From Criminology to Cocktail Napkins: How Utrecht University Shaped My Worldview

A transformative journey through Dutch culture, comparative justice, and personal growth—sealed by an unlikely housing agreement and a shared love for Mediterranean cuisine.

In the Netherlands, my time at Utrecht University was more than an academic pursuit—it was a transformative experience in life. My housing arrangement came together rather unexpectedly, sealed by an agreement penned on what I recall as a cocktail napkin likely from Cerveceria Boulevard, a popular pintxos bar near our place. Salvatore, my roommate and a chef with a penchant for detail, ran quality control at the bar, where the culinary and olfactory experience was nothing short of excellence. That napkin on which our agreement was scribed was a real win of Italian hospitality for me, even if the lease meant I was sub-letting a tiny front room of a 1-bedroom flat occupied already by my new Italian friend.