9:40 Dutch people love to meet new people and make new friends; unfortunately rotten potatoes who don’t want any immigrants exist everywhere in the world… #LoveYourVideos!
The Dutch don't hate immigrants or anything, but with the high influx of refugees and Eastern Europeans (migrant workers) the housing-situation is quite problematic. It is either impossisble to find a home or it is too expensive. And especially the Eastern European migration had a downward effect on our salaries. So: life is more expensive and pay is going down. Not the best combination. Unfortunately this is EU-policy.
Yeah I personally love getting to know people from other countries, I love learning about their cultures and traditions. The more, the merrier! The Netherlands would be really boring if we didn't let any immigrants in.. Maybe I'm a little biased as the daughter of an immigrant but I feel like most of my peers feel the same way, even fully Dutch ones. It's mostly the far right FvD fangirls and boys who don't wanna let anyone in 😒
@@RookieAssassin It's not as much the immigrants, imho. It's that they expect the Dutch people to adapt to them instead of the other way round. If you move to a different country, it SHOULD be obvious you need to learn a new culture and most importantly, a new language. If I moved to a new country I'd need to learn the culture and language asap, else I'd be kicked out just as fast. Sadly most immigrants think it's normal to keep their own language and expect the dutch people to speak it for them. That's perfectly fine for a temporary situation, but when they stay, they should learn the language at least imho. Culture is debatable, and religion should be up to them for sure, but if you want to make friends or live somewhere, you need to learn the language, is that really too much to ask? As for FvD fanboys or -girls, that's just wrong. To lump everyone who voted for them in the same group on everything is not fair. There are many things going on, not just immigrants. I chose them, because I agree with a lot of the things they say, but not all things. The world is NOT black and white, it's a million shades of grey and it all sucks in some way or another
You cannot compare salaries just by looking at the numbers. A Dutch salary package includes paid holidays, vacation days and, very important, paid days during sickness. You can be sick up until two years before your employer can terminate your employment. A pension scheme and social benefits when you loose your job. And sometimes compensation for your health insurance. If you add this all up, I think this balances the difference with an American salary.
2 years? that's a bit crazy tbh. Imagine you have a small business with just 2 employees, and one of them falls sick and keeps being sick for 2yrs straight. Way to bring everyone down with them🤌 It would certainly almost ruin the small business you have.
@@ricardoebbers5154 That's a crazy risk to take, having to suffer for someone else's illness for THAT long. I'm not saying anything against a few days or even weeks, but up to 2yrs is extreme. Come on! Especially since so many are lamenting how small businesses are dying out in city centres💀 No need to add such an extreme pressure to the system.
@@NoctLightCloud That's why it's mandatory for businesses to be insured for employee sickness. So the business doesn't pay anything near the full cost, the insurance company pays for most of it.
@@NoctLightCloud Thats why most small businesses work with freelancers for the most part. Also you have to get checked by doctors etc you cant just say you're sick. For example the doctors statement may require you to do lighter work if because of whatever condition you have you're not capable of doing your original work. And there are 0 hour contracts which you can google bc im too lazy to type more
I think the absolute number one priority (apart from finding a house) is learning Dutch. That will a) ease the integration threshold and b) learning a new language changes your mindset. You'll understand the locals better, not just because you can converse in their language, but because that language will alter how you look at life and the world. Just because of idiom and sayings.
@@TAndTGoDutch Knowing you live in Leiden i have a tip for you for if you ain't got something to do nexst Saterday, This Saterday its the Rijnsburgse Bloenen corso, a parade of wagons decorated with flowers and each wagon expressing a theme. It's kind of like the New Orleans Mardi gras parade but then all the parade cars are build up from flowers. It starts at 1 o clock when it;'s Leaving from the flower auction in rijnsburg then driving trough Rijnsburg and Katwijk towards Noordwijk where the parade will stay parked on the boulevard for the rest of the weekend so that if people can't watch the parade on saterdays they can still see the corso on sunday in Noordwijk.
I live here and been studying Dutch pretty seriously. I am reading books, listening to the radio, but still just getting started. Speaking to people who have learned Dutch, it definitely helps, it’s a must, but I hear more mixed opinions about its usefulness than you would expect. I feel for me the big motivation is expanding work opportunities and even then it’s limited given my field but I do feel it’s a responsibility and I enjoy the language but yeah, it’s also a mixed bag.
Integrating means adapting. So yes, the language is very important to literally join in. Making new friends later in life happens often when you have children and when they go to school and you meet other parents. Or when you join a club. Mutual interests like sports, drama, music, your neighbourhood’s citizen group or whatever, creates a bond that could easily lead to real friendships. The Black Forest Family UA-cam channel did a great video on income and cost of living between Germany (similar to NL) and the US. Even when salaries are much lower, living in Germany doesn’t put you in financial dept. The Dutch aren’t tolerant, generally. They are OK, or indifferent, as long as it doesn’t affect them. If you want more laissez faire you might be better off in a different part of the NL, like the south. It took Amazon so long to establish themselves over in the NL because there were other online retailers that dominate the market. You’ll not find the US 24 hour shopping culture in the EU because it’s too expensive to treat employees as slaves. You do make a valid point that life in any western culture is hard these days and that reality kicks in when it gets normal. Just like any other relationship. Emigrating is like a divorce and you’ll have to find new happiness elsewhere.
The tolerance comment is spot on! Us Dutch people have the reputation for being tolerant, but it indeed is more indifference, and once something affects us a lot of Dutch people will become VERY intolerant VERY fast (I hat it, but it's true)
You are experiencing the typical dip after a period of excitement of emigrating to a new country. After this phase, when holding on💪comes the phase of acceptence and normalisation of being part of a new society 😊
About space in the Netherlands: I live a 30 minutes drive from Amsterdam. The house were we live in is 5 x the size of our apartment in Amsterdam. The garden is about 900 m2. We pay less for our detached house than we payed for an apartment in the city of Amsterdam. We have an unobstructed view and plenty of space around us. Living in the countryside and nice towns to visit in a short distance. It exists. Where you live in Leiden, it is really overpriced.
You forgot to mention that you probably payed above a million euro's. Yes it is cheaper a few miles from Amsterdam but a 900 m2 garden is not that normal.
@@waltersteyger1215 no , 35 minutes spot on to my family in Amsterdam . Do your homework and look at funda . The surrounding of the beautiful city of Hoorn . Maar laat maar je gelooft het of niet. Mijn huis heeft 4 slaapkamers, 2 woonkamers, een grote woonkeuken, bijkeuken , grote zolder , van garage met veranda en een vloeroppervlak van ongeveer 225m2. En nee het is geen schuur ! 😂 en nee ik ben niet van plan het te verkopen !
@@Hrn250Jammer dat ik niet terug naar Nederland kan gaan. Zo weinig geld krijg ik op mijn social security hier in de Staten dat het kan niet om in Nederland te leven. Bijna alles is lelijk hier en ook niks te zien of doen. Museums zijn heel duur hier. Ik wens altijd dat we nooit hadden geemigreerd.
De Duitse economie schijnt op klappen te staan. Als dat gebeurt, dan kunnen een hele sloot bedrijven de deuren wel sluiten en dus ook een hele sloot werknemers hun boeltje pakken.
"To survive is to convive". If you don't understand this concept and believe that "competition" is the best way to survive, then don't emigrate to the Netherlands. I believe that solidarity (with the poor, underprivileged, or the sick) is the biggest difference between Europe and the US. Europeans earn less because they choose to contribute to the lives of the less fortunate as a matter of decency.
Yes. Because European countries (in majority) are socialists. We want to live in countries with happy people around us and that can be done only when we all pay for those who are unfortunate.
First time commenting. Am stoked you appeared in my UA-cam suggested videos. This heartfelt video share resonated: particularly the integration part. I miss community most of all. First year here was the last of the lockdowns. Then I got Covid first time I went into Amsterdam. 🤦🏻♀️😄 Anyway... I'm still feeling stuff out, learning and taking my time. All that said, as a Californian Expat, I am 100% glad to be here everyday. I do not miss driving in traffic. I do NOT miss American fast food and Star*uck's on every corner. I do not miss the closed minds and baked-in racism that's come out the closet and erupting throughout the nation worse than a coronavirus. Here's some of what I love about living in NL: - The rain. As a pluviophile: the rain is utter and complete joy. I love how the Dutch bicycle in storms and don't let the wet hinder plans. -I love how people smile and say "Goedemorgen." The simple acts of kindness and the generosity of Spirit I've experienced has been so good for my heart. -Public transportation. Everyone from all tax brackets utilizes it and it's reliable. - New Year's. NEIGHBORHOOD FIREWORKS ARE BETTER THAN DISNEYLAND! ❤ - I love the museums and access to art. -I love that I'm a hop, skip and a jump to many places that I'd otherwise have to try to jampack into a 1-2 week trip. I can take my time. Take the train and go slow. I love SLOW. I could go on and on. My advice is to pro and con list it all. Watch T&T content and absorb the truth and fun stuff they provide. The Netherlands is a fantastic place to live. Acclimate, be respectful/ humble/grateful and above all be able laugh at yourself and you'll do just fine. Thanks You Two! Have a blast in Italy!
Dutchie here. Thank you for this realistic reaction. This is the reality in The Netherlands. Enormous housing shortage. There are people in their 30's who still live with their parents because they can'nt find a house. We have to thank our center/right kapitalist government for this. They thought Trickle Down economics would solve this. But it didn't. The rich are only making themselves even richer and nothing trickles down... The people who are very conservative and say to you 'Go Home' however are a minority. Those are our ultra rightwing idiots. The majority is not like that. Learning Dutch is indeed THE way to make friends. Great reaction! ❤
@@satturatedphat I see my husband used my phone. Again!!😡 Because his old headphones did not fit at his new phone. Ofcourse we can make more land if we want. We did it before. Perhaps we can confiscate a bit of the Northsea to make new land of. More houses and more hering. Win, win, win situation. And if we can also agree with the French they can fish for Coquilles St. Jaques if the sell them for a reasonable (read very low)price, I will be in 7th heaven. The rich as mentioned above by me but not by me are not representative for The Netherlands. It is like that in lots and lots of countries and much worse. But as the 5th? economy in the world it is a bloody shame we have free food places for the homeless.
