By living with a host family and attending a local school in the Netherlands, you’ll have an amazing opportunity to meet all kinds of new people and get to know this open-minded, tolerant, and progressive country. Dutch schools are some of the best in the world, so you’ll have a unique opportunity to challenge yourself in a number of subjects. By the end of the year, you’ll be completely immersed in the language, history, and culture of the Netherlands and have experienced the adventure of a lifetime!
The Netherlands is also known as Holland, and you’ll find that depending on the region, many people have strong feelings about what to call their country. Otherwise, the Dutch tend to be very friendly and boisterous. If you like riding bikes, you’re in luck! Bicycles are the preferred mode of transportation and there are bike paths all over the country. Much of the Netherlands is below sea level, so you’ll see lots of dikes holding back the icy waters of the North Sea.