down what I have learned and how I learned it in this class to possible future partners and children. If I have children in the future, I want them to feel comfortable coming to me with questions about anything and everything. I don't want my children to feel the same shame around their sexuality that I did, and I know learning about sex ed in The Netherlands, and their more open culture has given me the tools I need to create a safe and open home. 


Word Count: 732

Honor Code: I have acted with honesty and integrity in producing this work and am unaware of anyone who has not. LS



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