Recently I had the privilege of studying in the Netherlands, Amsterdam. My accommodation was a few miles from where I took classes, which meant that I joined the thousands of other commuters every morning. Had I been in Santa Cruz, my first instinct would have likely been to get in my car and drive across town, as it would be the fastest and cheapest method of transportation. However, unlike Santa Cruz (and really most other American cities), in Amsterdam, I had several different options for my commute across town.