@@satturatedphat They are building more houses but you have to keep in mind that space in The Netherlands is quite limited and you have to keep in mind that when they build more houses, it might not be in an area and/or city where you want to move to even though the transportation is fantastic.
the big joke is everyone in the world thinks we are liberal.. we are not. most Dutch people are reserved and conservative, but reasonably tolerant And about making friends: you can make Dutch friends here, but it's not easy, the Dutch language/culture/reservation is really a thing.
This video about moving to Netherlands is the best I've seen. Practical points about the struggles, emotional, financial, etc. I really enjoyed it. Obviously i subscribed! Good luck!
Opening hours differ throughout the USA as well. None of the nearby shops in NJ - including Walmart - are not open 24 hours a day. Most close at 10 to 11 pm and open at 6 to 8 am. I’m now in Casper, Wyoming and also the fast food chains like Burger King, McDonald’s and Arby’s close during dthe night. Burger King in dining from 7 am to 10 pm and drive through till 11 pm. Don’t expect 24x7x365 options around the USA everywhere.
For reference: I live in a village in the randstad (which is the more densely populated area that was mentioned). The randstad usually is a bit more progressive which means, for example, that supermarkets cary more vegan products and shops have longer opening hours. The shops in the shopping center are opened from 8ish ‘till 6 pm (18:00h) and the supermarkets are open from 7:30 to 10 pm (22:00h). Those opening hours differ on national holidays. For Kingsday the supermarkets closed earlier and the greengrocer and bakery weren’t open at all. Also, things like next day delivery are not big here and flash delivery services have only entered the market a couple of years ago. I’ve never noticed how much this was bound to culture but it is very interesting to see.
@@TAndTGoDutch Woerden is a bit special though. It is a bit of an enclave in the Dutch Bible belt, and cities nearby like Oudewater and Montfoort really are ademend against openings on Sunday and out hours, and it kind of rubs of on the Woerden as being the largest Provincial city nearby and only a trainstop (or two) you have a major city like Utrecht, so Woerden shops do tend to just not open up on Sundays, maybe even more than in other similar provincial cities. Also, unlike Leiden, there is no Student Culture in Woerden at all. Everyone goes to Utrecht or Rotterdam for their nightly entertainment. Leiden in the contrary almost synergized with Rotterdam, Delft, Den Haag and Amsterdam.
As for the size of houses and gardens: we are a pretty small country with a large number of people living in it, so it is impossble to all have larger houses and gardens, there simply is not enough space. Texas is approx 16 times bigger than the NL while the NL has more than 10x as much habitants per square km as Texas. So that’s pretty dense 😊❤
it's all fun until you get a drug addict as a neighbour, or some family with 4 kids on 60 square meters who are pretty traumatized by deadbeat parents, and act accordingly. Both things have happened to my parents here in Austria in a 52 appartment complex. We had to call the police multiple times because of domestic violence and techno parties and excessive screaming (not shouting, but screaming) at 2am~5am😅 Their problems suddenly become your problems as well when you live wall-to-wall. I would love to be able to live in a proper detatched house in the future. That qualify of life must be amazing! Appartments aren't long-term solutions and are often a lottery/mixed bag. Can be downright depressing, especially when you're sleep-deprived and have to act like nothing has happened the next day at work. And it keeps repeating.
@@ricardoebbers5154 it's my experience, the hell do you mean "know what I'm talking about"? And I can answer wherever I want. I just dislike people praising appartments over detached houses. The quality of life is vastly superior in the latter one. What do I "not know what I'm talking about"?
Hi T&T, this video from a few months back popped up on my youtube. And I can relate to your points of strongly considering if you make the right decision, moving to The Netherlands. I am Dutch and me and my family took the opposite way, moving from Holland (The Hague area) to NA (not US but Canada, which in many ways is like a lill brother to the States). Our main reason for leaving Holland was your no.1 reason: Space! Both physical (living) space and mental space. We felt that living in the Netherlands was comprising us. Everything is in "hokjes" (boxed in, in expectations from others and in pure physical space). We decided to make the leap across the pond, but it took us 9 years of preparing and saving enough money to cover the first period (4 months) of living in our new country. Now, after 7 years, we have more solid footing, than when we first started. We both have a FT job and kids are settled in their schools; plus we were able to buy a house. All these things take time and money and will not come on their own. But we are still Dutch. Like you mention: be prepared to lose your citizenship, if you want to become a Dutch citizen. which has its benefits but its flaws as well, since you are not allowed dual citizenship. For us, this is a tough decision, here in Canada. But we decide that it is in our best interest to keep the Dutch Citizenship and not become Canadians. Others have to make that choice for themselves when they move to The Netherlands. So for anyone that wants to make the leap: absolutely be prepared as best as you can be. Visit the country, the city or area that you'd like to settle in and be prepared to go somewhere completely else. Go with a plan and have the finances to back up your plan. Like you say: it is not a vacation, it is your life. Time passes bye and all depends how you adapt to your new life. I believe you guys found your new life in "het Hollandse", please keep sharing your experiences.
All fair points, and it sucks that you have experienced the "unwelcome" part. I am afraid that though by far the most people will be very welcoming, the group that is negative won't go away. We really need a way to deal with the polarizing effect of social media (the whole world, not just the Netherlands) and fake information. Still hope to bump into you two at some point. Have a great day \o
Buncharted did the maths on income and spendings and even though they make somewhat less here in the Netherlands, they spend less too... certainly on things like health insurance, internet and cell phone coverage (and they probably do not even have those bundled yet so they could save more). No, you can not wake up at 3:14 am and walk to a store and buy whatever you think you need. We Dutch tend to be asleep at that time ;) Still: you can get pretty much everything here when the shops are open. And it is not as bad anymore as it was 30 years ago when all shops were just closed on Sundays. Supermarkets are open every day from 7 am to 10 pm and that should be enough for everyone to get their groceries in. As for making friends: most of that happens at school, at work or at the various sports and leasure communities. As for the trolls... I feel sorry for them actually. If they think they could afford the place you live in, or could do the work that you do... but usually they are the kind of people who have little to no education, and a low paying job because of that. We EU countries have some strict restrictions as to who can work and live where. Same as the USA really. I just could not go to the USA and expect to find a job there and a house and all, and the same is true for the reverse. If you are from outside the EU and have a job here, it means they could not find someone within the EU to do that job for one reason or another. Before a company can employ someone from outside the EU, they have to prove that they have searched hard and long enough to try to employ someone from within so... But it's facts like these that the trolls just do not know, or are terribly misinformed about. I live in the more liberal Rotterdam but I work in the surrounding villages like Albrandswaard, Barendrecht and Ridderkerk and these three have more in common with countryside USA than the Netherlands to be honest. Ridderkerk is in fact in our bible belt. And as a mail carrier, I can certainly see that by the kind of mail people recieve. Lovely small towns though ;) Have fun in Rome. Keep doing what you are doing and stay amazed at this wondrous place us Dutchies call home.
Maybe you received this advice already, but in my experience a very good way to make friends in NL later in live is to join a sport club (i.e. football, tennis etc.). Especially if you take some group lessons or join a team. It asks some commitment, but i believe commitment is regarded very important in friendship here. If it does not feel sincere or like you aren't that invested, it might put people off (because they do invest their time and energy in the friendship). Should you already have some 'warm connections' don't be shy to invite them over, just keep in mind that you also suggest a time and date, otherwise it is likely never going to happen 😂.
Your journey is very Interesting to watch. Thanks for this very illuminating video. I hope you'll grow accustomed to this strange country, and that this country will treat you kindly. Greetings from Delft!
Telling it how it is. You are more Dutch than you think 😉. All valid points. Don’t get offended by people complaining about immigrants. It’s the same principle as with internet trolls. They can’t handle stressful situations in life and take it out on others. You are good people respecting others. You are great role models. Never forget that. ❤❤❤
WOW! Everything you say could have been googled before leaving 'your precious' US. Please note that this is just another proof of the ignorance of Americans.
@@ceeceescholts5563actually most of the points could not have been googled and that is why they made this video. The the whole thing about forgetters taken up homes and jobs percentage wise doesn’t make since. Our family in the last 6 years moved in USA from Georgia to California back to Georgia then to Delaware and the whole job/ housing has been a huge unaffordable limited mess. Something else is being setup and foreigners are to small of a percentage to create such problems.
buncharted did (two) overviews on it, going over all their major expenses and comparing to their former life in Austin, TX. Property is expensive, and an actual real problem for our own inhabitants. Woerden and Leiden really are on the upper-ends, while not being a prime city like Amsterdam or Utrecht. It is basically imperative you can bring some savings to take of the edge. With patience and some DiY renovation skills, there are options though. Home ownership is favored in the long run, but caused undeniable price inflation to the extend that certain rural properties have changed from being owned by small business owners houses to only affordable for millionaires while still being modest for US standards. A big change can be transport, because you do not need to be car dependent here. It is a matter up to you if you consider this a improvement or a downgrade on your standards of living. From our point of view the US gasoline prices are and will always be it is priced as if it is water. Health insurance can be a lot less, with coverage fixated by law, but it is also mandatory for every (adult) individual. Health services are excellent, and for a considerable part funded via taxation. Fixed costs, depending on your point of view this can be cheap or very expensive, because you will be paying monthly for services that you hopefully will never have to use. Compared to the US their is considerably less consumerism in our culture. It way more common to cook your own meals instead of eating in a restaurant, and meals in most restaurants are priced accordingly, not a real option for daily usage. Having savings on your bankaccount is the norm, and 'discounts' are a real thing here. So sometimes buying groceries in bulk, look around in other shops, etc can give quite some savings and sometimes means you are paying premium if you are in direct need. Ownership is the cultural norm. While possible, it is not common to do down-payments on luxury consumer-goods like cars or furniture. Take the hit upfront and save money in the long run
Well, like it or not, you're becoming Dutch. Finally a video where someone gives their opinion the Dutch way: this is the way I see it, period. I'm not a fan of video's where people constantly qualify their meaning with lots of sentences that all come down to the same thing: I don't want to offend you. You're just sharing your feelings, it won't offend me. I also won't like you anything less for it, even if I disagree. I hope you'll find a home here!
