Dispatch from the Netherlands: Bekah Kraakman

By Diana Aguilera

A North Carolina native who studied psychology at Stanford, Bekah Kraakman, ’14, alighted in Amsterdam soon after graduation with a job as an au pair and a plan to dedicate a year to personal exploration. One year turned into four, and today Kraakman and her Dutch husband, Nick, make their home in a cozy apartment in the vibrant city of canals.

Her firsthand experience with the excitement and frustrations of relocating to an unfamiliar country helps Kraakman in her current job at Expat Housing Network. Her daily work involves helping foreigners find places to live in the capital of the Netherlands and otherwise easing their transition. “It’s not really psychology, but I am using those interpersonal skills to help people adapt to a new life in a new country,” she says.

Kraakman and her husband share a passion for travel and food as well as for the timeless beauty of their home city. Together, they have traveled to 15 countries, including China, Italy and Indonesia. Whether they’re hiking to the top of Mount Batur in Bali or eating reindeer and smoked whale in Norway, she says, they embrace opportunities to go wherever their wanderlust takes them.

Diana Aguilera is a staff writer for STANFORD.