Dutch Americano: A Blog about Living in the Netherlands
Struggling with Dutch culture one day at a time.
A part of me didn't want to write this blog post. Why share something that isn't great when waiting until the tears have dried out, the wine's been drunk, and then you have no choice but to smile is always an option? Because, hey, the world's a bit rosier after rosé. Just kidding, of course.... Continue Reading →
Until last Sunday, I had never been to The Hague. Even though I had visited the Netherlands seven times before I moved here permanently last year, I did not have the chance to see many other places besides Amsterdam and Utrecht. Because there was so much to see and do already! Now that it's the... Continue Reading →
I usually blog from my apartment in Utrecht, but now that the corona measures have been considerably lifted, I am finding that I can indeed blog from wherever I like. Right now, I am on a train to Den Helder from Utrecht, and I am extremely grateful for how easy it is to get around... Continue Reading →
Two and a half months later on June 1st 2020, cafés and restaurants could now open again in the Netherlands. The country was united in waiting to reclaim this bit of freedom. At the same time, violence in the US has sparked outrage around the world. The Dutch are not ones to stay quiet. I... Continue Reading →
You've heard me talk about how some things in the Netherlands are truly very different from what an American like me is used to. There's a lot of culture shock to deal with when you move from the United States to the Netherlands. And even though I don't think about this much, there's A LOT... Continue Reading →
I know what you're thinking— everybody loves sunny days! Well, but not like the Dutch. When the sun is out, so are the Dutch. I don't think they understand that they still have the option of staying at home even when it's not raining. Most days in the Netherlands are rainy and cold, so I... Continue Reading →
Here's the crazy thing. When my girlfriend Sara first told me that biking in the US was a living nightmare for her, I just didn't get it. Biking isn't BIG in the US overall, but it is gaining popularity in many American cities. How different could the Netherlands really be? To be fair, this was... Continue Reading →
When my Dutch girlfriend told me that her friends in the Netherlands owned boats, I was shocked. I checked with her to make sure she wasn't trying to say "row boat" or "canoe" instead. Nope, she means actual freaking boats with motors and everything. It's not that boats are particularly expensive— I mean, they can... Continue Reading →
What can I say, in the past four years that I've gotten to know the Dutch culture and the Dutch people, they've won a place in my heart. But because the country is so small, many people I know aren't very familiar with the Dutch way of life. I bet there are some Americans out... Continue Reading →
There are many things I love about grocery shopping in the Netherlands. For instance, everything is much, much cheaper than in the US. In the US, I can buy a tomato for 89 cents. Here, I can buy a pack of eight tomatoes for the same price. And these are your run-of-the-mill normal tomatoes, not some classy... Continue Reading →
Have you visited the Netherlands before? Have you been to Amsterdam, seen the beautiful houses, envisioned yourself living in one of those beautiful apartments overlooking the canal? Me too! It's just so simple, leave it all behind, and it can all be yours. Well, I did, and let me tell you something, I was pretty... Continue Reading →
Dutch Americano: A Blog about Living in the Netherlands 