I lived abroad half a year and I didn't miss Holland. I went back to my family and friends ànd the places/memories of my youth. The space here is limited which was not the case in earlier days. Americans think big. More opportunities in the States I gather. Hope you feel welcome here!
@@Hensepens64 And much more freedom in almost every aspect here (as proven by many rankings) plus people are happier, healthier, I can go on and on. But hey, isn't it good if more people advise US'ians not to come, and have a wrong opinion? Most of them are too attached to their car and will ruin the balance (in terms of mobility). So I'm happy if someone is spreading ungrounded criticism.
Having grown up in both the US and the Netherlands, I understand that there are some things that I would miss about the US But I also miss my Dutch home. A bit if both please
You’ll have to come back in October for the Koeienmarkt, one of the oldest in the country. It is on the first Wednesday after October 20th, it has been held every year since 1410. And did you try a Kristaljon? A raisin bun with cinnamon and sugar, with cream butter. It is a traditional Woerden delicacy. About the shop opening times, there is a general rule (do not apply for supermarkets and DIY stores): opening hours, weekdays from 9:00 till 18:00, Saturdays 9:00 till 17:00, Sundays closed, in villages there is also Friday evening (Koopavond) from 18:00 till 21:00 and in cities it is Thursdays (Koopavond) evening from 18:00 till 21:00. Sundays are mostly closed, but there are municipalities where there is one Sunday a month (Koopzondag) when the stores are open, mostly from 12:00 till 17:00. Supermarkets are open every day, generally from 7:00 or 8:00 till 21:00 or 22:00, with the exception of Sundays when they open at 12:00. DYI stores and garden centers are open weekdays from 8:00 or 9:00 till 21:00 or 22:00, Saturdays from 8:00 till 18:00 and Sundays from 12:00 till 18:00. This is a general rule, so opening hours do vary between municipalities, chain stores and mom-and-pop stores. I always check on the website of the store/shop I want to go to for opening hours on holidays and Saturdays.
Very nice synopsis, you guys. For me it'll be 24 years living/working in the NL end of this summer, and I first came here as an international educator. So, I've been around too, but what I hadn't reckoned with was grandchildren. And I have one in the States whom I rarely see but am hoping to spend next summer with...and I can't wait. They grow up while we're gone, as well as the rest of our families and friends who move on with the bigger portions of their lives that we are no longer personally involved with simply because we're here and they're there. You're also spot on about the five-year integration. I had to hire an immigration lawyer because our salary dipped below standard and so my temporary residency was denied when it was up for renewal, which I then legally protested to be able to continue working. Still, I could only do so using my then Dutch partner, now husband's, company tax license. Later, thankfully after I became a citizen, the Dutch tax system insisted that I have my own, my own company and license, as they concluded that my career didn't fit in with my husband's company description. Another issue I hadn't reckoned with. To me such an issue would've appeared absurd in the States, but this is a bureaucratic country. And, yes, a beautifully green one at that too. So, let us know when you're ever in Zeeland and we'll show you around. Cheers P.S. I forgot to mention that I couldn't figure out that saying on, was it a mini manhole? 'Waar rook is, is een klungel aan het werk'. So, I asked the Dutchman, who said, loosely translated, 'there's no smoke without a fire', which is fitting for the theme of what you've been discussing...meaning know what you're getting into before plungeing into it. 😜
Actually there is a very identical expression in Dutch : Waar rook is , is vuur. But here it is paraphrased to : If you see smoke.... It's because some incapable person is doing a shitty job..
@@Dutchbelg3 Yes, that too - LOL. I often feel this way when trying to follow UA-cam directions on a DIY project...way over my head and thus doing a shitty job. 😅
@@Dutchbelg3 Which is á stupid remark, because there are a million reasons why there might be smoke somewhere, without some imcompetent person being the cause. So I would say: the one who wrote that remark isn't very smart and would do better to keep his stupidity inside his own head instead of showing it to the world.
Very good to hear the not so positive points, I wellcome it, thanks!! The Dutch always like to say "we should be happy to live in this country, because....", while there are lots of points where you can be equally as good or better of in other European countries. All the best from Duiven!
Lets put it like this: Conservative people (whether they are American or any other nationals) should not move to the Netherlands or actually not move anywhere in the world! People that expect that their surroundings should adapt to their - somehow grown superiority complex - should stay home (and preferably indoors of that home). Only imagine a Dutch family moving to Texas and insisting to keep speaking Dutch, demand supermarket to start selling Dutch food, candy etc. And maybe dig into "why certain things have developped the way they are". If Texas would have been a overpopulated state with a similar history as the Netherlands, chances are they would have much more in common. This leads to the statement: if you decide to settle somewhere else, keep your prejudices behind, prepare by thorough investigation out front and know you will have to adapt and that will not be easy, but it is the only natural way to proceed in life!
These are great insights, thanks for keeping it honest guys. I’ve visited Texas only once (Austin) and went to Spain last year and YES SPACE IS DEFINITELY smaller in Europe but it’s not too bad.
Also consider this: in the Netherlands you can’t find a McDonald’s on every Main Street, don’t have a Walmart nearby and cant buy Starbucks coffee in 20 places in every town.
@@CourtneyLeigh-w9k what are you talking about, this isnt 2005, supermarkets are all open on sunday, aswel as stores like gamma. What more do you need?
Mooie video, i am sorry to hear people still make bad comments. And it makes me sad to hear it still stings. If you ever come back to Brabant , we will make it Gezellig!!
I watch a lot of video's of Americans that moved to the Netherlands and only rarely do I recognise my own country in them. Most of the things the two of you said in this video are (partially) correct, but only from the viewpoint of someone living in the bigger cities in the Netherlands (de Randstad). You can have everything you want if you're willing to look further outside that area. :)
On ‘Challenging to integrate’ -> ‘they won’t let you into their friend group unless you speak Dutch’ Do you expect your new Dutch friends to speak English? Or are you planning on learning and speaking Dutch? Can you please explain why you are expecting your new friends to speak English and why it is not the other way around (you learning to speak Dutch)?
No, we don’t expect them to speak English at all, actually. We’ve already taken one Dutch course, and are about to start our second (B2 level and higher.) We try to speak Dutch whenever we’re out and about (at a cafe, grocery store, market, etc.) We also have a video on why expats should learn Dutch on our channel and basic useful phrases we’ve learned, if you’re curious. Thank you for watching!
Good video! It’s like my mom used to say, when I (from Rotterdam) felt like moving to a village: "It’s not like a holiday; check it out on a rainy day in november, at 4 pm". In other words, when you can’t see anything picturesque, because it is dark and gloomy., and your daily commute depends on this one bus, that at the best of times has a twice per hour schedule.
Yes, Woerden is a beautiful town. If I decided to move back to The Netherlands I would look for a town, not specifically Woerden, but a town like Woerden, there are many. My no.1 choice would be Maassluis ZH, it is where I grew up. I want to focus on your chapter "challenge of integrating". There are many good YT videos out there about living in The Netherlands but very few delve into this subject seriously enough. I was born in the US, moved to Holland at age 6 and returned to The US at age 22. I feel like I am Dutch and American at the same time. Age 6 to 22 is a very impressionable age in our lives. A few of the friends that I made at age 6 in the first year of elementary school remained my best friends until age 22 when I left and I still make contact with them now, 45 years later. Dutch people really shape their lives by being part of small tight knitted circles of friendship and a typical Dutch person may belong to a few of these circles. Americans are really outgoing, open minded to changes and make friends just by approaching and reaching out. Dutch people may seem the same and in ways are but they consider those kind of friendships as superficial, more like acquaintances, and treat them as such. They rate levels of friendship. It's kind of like the American question, who can you call when in need at 3:00AM. The guy at work may seem like a good friend but you're not going to call him. The Dutch really depend on those close friend circles to protect themselves, for strength, to preserve their culture and daily life routines and they don't just let anyone new in. My advise is to make strong efforts and join group activities clubs that have a tendency for friendship making. For lack of a better thought, join a bowling league (ha, there are a few), a ballroom dancing school or club. Something where you repeatedly go to each week, these are the places where friendships form and they do so in small circles. For Americans I suggest to take it slowly, naturally, don't push the issue too fast. If you chat-up make a little deeper conversations in, let's say, that dance club, don't say: Hey we should go together to that concert that's coming up after 3 weeks, that is too soon. If you are a young man and you're thinking to go to The Netherlands and "score" with those beautiful Dutch blond girls. You've heard they are very modern, liberal and open minded, they are sexually liberated in a sexually liberated country. Many Dutch people are that but I don't think you are going to be all that successful. Many of the Dutch girlfriends that I had when I was young, I am thinking all of them, the relationship and openess to take it a level further (not THAT many I was popular, not Casanova!) came from getting to know the girl from those close circle groups and it took a bit of time. Dutch girls are not prude but it is not like the stereo typical manner in which foreigners report The Netherlands. Politics was mentioned in this video, left verses right. The Netherlands has the same peculiarity as many of the western social European countries. People think that they are very progressive thinking and it makes them vote progressive. Others are very progressive in larger concept, many people type thoughts, organizational. But when it comes to their daily lives and small circles of family friends and surroundings, this is Europe ""the old school world"". I do things this way because my grandmother taught me. Why do things differently all the sudden? Why change what is working just fine? And so on. They may vote progressively and believe in the freedom of marriage for gays but they live their lives in traditional manners, conservative even. So far that what they vote and politically believe in may not reflect how they live their lives on a daily basis.
