Hi, I’m Nienke, I’m a second-year American Studies student, and I’m happy to be a part of this year’s ASH team of writers. Growing up, I’ve always loved to write – be it for academic purposes or as a personal creative outlet. Writing was – and still is – a way to express and show myself when my introverted shy character kept me from doing otherwise. The challenge of converting thoughts and observations in my head to written words is a process I quite enjoy, and capturing them in just the right word or phrase brings me the ultimate satisfaction. I’d consider myself a lover of history and the arts, of world politics and cultures, and there is almost nothing I enjoy more than simply observing and analyzing the world around me, especially people and their interactions. (Don’t worry, you won’t find me creepily staring at people on the street corner…only in the RUG canteen 😉). Human stories and life experiences like those chronicled by Svetlana Alexievich and “Humans of New York” I find most intriguing to read. I’m not quite sure yet what my own contributions to the ASH will look like, and I myself am curious to see what it will bring. Either way, I hope you’ll find something of interest to you among our various articles. Enjoy!