7 things I've learnt in 7 months of living in the Netherlands
It has been 7 months of living in the Netherlands, North Holland to be exact. Time has flown by and it feels like we have been here much longer.
I wanted to share 7 things I have learnt being an expat second time round. If you are new here, I lived in Abu Dhabi for 4.5 years before the Netherlands. So here goes,
It’s so refreshing live in a country that wants you to be a member of it’s community. The Dutch Government and local municipalities go out of their way to make you comfortable and integrate into their society. I mean, we got here and received letters requesting us to apply for child benefit as well as a home visit from a health worker who asked us if we were feeling lonely as a family. She also seemed to want to help us build community. I will be honest, the UAE almost felt like they wanted you to remember you were always an outsider
Minibieb - Mini libraries outside some homes where you can pick a book for free and leave one for someone else to read. How cute!
2. It is scary learning another language as an adult especially knowing that your child will be fluent in the new language. Pray for me guys or in a few years I will have a teenager bitching about me in Dutch,
3. Living in a teeny tiny country is great for your step counter. Let’s put it this way; My son’s school is 1.6kms away, Amsterdam is 19kms away and my local supermarket is 50 steps away. It’s relatively easy to get to 10,000 steps or whatever the equivalent is in kms. Comparatively the last place I lived was 11kms from the nearest mall,
Leiden City - 35 kms away, 20 mins train ride
4. Kindness is everywhere and I am so grateful for the wonderful community we have around us. My husband hurt his foot at a squash club and a fellow player took him to hospital and the Personal trainer at the gym picked him up at 11pm from hospital and dropped him home,
5. The Netherlands is beautiful, the buildings, the gardens, the bike paths, the greenery, the canals, the parks. Having this natural beauty is such a wonderful reminder to stop and be present and take in the fresh air and marvel at the sky,
6. Riding your bike in the rain, not fun!,
7. The Dutch school system is so kind to children and parents. Kid’s get Wednesday and Friday afternoons off, school is free, parents get subsidised playgroup care and if your child doesn’t speak Dutch they get extra free days in playgroup. Also, dutch primary schools don’t give homework!
Catch you in the next post.