I truly hope you both find your way here in the Netherlands.. personally i think you guys are really adapting and no matter where you go.. there always will be.. how to say it nice... people that think they can say anything to everyone.. .. just try to ignore them. I totally understand you miss things form back home.. specially family but also simple things as food etc. Some things can be resolved.. there is an expat store in the Hagua and Wassenaar if im right.. Kelly's ? or something like that. It might help with some cravings but its not cheap. Anyway.. please keep showing more from your life here and Live your life as you want it.. ignore the ignorant ones, they are everywhere across the globe. HUgssss
Hey welkom to the netherlands. So at this time it's not easy to come to the netherlands because of the house shortage, but if you are looking go live in the smaller cities, it is cheaper, more space and don't forget it is a small country so by car you can drive it in 3hrs. So every city is close by. The east is usefull because you have space close to germany, 2 hrs away from belgium en 1.5 to most big cities. And it is the most green. Keep informing you doing great🙃. Have a nice weekend
Salary expectation, to be fair, how many hrs did u work in the states and how many hrs do u in the Netherlands, and did u have paid vacation days in the states, sick days, so if you take it into account, it's pretty good to stay here, although it can always be better
According to this American couple, it’s probably better not to move to the Netherlands, because of certain obstacles you will face. Well, emigration in itself is a very, very hard enterprise and never be taken lightly. No matter where you come from or going to. About a holiday destination we might think: “oh, it’s so beautiful here; I’m bored back home, so I’m gonna live here”. But it’s not that easy. After the honeymoon you will sober up real quick!
Salaries in the U.S. are maybe higher than in the Netherlands. But oh boy see what happens in America if you get sick, dissabled or unemployed. Where is the financial support from the government that you really need to pay for all of your bills ? You may well end up being homeless (as many people do) That would (hardly) never happen in the Netherlands. Not to mention things like at least 4 weeks of paid vacation every year for every employee to take (even in a first year of full contract). And essential things like healthcare are way way way more expensive in America than in the Netherlands.
Just realised that I haven't seen new uploads for a time. I hope all is fine. I miss your uploads and views about your lives in the Netherlands. Hopefully till soon again 👍
I wanted to comment as another American who moved to NL, about the same time as you, around the same age as you, and also from Texas (Dallas)! What you said is all very true. My wife and I live in Noord Brabant and even here, affordable housing is hard to find. Personally, for me, convenience culture has been the most difficult thing to give up. I'm reminded of that now that I'm waiting to exchange my drivers license; it's been almost 6 weeks and I think it will take at least another month. In the US, I was that guy shopping at 10 or 11pm at night. I took a Dutch language course with a woman from Japan and we both lamented on how much we miss 7-11! To other Americans who are Dutch-curious: come visit! Especially if you are considering a permanent move, it's worth it to save for an exploratory trip before committing to move. The smaller towns are just as nice as the big cities and the language barrier really isn't that high for a temporary visit. The final thing I will add, is that it's okay to go back home. Part of being human is making mistakes and sometimes those mistakes are big and cost a lot of money. You aren't a failure if you move and eventually decide you want to go back. Nobody thinks less of you; you aren't flawed. Often, it just isn't a good fit and that's fine. Be kind to yourself in the same way you are kind to others. Gezellige dag en hebt een fijne week! 🇳🇱🥰🇺🇸
I live in Friesland. Have a large house and garden. Why would people want to go to the Randstad? Houses are for sale here. Nice old cities and towns, lot of nature. And the second official language of the Netherlands: Frisian.
My husband and I are wanting to start a business in the Netherlands and this video has helped a lot! We know what city we want to place the business, but we don’t quite know what city we want to live in. Any suggestions
We’re so glad you found our videos helpful. It completely depends on what your business is and your personal preferences. We like a lot of quiet, but still not too far away from bigger cities. We also prefer to be close to the airport, as we love to travel, which is why we chose Leiden.
Kinda dpends on your budget tbh. The West Randstad Area (Amsterdam/Rotterdam/Utrecht/Den Haag) is the most densely populated part of the country and since we have a housing shortage all over the country, but especially in the Randstad prices are absolutely ridiculous, the suburban towns in the Randstad are a tad more affordable, but only a tad (and not nearly as charming), If yoou head to the East and South prices are lower and cities like Zwolle, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Enschede or Masstricht might be interesting (though that also depends on the kind of business and what are prerequisites for that). i live in Drenthe province in the rural east of the country, and it's lovely and quiet, it's also not nearly as well served by public transport though. It really depends on your preferences. If city life is what you want but not in Amsterdam, I'd research Groningen, Enschede and Zwolle for bit. All three are small provincial cities with a very nice old city centre which is culturally very active (especially Groningne and Enschede becasue of major Universities in those cities)
The honeymoon is over? I've lived here for 45 years (originally from Wichita,KS.) and have gone through several phases. The first is always euphoria, the beauty of the country, the bike culture, the good health care, the liberal outlook of most people, the old European architecture, the museums, the cafes, etc. Slowly you realize that you are a foreigner and you will always be a foreigner (I was fortunate to have acquired Dutch citizenship 25 years ago when it was permitted to hold two passports). i speak fluent Dutch, but I am still a foreigner. You have to be able to live with that, integrate as best you can, My social life has always revolved around the ex-pat community, but certainly not exclusively. I had terrible homesickness for years and probably would have moved back to the U.S., but my child was born here and her father was not interested in leaving Amsterdam. When I'm outside, I hear so many Americans (or Canadians) moving around the city, and they're not tourists. Somehow I feel a resentment about that, maybe because I feel Dutch and many Dutch people complain a lot about all the foreigners/immigrants in their midst. You are right, the reality of living in the Netherlands is complicated and it takes years to realize where you are and what it means. I enjoy your blog, keep it up!
Travis and Tracey, I live in Australia, and housing is a nightmare here, not enough houses available, we have a big rental crisis, unfortunately it's a big problem everywhere..love your videos😊
Well...if you wanna make friends in the Netherlands it is wise to join a sports club or a join a hobbyclub...that is the fastest way to learn the culture...and try to speak Dutch to show you are interested in their culture...remember they took the time to learn your language...I can't be a one way way street... Keep up the good work and I am sure you will make lots of friends...
Great video! . Boy, your comments about how some people wish "you would go back to your country" reminds me how there're plenty of U.S. citizens here in lots of states I've been in, who even act that way towards other citizens who move out of one state and into another! I've seen it, I've lived all around the U.S. (been in 46 states). That unwelcomeness is alive and well, even here in the States. . We've thought about moving to the Netherlands, we're both dual U.S.-EU citizens and can easily step off a plane in any EU nation, dot a few "i"s and cross and few "t"s on a few forms, and we could settle in for the long term. We have lots of relatives in nearby Germany. My wife even speaks some Dutch. . Gee, I just can't see living somewhere without some mountains. ... although, I do see the Ardennes are not to far away. . I much rather wanted to go to Canada, but they're really tightening up the entire immigration scene now and it's crazy difficult.
Excellent vlog, T&T! Another consideration before packing your life up and moving abroad is that if you have children, please be sure to think about what they might go through as well, especially in the first several months. It will be hard on them, being uprooted from everything they know, friends and family that they will be leaving behind, and adapting to a new way of life.
But why throw it on you-tube ! Make a case on internet where you can inform us Dutchies and make your own (objectiv or subjectiv) experience clear also for other Americans. *UA-cam* is not the place if you think about it. Also you are not the norm while other intelligent people know things you warn them about at fore-hand. Practice is difficult for every foreigner ofcource. Put it in the place where it belongs. 😉🌹
I live in Woerden and as a follower I realise I could have bumped into you somewhere in de city, and then could have treated you a coffee. Love your videos and hope you enjoy your trip to Rome 😊
Most expat video's on youtube are like "oh it's like heaven here in the netherlands" , so I'm very happy with this video. I love my country but like every country it has it's pro's en cons and people that want to imigrate here should be prepared for that. About housing: it's a small country we simply don't have enough space for huge houses and gardens.
Thank you, we felt like it was important to address a few of the things we experienced as we transitioned. No place is perfect. We appreciate you watching!
Discrimination is always there. I have seen enough and it goes way back in time too. Went through a couple. As for moving here, I think that you should know what kind of life you want. I enjoy hearing American expats because I have been here a while. Good luck to all. Love your friends Eric and Tammy.
When you compare salary, do you also compare cost of living? Meaning housing, insurances (particularly health insurance cost) food etc? In the US you get taxed less. I think it really depend what area in US you compare with which area in NL. Generally speaking you don’t move for the money to NL (from the US), from other European countries it can be a benefit. Cost of having multiple motorized vehicles is much higher in NL vs US. And a free standing spacious house in a nice area is pretty much unaffordable in NL or you both need a very high paying salary. But that is due to limited space and housing market. The houses are build more to last though and build less to “show how big it is” while it’s actually not, just wide and not deep. Personally I settle for a well build bricklayed house any day over the wood and dry wall ones.
Having lived abroad I found that it’s always hard to befriend locals. They already have their circle of friends and relatives, and they don’t want to invest time in a friendship with someone who may move away in a few years.
My wife is from Brasil and moved over here 6 years ago. She studied Dutch about 15 hours weekly and her Dutch is close to perfect, being on an age of 57 now. Because of this and her great personality she has a bunch of very good Dutch friends. Her son, the same song. If you want to live like back home, go back home. Don't expect Wendy's, Walmart here.
All depends on which enviremont you fall into in terms of occupation and background. You're adapting your own cirkels. Even the Dutch themselves have differences. I know several Americans who have seen and lived in different European places and they all confirm that The Netherlands of all E.U. countries is the most 'american' relatively spoken. I have to add that most of them are musicians and artists of all kind and most are intellectual leaning.....
Living in Amsterdam is like permanent vacation..only difference is u go to bank..pay bills check mail... after doing that u can walk around do whatever you want u have This awesome environment 24 / 7
That’s awesome that you feel that way! Sounds like you’re integrating pretty flawlessly. Unfortunately, we don’t think it’s that easy for most people, so you’re lucky! We love our lives here in The Netherlands, but we don’t view it as a holiday at all. There are so many positives of living here, which many of our videos focus on. We don’t want to sugarcoat it, As far as cons go, There’s trying to integrate into Dutch society, learning a new language, navigating a foreign healthcare system, dual taxes, etc. Not to mention homesickness!
Fair assessment. Also it rains a lot. And while your salary will be 3/4 of that in the US, a (small) car will cost you 1.5x as much, so you will have to learn to ride a bike (in the rain). Your neighbors are part of your Dutch life. If you are used to burning leaves in the spring, without regard for your neighbors, Nederland is not the place for you (You'll live, but it won't be gezellig).
