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 →
Some of you may read this title and think I'm talking about learning to bike in the Netherlands specifically. That's the beauty of an ambiguous title like this—it means what you want it to mean. In the early days when I would visit the Netherlands as a tourist, I refrained from biking here. At the... Continue Reading →
One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my experiences of living abroad so that others who couldn't could live vicariously through me. It was also to inspire people to take the leap and move to a different place, if that's something they've always wanted to do. A year and a half... Continue Reading →
Today is September 7th, one full year since I moved to the Netherlands. One full year since I arrived at Schiphol airport with no intention of going back. The Netherlands, a country with lots of water and mills. A lot as happened since then, and while I can't recount every single thing in this post,... Continue Reading →
Last weekend, Sara and I continued on our mission to travel to more parts of the Netherlands. This time, our staycation took us to Haarlem! While I had passed by Haarlem several times in the past on the train and bus, I had never really spent any time in the city center. For the non-Dutch... 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 →
Lately, I've been talking to people back in the US, who—for one reason or another—tell me they want to move to Europe. I get it. A few years ago before the 2016 election, there were a bunch of jokes about emigrating to Europe if there was a certain outcome. Turns out that certain outcome happened,... 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 →
My girlfriend and I have currently gone through the process of moving to the Netherlands from the United States. For those of you who are new to this blog, she is Dutch and this move will be her coming back home after having spent five years in the US. As we've found out, you can... Continue Reading →
In my post earlier this week, 3 Expat Problems in this Coronavirus Outbreak, I talked about some general issues that expats are facing in these unfamiliar and uncertain times. But today, it's time for me to get personal. After all, that's why I endeavored to start a blog. For the last two weeks, my girlfriend... Continue Reading →
Lately, people have been asking me how my recent-ish move to the Netherlands has been treating me. The question comes from both friends and strangers alike, and it makes sense! I'm from New York, the concrete jungle. I'm also very American in many ways. I like everything to be biiiiggg. Small European toilets? I can't... 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 →
It's been 3 months since I moved to the Netherlands. Even though I've visited here several times before, my primary social network is through my partner, who is Dutch. Now, granted, I'm much luckier than many other expats who complain that they never talk to Dutch people EVER, but getting to know people here has... Continue Reading →
We have now officially signed the contract to live in an apartment in the center of Utrecht-- yay! Living in an apartment in the city center in a building made centuries ago, I'm excited to live that dream! BUT, of course there's a "but", why wouldn't there be a "but", life would be so totally... Continue Reading →
Dutch Americano: A Blog about Living in the Netherlands 