Nearing the end of my second work week in Utrecht, I've begun to settle into the rhythm of life in the Netherlands. I've had the chance to meet students, both Dutch and international, through local networks and introductions from my professors. This week, I began to really dive into my two projects, helping Professor Stavrinaki read through and organize the reports as rapporteur for the UK for the upcoming session of the CERD, and working with Professor Timmer to synthesize current policy and scholarship on equality mainstreaming and public sector equality duties as a part of her appointment to the Dutch Commission against Racial Discrimination. In addition to my independent research assistantships, I had the privilege to attend several workshops/events at the University this past week, including a book talk on We Slaves of Suriname and its greater implications for reconciling Dutch colonial injustices and a workshop on the international legal state of ecocide and how to approach this new standard from a criminal law lens. Though covering vastly different areas, these events have opened my eyes not only to current legal and historical scholarship into fields I am passionate and eager to learn more about, but have also allowed me to engage with local community members who have been at the forefront of work in the Netherlands looking to incorporate human rights fundamentals into a variety of fields and disciplines, all with very real implications for the international landscape (casually got to hear a talk from the senior advisor to the prosecutor of the International Court of Justice in the Hague...). As I continue to settle in to academic and social life in Utrecht, I am also excited to continue to explore Europe and take time to connect with my fellow Laidlaw scholars nearby!