I grew up in the Netherlands as a kid but we moved to Australia. Going back with ideas to stay I was a bit shocked at the standard of living. Everything is so crowded, the lack of space, the mediocre housing I was in, energy costs, the gloomy weather. I couldn't do it & went back to Melbourne.
It's a pity that the Netherlands did not bring you what you were looking for. Perhaps too high expectations? You lived in the most densely populated part of the Netherlands. Have you returned to Texas now? If so, I hope this was a nice adventure to remember, to look back on later in your life. I wish your both all the best
I think if one moves to a new country one will inevitably experience all the issues you are talking about in this video. I came to Canada from the Netherlands 71 years ago but still there are days when I do not feel like a Canadian. Just having a strange name is enough to set people off. I think that the best thing to help anyone integrate into a new society is to completely drop the old one. Whole hog or nothing!
These are all very realistic and reasonable points, but I also think these apply for almost any foreign country you move to 😉. I think every country has benefits and disadvantages. Making new friends is also hard for me as a Dutch person 😉.
Look i wouldn't go and live in the US for a million bucks, not because it isn't a good country but because i love my country and love the things about it like the cities with all its history, my friends and just the understanding of how stuff goes on here, the type of humor, the inside jokes. i feel connected to that and you guys obviously feel and are American and like the things you grew up with. I understand this 100%, so that's why I'm still surprised why you guys even live here? i want you guys to love it here but it doesn't sound like you would choose this country over the US, so why are you guys here?
We love our lives here so much. This video is more of a cautionary tale for Americans who dream of moving to Europe. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, certainly not perfect, but perfect for us and the family we’re hoping to have here. Hopefully that clears things up a bit.
It's a good question to ask. I ask myself the same question after living in venlo the last 8 months. I myself can only part answer it that I don't feel at home in England anymore. Maybe that's why they left the us. Further for me the brexit and my 2 young kids live in venlo. So looks like I'm moving back there next month. You are lucky you love your country of birth. Many people dont.
Yes, as a Dutch person I have had expat friends, but at some point they always leave so you also need to make new friends, which is hard. That's why we do not invest too much in those relationships. Sorry. I hear a lot of complaints on that part, but this is the reason and you need to learn to acknowledge that point of view. Besides, we distinguish hugely between friends and acquaintances. As an expat, you need to keep dat in mind.
About the Dutch being loyal to their childhood friends. I don't have any friends from my childhood anymore. Probably cause I moved to Amersfoort and certainly because it didn't feel right anymore. Now I have friends here in Amersfoort. And still making new friends. Even though I am 44 now. So it is possible! Don't give up
Why do expats want to live in a city? I live in a village near Rotterdam, 20 min. to the centre with bus and metro and it's great, 10 min. cycling and you are in the middle of nature on beautyful bicycle paths
One big difference between The Netherlands and Korea that you mentioned is that Korea is all about convenience. You can get most things next day delivery and they are super nice and professional about it. Maybe I should make a response video about Korea. Sounds like fun!
I'm curious, why did you not mention the health care system at all? You have friends who have experienced the Dutch health care system, and I gather you also have experience with the Dutch system. This could be a huge attraction to Americans who can lose everything after having to pay hospital bills. For me, I would never consider moving to the US for that reason alone, although there are plenty others.
We’ve discussed the health system at length in some of our previous videos (especially regarding our fertility journey.) We’re planning on doing a video solely on healthcare in the future. Thanks for watching!
I moved here alone, it is not for the faint of heart! Housing is no joke. It’s almost 2 years and I just feel like I’m settling in. It is so different than most of the US so people should know what they are getting into. Living in high density areas has it’s ups and downs.
For social housing the waiting list is over a decade in some places. That’s why people get irked about immigrants jumping the queue. The main gripes with immigration is that it’s getting so full over here. Stuffing 18 million people in an area about the size of Maryland (which has about 1/3rd of the population of the Netherlands) will get you that.
Well we take in too many immigrants. We just can't handle that because the homees are not built as quickly as people coming in. In that sense they could better move to Germany maybe.
@@Ozymandias1 Yes, I totally understand but in my experience, immigrants like me can not take social housing. It was super hard as a non Dutch citizen for me to find an apartment and I pay considerably more because of it in a private owned apartment. I’m not complaining, I think I should. The foreign investors that own my building are more of a worry to me. Just like the US, foreign investors are hiding their dirty money in housing. Also, I live outside a big city so hopefully that helps not taking housing from people that need to be in the city.
I waited 10 years (whiIe renting a room in somebody's house) to get a tiny 'aanIeunhuisje' in a viIIiage outside the city and another 6 years to get a house that nobody eIse wanted because it was on the waiting Iist to be torn down. 🤪
seems to me a normal way to get into the living in our country, takes time and time will tell .. if you cant get used to certain things you will leave again, or you find yourseves getting the hang of it, loving life here. The world is the world, make of it what you want. But be grateful for what you got.
I have a question regarding there being both progressive parts of NL and conservative ones. Even the most conservative NL community is still subject to Dutch & EU laws, right? So there would still be, for example, safe access to abortion, LGBTQ rights, and common sense gun laws, right? The same can not be said for many US states that are majority conservative.
Yes, no matter where you live, the laws are the same, so things like access to abortion clinics and LGBTQ rights are the same wherever you live. There is a string of villages that form what we call the Bible Belt. In the past all shops there were closed on Sundays, but now supermarkets are open that day just like everywhere else. However there won’t be much else to do there that day, except for church services. As far as gun violence is concerned, that only happens in the major cities. Not the mass shootings like in the US, but between competing drug gangs. Unfortunately these criminals sometimes err in the address and innocent people can become the victim. One perhaps odd thing about LGBTQ rights: gay people get more harassed and discriminated in the larger “progressive” cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, were there are far more Muslims than in smaller towns and villages. Definitely not all Muslims cause problems, but the bad behavior of a sizable group of nasty teenagers who beat up gays does damage the image of all Muslims here. In the Bible Belt the conservative Christians may not agree with your gay lifestyle,but they won’t attack or harass you.
I couIdn't heIp but smiIe when you were taIking about 'convenience' .. when I first arrived in HoIIand in the 70s, peopIe food shopped daiIy (groenteboer, bakker, sIagerij, meIkboer (toetje) en sIijterij) because there weren't those Iarge American refrigerators avaiIabIe .. maybe just a tiny 'koeIkastje' if you were weaIthy.😁 I moved back to CaIifornina after 5 1/2 years, but decided to move to Virginia in the 80s and got the shock of my Iife when I discovered that even in America, their stores cIosed on Sundays and didn't even stay open aII night.🤪 Came back to The NetherIands in 1989 and have been here ever since. I suppose you're right that most peopIe make their friends when they're young or through their work, but I must not have been much of a sociaI butterfIy, maybe because I worked with the pubIic on such a grand scaIe that I was pIumb tired when I got home (indeed to my tiny apartment). I've Ioved wherever I've Iived though, each cuIture I've touched and every Ianguage I've attenpted to speak. I never experienced homesickness .. not that I didn't miss my famiIy/friends/country, but because I aIways knew it was avaiIabIe to me. I'm oId now so maybe that's not reaIIy true anymore. In any event, I Iove watching other expats share their experiences. Have a great Iife for as Iong as you choose to stay here. P.S. what kind of work do the two of you have? 🌹
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9:40 Dutch people love to meet new people and make new friends; unfortunately rotten potatoes who don’t want any immigrants exist everywhere in the world…
#LoveYourVideos!
We’re so lucky to have a welcoming community via UA-cam and in real life. Thank you so much for watching our journey!
i think alot of people are fine wih immigrants, just not to many
The Dutch don't hate immigrants or anything, but with the high influx of refugees and Eastern Europeans (migrant workers) the housing-situation is quite problematic. It is either impossisble to find a home or it is too expensive. And especially the Eastern European migration had a downward effect on our salaries. So: life is more expensive and pay is going down. Not the best combination. Unfortunately this is EU-policy.
Yeah I personally love getting to know people from other countries, I love learning about their cultures and traditions. The more, the merrier! The Netherlands would be really boring if we didn't let any immigrants in.. Maybe I'm a little biased as the daughter of an immigrant but I feel like most of my peers feel the same way, even fully Dutch ones. It's mostly the far right FvD fangirls and boys who don't wanna let anyone in 😒
@@RookieAssassin It's not as much the immigrants, imho. It's that they expect the Dutch people to adapt to them instead of the other way round.
If you move to a different country, it SHOULD be obvious you need to learn a new culture and most importantly, a new language.
If I moved to a new country I'd need to learn the culture and language asap, else I'd be kicked out just as fast. Sadly most immigrants think it's normal to keep their own language and expect the dutch people to speak it for them. That's perfectly fine for a temporary situation, but when they stay, they should learn the language at least imho.
Culture is debatable, and religion should be up to them for sure, but if you want to make friends or live somewhere, you need to learn the language, is that really too much to ask?
As for FvD fanboys or -girls, that's just wrong. To lump everyone who voted for them in the same group on everything is not fair. There are many things going on, not just immigrants. I chose them, because I agree with a lot of the things they say, but not all things. The world is NOT black and white, it's a million shades of grey and it all sucks in some way or another
You cannot compare salaries just by looking at the numbers. A Dutch salary package includes paid holidays, vacation days and, very important, paid days during sickness. You can be sick up until two years before your employer can terminate your employment. A pension scheme and social benefits when you loose your job. And sometimes compensation for your health insurance. If you add this all up, I think this balances the difference with an American salary.
2 years? that's a bit crazy tbh. Imagine you have a small business with just 2 employees, and one of them falls sick and keeps being sick for 2yrs straight. Way to bring everyone down with them🤌 It would certainly almost ruin the small business you have.
@@NoctLightCloud thats the risk you take when starting a business this is something everyone knows
@@ricardoebbers5154 That's a crazy risk to take, having to suffer for someone else's illness for THAT long. I'm not saying anything against a few days or even weeks, but up to 2yrs is extreme. Come on! Especially since so many are lamenting how small businesses are dying out in city centres💀 No need to add such an extreme pressure to the system.
