Dutch Americano: A Blog about Living in the Netherlands
Struggling with Dutch culture one day at a time.
In the US, especially in big cities, every neighborhood is bound to have at least one nice café that you can go to. You know what's great about Europe, and especially here in the Netherlands? Every neighborhood is bound to have at least A FEW good cafés. Café in Utrecht. A bit empty due to... Continue Reading →
I can pretty safely say that the concept of "time off" is blurred in corporate America. On some level, it's convenience. Before going on a study abroad program in Germany, I was warned to stock up on groceries during the week. "STORES ARE NOT OPEN ON THE WEEKEND," I was told. As an American, that... 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 →
If you talk to an American about Europe, at some point, you will talk about one of two things: how old and beautiful the buildings are in European cities, and how the cafés in Europe are just fucking adorable. Why do you think I moved to the Netherlands? The Nieuwegracht in Utrecht, lined with old... Continue Reading →
You might be familiar with the Danish word "hygge", which roughly means something like "cozy". Well, the Dutch have a word for it too— gezelligheid. Yeah, I know, it's a bit of a mouthful. Maybe that's why the Danish one caught on more. But the Dutch really love for things to be "gezellig" (cozy). If... Continue Reading →
My friends were so shocked when I told them that I was moving to the Netherlands permanently. Sure, I had talked about moving to Europe, but no one was prepared for when it happened. Least of all me. This blog is obviously about my experiences abroad, but I haven't yet written about my journey to... Continue Reading →
I didn't believe that there could be a silver lining to being forced to stay indoors for weeks on end. When the quarantining measures were first put in place, I remember seeing a bunch of social media posts that just didn't make any sense to me. One friend of mine shared a "social distancing/quarantining schedule"... Continue Reading →
When people ask me how long I've been here, I hesitate because I'm not quite sure. I remember the date I got on a plane to Schipol airport, a rainy day the first week of September, but I don't recall when it was that I knew I wouldn't be going back. When I arrived in... Continue Reading →
Dutch Americano: A Blog about Living in the Netherlands 