@@NoctLightCloud That's why it's mandatory for businesses to be insured for employee sickness. So the business doesn't pay anything near the full cost, the insurance company pays for most of it.
@@NoctLightCloud Thats why most small businesses work with freelancers for the most part.
Also you have to get checked by doctors etc you cant just say you're sick.
For example the doctors statement may require you to do lighter work if because of whatever condition you have you're not capable of doing your original work.
And there are 0 hour contracts which you can google bc im too lazy to type more
I think the absolute number one priority (apart from finding a house) is learning Dutch. That will a) ease the integration threshold and b) learning a new language changes your mindset. You'll understand the locals better, not just because you can converse in their language, but because that language will alter how you look at life and the world. Just because of idiom and sayings.
Yes, Dutch is a must. We’re about to start our second round of Dutch classes and are so excited. It makes such a world of difference.
The DuoLingo app can also help with learning languages, including Dutch.
@@TAndTGoDutch Knowing you live in Leiden i have a tip for you for if you ain't got something to do nexst Saterday, This Saterday its the Rijnsburgse Bloenen corso, a parade of wagons decorated with flowers and each wagon expressing a theme. It's kind of like the New Orleans Mardi gras parade but then all the parade cars are build up from flowers. It starts at 1 o clock when it;'s Leaving from the flower auction in rijnsburg then driving trough Rijnsburg and Katwijk towards Noordwijk where the parade will stay parked on the boulevard for the rest of the weekend so that if people can't watch the parade on saterdays they can still see the corso on sunday in Noordwijk.
I live here and been studying Dutch pretty seriously. I am reading books, listening to the radio, but still just getting started. Speaking to people who have learned Dutch, it definitely helps, it’s a must, but I hear more mixed opinions about its usefulness than you would expect. I feel for me the big motivation is expanding work opportunities and even then it’s limited given my field but I do feel it’s a responsibility and I enjoy the language but yeah, it’s also a mixed bag.
@@Freya778 duolingo is terrible for actually learning languages
Integrating means adapting. So yes, the language is very important to literally join in. Making new friends later in life happens often when you have children and when they go to school and you meet other parents. Or when you join a club. Mutual interests like sports, drama, music, your neighbourhood’s citizen group or whatever, creates a bond that could easily lead to real friendships.
The Black Forest Family UA-cam channel did a great video on income and cost of living between Germany (similar to NL) and the US. Even when salaries are much lower, living in Germany doesn’t put you in financial dept.
The Dutch aren’t tolerant, generally. They are OK, or indifferent, as long as it doesn’t affect them. If you want more laissez faire you might be better off in a different part of the NL, like the south.
It took Amazon so long to establish themselves over in the NL because there were other online retailers that dominate the market. You’ll not find the US 24 hour shopping culture in the EU because it’s too expensive to treat employees as slaves.
You do make a valid point that life in any western culture is hard these days and that reality kicks in when it gets normal. Just like any other relationship. Emigrating is like a divorce and you’ll have to find new happiness elsewhere.
The tolerance comment is spot on! Us Dutch people have the reputation for being tolerant, but it indeed is more indifference, and once something affects us a lot of Dutch people will become VERY intolerant VERY fast (I hat it, but it's true)
Living in the Netherlands isn't 3asy. Not even when you live there for over 30 years 😊
Agree
@@Sense008 But that's what tolerance means, it's not the same as acceptance.
You are experiencing the typical dip after a period of excitement of emigrating to a new country. After this phase, when holding on💪comes the phase of acceptence and normalisation of being part of a new society 😊
About space in the Netherlands: I live a 30 minutes drive from Amsterdam. The house were we live in is 5 x the size of our apartment in Amsterdam. The garden is about 900 m2. We pay less for our detached house than we payed for an apartment in the city of Amsterdam. We have an unobstructed view and plenty of space around us. Living in the countryside and nice towns to visit in a short distance. It exists. Where you live in Leiden, it is really overpriced.
You forgot to mention that you probably payed above a million euro's. Yes it is cheaper a few miles from Amsterdam but a 900 m2 garden is not that normal.
@@waltersteyger1215 no I didn’t . Nowadays my house is on the market between 5 and 600.000 euro’s
@@Hrn250 That must be at least 40 to 60 minutes drive away from Amsterdam. Or a shed on a grass field.
@@waltersteyger1215 no , 35 minutes spot on to my family in Amsterdam . Do your homework and look at funda . The surrounding of the beautiful city of Hoorn . Maar laat maar je gelooft het of niet. Mijn huis heeft 4 slaapkamers, 2 woonkamers, een grote woonkeuken, bijkeuken , grote zolder , van garage met veranda en een vloeroppervlak van ongeveer 225m2. En nee het is geen schuur ! 😂 en nee ik ben niet van plan het te verkopen !
@@Hrn250Jammer dat ik niet terug naar Nederland kan gaan. Zo weinig geld krijg ik op mijn social security hier in de Staten dat het kan niet om in Nederland te leven. Bijna alles is lelijk hier en ook niks te zien of doen. Museums zijn heel duur hier. Ik wens altijd dat we nooit hadden geemigreerd.
we do have a shortage in housing, but not in jobs...
De Duitse economie schijnt op klappen te staan. Als dat gebeurt, dan kunnen een hele sloot bedrijven de deuren wel sluiten en dus ook een hele sloot werknemers hun boeltje pakken.
@@Treinbouwer mijn antwoord was ook van een jaar geleden, zaken veranderen idd.😆
@@raffaguitarswhat has changed?
"To survive is to convive". If you don't understand this concept and believe that "competition" is the best way to survive, then don't emigrate to the Netherlands. I believe that solidarity (with the poor, underprivileged, or the sick) is the biggest difference between Europe and the US. Europeans earn less because they choose to contribute to the lives of the less fortunate as a matter of decency.
Yes. Because European countries (in majority) are socialists.
We want to live in countries with happy people around us and that can be done only when we all pay for those who are unfortunate.
In my view, the biggest difference is how we consider weapons, and how that works out in the statistics.
I totally agree with your comment, it can't be described any better than you did.
That’s just wishful thinking. Most of our tax euros are spent to the government apparatus itself and the very expensive consultants they hire.
America spends many billions on poor people. You have no clue.
First time commenting. Am stoked you appeared in my UA-cam suggested videos. This heartfelt video share resonated: particularly the integration part. I miss community most of all. First year here was the last of the lockdowns. Then I got Covid first time I went into Amsterdam. 🤦🏻♀️😄 Anyway... I'm still feeling stuff out, learning and taking my time.
All that said, as a Californian Expat, I am 100% glad to be here everyday. I do not miss driving in traffic. I do NOT miss American fast food and Star*uck's on every corner. I do not miss the closed minds and baked-in racism that's come out the closet and erupting throughout the nation worse than a coronavirus.
Here's some of what I love about living in NL:
- The rain. As a pluviophile: the rain is utter and complete joy. I love how the Dutch bicycle in storms and don't let the wet hinder plans.
-I love how people smile and say "Goedemorgen." The simple acts of kindness and the generosity of Spirit I've experienced has been so good for my heart.
-Public transportation. Everyone from all tax brackets utilizes it and it's reliable.
- New Year's. NEIGHBORHOOD FIREWORKS ARE BETTER THAN DISNEYLAND! ❤
- I love the museums and access to art.
-I love that I'm a hop, skip and a jump to many places that I'd otherwise have to try to jampack into a 1-2 week trip. I can take my time. Take the train and go slow. I love SLOW.
I could go on and on. My advice is to pro and con list it all. Watch T&T content and absorb the truth and fun stuff they provide. The Netherlands is a fantastic place to live. Acclimate, be respectful/ humble/grateful and above all be able laugh at yourself and you'll do just fine.
Thanks You Two! Have a blast in Italy!
Wow! How lovely are you, so glad you are happy in our country..😊
@@Lilygirl283 Aww. 💛🙏 It hasn't been without it's challenges but yeah, my gratitude to be here grows by the day.
Really good structured vid you guys!
This was informative and useful. Thanks for the great video!
Dutchie here. Thank you for this realistic reaction. This is the reality in The Netherlands. Enormous housing shortage. There are people in their 30's who still live with their parents because they can'nt find a house. We have to thank our center/right kapitalist government for this. They thought Trickle Down economics would solve this. But it didn't. The rich are only making themselves even richer and nothing trickles down... The people who are very conservative and say to you 'Go Home' however are a minority. Those are our ultra rightwing idiots. The majority is not like that. Learning Dutch is indeed THE way to make friends.
Great reaction! ❤
Can't you build more houses???
@@satturatedphat I see my husband used my phone. Again!!😡 Because his old headphones did not fit at his new phone.
Ofcourse we can make more land if we want. We did it before. Perhaps we can confiscate a bit of the Northsea to make new land of. More houses and more hering. Win, win, win situation. And if we can also agree with the French they can fish for Coquilles St. Jaques if the sell them for a reasonable (read very low)price, I will be in 7th heaven.
The rich as mentioned above by me but not by me are not representative for The Netherlands. It is like that in lots and lots of countries and much worse. But as the 5th? economy in the world it is a bloody shame we have free food places for the homeless.
@@satturatedphat They are building more houses but you have to keep in mind that space in The Netherlands is quite limited and you have to keep in mind that when they build more houses, it might not be in an area and/or city where you want to move to even though the transportation is fantastic.
the big joke is everyone in the world thinks we are liberal.. we are not. most Dutch people are reserved and conservative, but reasonably tolerant
And about making friends: you can make Dutch friends here, but it's not easy, the Dutch language/culture/reservation is really a thing.
by american standards our "Conservative" is their liberal
This video about moving to Netherlands is the best I've seen. Practical points about the struggles, emotional, financial, etc. I really enjoyed it. Obviously i subscribed! Good luck!
Good for you. These two are a treasure for (I hope to call) our country .
Thank you for posting useful and informative content about NL..You both have such great chemistry..I truly enjoy watching your youtube channel...
We truly enjoy having kind people like you here. Thank you so much for your continued support of our channel!
Thank you for this. It helped me confirm my decision to move forward with my plans. Because most of this is nonissues for me.
Nice to see Woerden in a vid. I spend most of my childhood growing up there 😊. A very good and realistic video.
Opening hours differ throughout the USA as well. None of the nearby shops in NJ - including Walmart - are not open 24 hours a day. Most close at 10 to 11 pm and open at 6 to 8 am. I’m now in Casper, Wyoming and also the fast food chains like Burger King, McDonald’s and Arby’s close during dthe night. Burger King in dining from 7 am to 10 pm and drive through till 11 pm. Don’t expect 24x7x365 options around the USA everywhere.
Post-Covid, a lot of the 24 hour shopping/dining stopped, but you can still find it in small pockets. But yes, certainly not everywhere.
For reference: I live in a village in the randstad (which is the more densely populated area that was mentioned). The randstad usually is a bit more progressive which means, for example, that supermarkets cary more vegan products and shops have longer opening hours. The shops in the shopping center are opened from 8ish ‘till 6 pm (18:00h) and the supermarkets are open from 7:30 to 10 pm (22:00h). Those opening hours differ on national holidays. For Kingsday the supermarkets closed earlier and the greengrocer and bakery weren’t open at all. Also, things like next day delivery are not big here and flash delivery services have only entered the market a couple of years ago. I’ve never noticed how much this was bound to culture but it is very interesting to see.
@@TAndTGoDutch Woerden is a bit special though. It is a bit of an enclave in the Dutch Bible belt, and cities nearby like Oudewater and Montfoort really are ademend against openings on Sunday and out hours, and it kind of rubs of on the Woerden as being the largest Provincial city nearby and only a trainstop (or two) you have a major city like Utrecht, so Woerden shops do tend to just not open up on Sundays, maybe even more than in other similar provincial cities.
Also, unlike Leiden, there is no Student Culture in Woerden at all. Everyone goes to Utrecht or Rotterdam for their nightly entertainment. Leiden in the contrary almost synergized with Rotterdam, Delft, Den Haag and Amsterdam.
As for the size of houses and gardens: we are a pretty small country with a large number of people living in it, so it is impossble to all have larger houses and gardens, there simply is not enough space. Texas is approx 16 times bigger than the NL while the NL has more than 10x as much habitants per square km as Texas. So that’s pretty dense 😊❤
it's all fun until you get a drug addict as a neighbour, or some family with 4 kids on 60 square meters who are pretty traumatized by deadbeat parents, and act accordingly. Both things have happened to my parents here in Austria in a 52 appartment complex. We had to call the police multiple times because of domestic violence and techno parties and excessive screaming (not shouting, but screaming) at 2am~5am😅 Their problems suddenly become your problems as well when you live wall-to-wall. I would love to be able to live in a proper detatched house in the future. That qualify of life must be amazing! Appartments aren't long-term solutions and are often a lottery/mixed bag. Can be downright depressing, especially when you're sleep-deprived and have to act like nothing has happened the next day at work. And it keeps repeating.
@@NoctLightCloud bro why you comenting everywhere you obv dont know what you're talking about
@@ricardoebbers5154 it's my experience, the hell do you mean "know what I'm talking about"? And I can answer wherever I want. I just dislike people praising appartments over detached houses. The quality of life is vastly superior in the latter one. What do I "not know what I'm talking about"?
NL has a massive amount of green space.
@@NoctLightCloudstrange obsession.
Hi T&T, this video from a few months back popped up on my youtube. And I can relate to your points of strongly considering if you make the right decision, moving to The Netherlands.
I am Dutch and me and my family took the opposite way, moving from Holland (The Hague area) to NA (not US but Canada, which in many ways is like a lill brother to the States). Our main reason for leaving Holland was your no.1 reason: Space! Both physical (living) space and mental space. We felt that living in the Netherlands was comprising us. Everything is in "hokjes" (boxed in, in expectations from others and in pure physical space).
We decided to make the leap across the pond, but it took us 9 years of preparing and saving enough money to cover the first period (4 months) of living in our new country.
Now, after 7 years, we have more solid footing, than when we first started. We both have a FT job and kids are settled in their schools; plus we were able to buy a house. All these things take time and money and will not come on their own.
But we are still Dutch. Like you mention: be prepared to lose your citizenship, if you want to become a Dutch citizen. which has its benefits but its flaws as well, since you are not allowed dual citizenship. For us, this is a tough decision, here in Canada. But we decide that it is in our best interest to keep the Dutch Citizenship and not become Canadians. Others have to make that choice for themselves when they move to The Netherlands.
So for anyone that wants to make the leap: absolutely be prepared as best as you can be. Visit the country, the city or area that you'd like to settle in and be prepared to go somewhere completely else. Go with a plan and have the finances to back up your plan.
Like you say: it is not a vacation, it is your life. Time passes bye and all depends how you adapt to your new life.
I believe you guys found your new life in "het Hollandse", please keep sharing your experiences.
I appreciate your observations and advice. Food for thought
All fair points, and it sucks that you have experienced the "unwelcome" part. I am afraid that though by far the most people will be very welcoming, the group that is negative won't go away. We really need a way to deal with the polarizing effect of social media (the whole world, not just the Netherlands) and fake information.
Still hope to bump into you two at some point.
Have a great day \o
Buncharted did the maths on income and spendings and even though they make somewhat less here in the Netherlands, they spend less too... certainly on things like health insurance, internet and cell phone coverage (and they probably do not even have those bundled yet so they could save more). No, you can not wake up at 3:14 am and walk to a store and buy whatever you think you need. We Dutch tend to be asleep at that time ;) Still: you can get pretty much everything here when the shops are open. And it is not as bad anymore as it was 30 years ago when all shops were just closed on Sundays. Supermarkets are open every day from 7 am to 10 pm and that should be enough for everyone to get their groceries in.
As for making friends: most of that happens at school, at work or at the various sports and leasure communities.
As for the trolls... I feel sorry for them actually. If they think they could afford the place you live in, or could do the work that you do... but usually they are the kind of people who have little to no education, and a low paying job because of that. We EU countries have some strict restrictions as to who can work and live where. Same as the USA really. I just could not go to the USA and expect to find a job there and a house and all, and the same is true for the reverse. If you are from outside the EU and have a job here, it means they could not find someone within the EU to do that job for one reason or another. Before a company can employ someone from outside the EU, they have to prove that they have searched hard and long enough to try to employ someone from within so... But it's facts like these that the trolls just do not know, or are terribly misinformed about.
I live in the more liberal Rotterdam but I work in the surrounding villages like Albrandswaard, Barendrecht and Ridderkerk and these three have more in common with countryside USA than the Netherlands to be honest. Ridderkerk is in fact in our bible belt. And as a mail carrier, I can certainly see that by the kind of mail people recieve. Lovely small towns though ;)
Have fun in Rome. Keep doing what you are doing and stay amazed at this wondrous place us Dutchies call home.
Buncharted! They're a great example of how your integration to Dutch (or any immigrant) life is so very affected by your attitude.
I lived in Rdam a year. It's a Marokkan city.
All valid points :) I think this would be really helpful for someone considering making the jump.
Maybe you received this advice already, but in my experience a very good way to make friends in NL later in live is to join a sport club (i.e. football, tennis etc.). Especially if you take some group lessons or join a team. It asks some commitment, but i believe commitment is regarded very important in friendship here. If it does not feel sincere or like you aren't that invested, it might put people off (because they do invest their time and energy in the friendship).
Should you already have some 'warm connections' don't be shy to invite them over, just keep in mind that you also suggest a time and date, otherwise it is likely never going to happen 😂.
This is such a fantastic video. It's real and honest, unlike most others
As a Dutchie I don't even know what to make of this. Don't come here unless you know what you're doing?
Your journey is very Interesting to watch. Thanks for this very illuminating video. I hope you'll grow accustomed to this strange country, and that this country will treat you kindly. Greetings from Delft!
Very informative video! Things you really should think about before moving. I’m glad you pursued and made it work 😊
Telling it how it is. You are more Dutch than you think 😉. All valid points. Don’t get offended by people complaining about immigrants. It’s the same principle as with internet trolls. They can’t handle stressful situations in life and take it out on others. You are good people respecting others. You are great role models. Never forget that. ❤❤❤
Thank you Michel! You’re the sweetest! ❤️
@@TAndTGoDutch you're welcome :) my (also Texan) wife commented below with her experiences here in the Netherlands.
WOW! Everything you say could have been googled before leaving 'your precious' US. Please note that this is just another proof of the ignorance of Americans.
@@ceeceescholts5563actually most of the points could not have been googled and that is why they made this video. The the whole thing about forgetters taken up homes and jobs percentage wise doesn’t make since. Our family in the last 6 years moved in USA from Georgia to California back to Georgia then to Delaware and the whole job/ housing has been a huge unaffordable limited mess. Something else is being setup and foreigners are to small of a percentage to create such problems.
12:54 I wonder about the cost of living, can you maintain the same standard as you did in the states with the pay cut you had to take?
buncharted did (two) overviews on it, going over all their major expenses and comparing to their former life in Austin, TX.
Property is expensive, and an actual real problem for our own inhabitants. Woerden and Leiden really are on the upper-ends, while not being a prime city like Amsterdam or Utrecht. It is basically imperative you can bring some savings to take of the edge. With patience and some DiY renovation skills, there are options though. Home ownership is favored in the long run, but caused undeniable price inflation to the extend that certain rural properties have changed from being owned by small business owners houses to only affordable for millionaires while still being modest for US standards.
A big change can be transport, because you do not need to be car dependent here. It is a matter up to you if you consider this a improvement or a downgrade on your standards of living. From our point of view the US gasoline prices are and will always be it is priced as if it is water.
Health insurance can be a lot less, with coverage fixated by law, but it is also mandatory for every (adult) individual. Health services are excellent, and for a considerable part funded via taxation. Fixed costs, depending on your point of view this can be cheap or very expensive, because you will be paying monthly for services that you hopefully will never have to use.
Compared to the US their is considerably less consumerism in our culture.
It way more common to cook your own meals instead of eating in a restaurant, and meals in most restaurants are priced accordingly, not a real option for daily usage.
Having savings on your bankaccount is the norm, and 'discounts' are a real thing here. So sometimes buying groceries in bulk, look around in other shops, etc can give quite some savings and sometimes means you are paying premium if you are in direct need.
Ownership is the cultural norm. While possible, it is not common to do down-payments on luxury consumer-goods like cars or furniture. Take the hit upfront and save money in the long run
Well, like it or not, you're becoming Dutch. Finally a video where someone gives their opinion the Dutch way: this is the way I see it, period. I'm not a fan of video's where people constantly qualify their meaning with lots of sentences that all come down to the same thing: I don't want to offend you. You're just sharing your feelings, it won't offend me. I also won't like you anything less for it, even if I disagree. I hope you'll find a home here!
I lived abroad half a year and I didn't miss Holland. I went back to my family and friends ànd the places/memories of my youth. The space here is limited which was not the case in earlier days. Americans think big. More opportunities in the States I gather. Hope you feel welcome here!
Perhaps more opertunities in the USA. But if I feel more protected and respected in this country
..
@@Hensepens64 And much more freedom in almost every aspect here (as proven by many rankings) plus people are happier, healthier, I can go on and on. But hey, isn't it good if more people advise US'ians not to come, and have a wrong opinion? Most of them are too attached to their car and will ruin the balance (in terms of mobility). So I'm happy if someone is spreading ungrounded criticism.
Yeab, MAGA-land is heading towards Utopia no doubt (being cynical)
Very good, you discuss the rough edges of the Dutch society. 👍👍 We are trying, but it isn't Utopia yet. I hope you will stay happy in NL!
So far, so good! Thank you so much for watching! ❤️
@@TAndTGoDutch It will never be Utopia. Dass war einmal. That's over. Gone. Kaput.
Having grown up in both the US and the Netherlands, I understand that there are some things that I would miss about the US But I also miss my Dutch home. A bit if both please
Thanks, very honest view of us: the Dutch, trying to live/survive, without being dramatical! Most of us are happy! 👍🥂🫶👌
You’ll have to come back in October for the Koeienmarkt, one of the oldest in the country. It is on the first Wednesday after October 20th, it has been held every year since 1410. And did you try a Kristaljon? A raisin bun with cinnamon and sugar, with cream butter. It is a traditional Woerden delicacy. About the shop opening times, there is a general rule (do not apply for supermarkets and DIY stores): opening hours, weekdays from 9:00 till 18:00, Saturdays 9:00 till 17:00, Sundays closed, in villages there is also Friday evening (Koopavond) from 18:00 till 21:00 and in cities it is Thursdays (Koopavond) evening from 18:00 till 21:00. Sundays are mostly closed, but there are municipalities where there is one Sunday a month (Koopzondag) when the stores are open, mostly from 12:00 till 17:00. Supermarkets are open every day, generally from 7:00 or 8:00 till 21:00 or 22:00, with the exception of Sundays when they open at 12:00. DYI stores and garden centers are open weekdays from 8:00 or 9:00 till 21:00 or 22:00, Saturdays from 8:00 till 18:00 and Sundays from 12:00 till 18:00. This is a general rule, so opening hours do vary between municipalities, chain stores and mom-and-pop stores. I always check on the website of the store/shop I want to go to for opening hours on holidays and Saturdays.
Live in Michigan for the last 50 years and go back to my homeland every year ,miss alot from Holland. Would love to go back but my kids are in the US
Is kamernet a legit site to find apartments in the netherlands?
It is 👍🏻
Very nice synopsis, you guys. For me it'll be 24 years living/working in the NL end of this summer, and I first came here as an international educator. So, I've been around too, but what I hadn't reckoned with was grandchildren. And I have one in the States whom I rarely see but am hoping to spend next summer with...and I can't wait. They grow up while we're gone, as well as the rest of our families and friends who move on with the bigger portions of their lives that we are no longer personally involved with simply because we're here and they're there.
You're also spot on about the five-year integration. I had to hire an immigration lawyer because our salary dipped below standard and so my temporary residency was denied when it was up for renewal, which I then legally protested to be able to continue working. Still, I could only do so using my then Dutch partner, now husband's, company tax license. Later, thankfully after I became a citizen, the Dutch tax system insisted that I have my own, my own company and license, as they concluded that my career didn't fit in with my husband's company description. Another issue I hadn't reckoned with. To me such an issue would've appeared absurd in the States, but this is a bureaucratic country. And, yes, a beautifully green one at that too. So, let us know when you're ever in Zeeland and we'll show you around. Cheers
P.S. I forgot to mention that I couldn't figure out that saying on, was it a mini manhole? 'Waar rook is, is een klungel aan het werk'. So, I asked the Dutchman, who said, loosely translated, 'there's no smoke without a fire', which is fitting for the theme of what you've been discussing...meaning know what you're getting into before plungeing into it. 😜
Actually there is a very identical expression in Dutch : Waar rook is , is vuur. But here it is paraphrased to : If you see smoke.... It's because some incapable person is doing a shitty job..
@@Dutchbelg3 Yes, that too - LOL. I often feel this way when trying to follow UA-cam directions on a DIY project...way over my head and thus doing a shitty job. 😅
@@Dutchbelg3 Which is á stupid remark, because there are a million reasons why there might be smoke somewhere, without some imcompetent person being the cause. So I would say: the one who wrote that remark isn't very smart and would do better to keep his stupidity inside his own head instead of showing it to the world.
Very good to hear the not so positive points, I wellcome it, thanks!!
The Dutch always like to say "we should be happy to live in this country, because....", while there are lots of points where you can be equally as good or better of in other European countries.
All the best from Duiven!
Learning Dutch makes a lot of things a lot easier
Absolutely, don’t think that all Dutchmen speak proper English.
Lets put it like this:
Conservative people (whether they are American or any other nationals) should not move to the Netherlands or actually not move anywhere in the world! People that expect that their surroundings should adapt to their - somehow grown superiority complex - should stay home (and preferably indoors of that home).
Only imagine a Dutch family moving to Texas and insisting to keep speaking Dutch, demand supermarket to start selling Dutch food, candy etc.
And maybe dig into "why certain things have developped the way they are". If Texas would have been a overpopulated state with a similar history as the Netherlands, chances are they would have much more in common. This leads to the statement: if you decide to settle somewhere else, keep your prejudices behind, prepare by thorough investigation out front and know you will have to adapt and that will not be easy, but it is the only natural way to proceed in life!
These are great insights, thanks for keeping it honest guys. I’ve visited Texas only once (Austin) and went to Spain last year and YES SPACE IS DEFINITELY smaller in Europe but it’s not too bad.
Also consider this: in the Netherlands you can’t find a McDonald’s on every Main Street, don’t have a Walmart nearby and cant buy Starbucks coffee in 20 places in every town.
Exactly. But in return, better quality food, supporting more local shops, and better coffee by a landslide. It’s a win for us.
oh no why not more big brand capitalism
You forgot that a lot of stores are closed on Sunday and Monday
@@CourtneyLeigh-w9k what are you talking about, this isnt 2005, supermarkets are all open on sunday, aswel as stores like gamma. What more do you need?
@@r.a.h7682 NOTHING is EVER closed on Monday in the US except banks on Holidays 😂
Mooie video, i am sorry to hear people still make bad comments. And it makes me sad to hear it still stings. If you ever come back to Brabant , we will make it Gezellig!!
I watch a lot of video's of Americans that moved to the Netherlands and only rarely do I recognise my own country in them. Most of the things the two of you said in this video are (partially) correct, but only from the viewpoint of someone living in the bigger cities in the Netherlands (de Randstad). You can have everything you want if you're willing to look further outside that area. :)
On ‘Challenging to integrate’ -> ‘they won’t let you into their friend group unless you speak Dutch’ Do you expect your new Dutch friends to speak English? Or are you planning on learning and speaking Dutch? Can you please explain why you are expecting your new friends to speak English and why it is not the other way around (you learning to speak Dutch)?
No, we don’t expect them to speak English at all, actually. We’ve already taken one Dutch course, and are about to start our second (B2 level and higher.) We try to speak Dutch whenever we’re out and about (at a cafe, grocery store, market, etc.)
We also have a video on why expats should learn Dutch on our channel and basic useful phrases we’ve learned, if you’re curious.
Thank you for watching!
That’s awesome thanks!
Good video! It’s like my mom used to say, when I (from Rotterdam) felt like moving to a village: "It’s not like a holiday; check it out on a rainy day in november, at 4 pm". In other words, when you can’t see anything picturesque, because it is dark and gloomy., and your daily commute depends on this one bus, that at the best of times has a twice per hour schedule.
Yes! Love that saying, so much truth to it.
Yes, Woerden is a beautiful town. If I decided to move back to The Netherlands I would look for a town, not specifically Woerden, but a town like Woerden, there are many. My no.1 choice would be Maassluis ZH, it is where I grew up.
I want to focus on your chapter "challenge of integrating". There are many good YT videos out there about living in The Netherlands but very few delve into this subject seriously enough.
I was born in the US, moved to Holland at age 6 and returned to The US at age 22. I feel like I am Dutch and American at the same time. Age 6 to 22 is a very impressionable age in our lives.
A few of the friends that I made at age 6 in the first year of elementary school remained my best friends until age 22 when I left and I still make contact with them now, 45 years later.
Dutch people really shape their lives by being part of small tight knitted circles of friendship and a typical Dutch person may belong to a few of these circles. Americans are really outgoing, open minded to changes and make friends just by approaching and reaching out.
Dutch people may seem the same and in ways are but they consider those kind of friendships as superficial, more like acquaintances, and treat them as such. They rate levels of friendship. It's kind of like the American question, who can you call when in need at 3:00AM. The guy at work may seem like a good friend but you're not going to call him.
The Dutch really depend on those close friend circles to protect themselves, for strength, to preserve their culture and daily life routines and they don't just let anyone new in. My advise is to make strong efforts and join group activities clubs that have a tendency for friendship making. For lack of a better thought, join a bowling league (ha, there are a few), a ballroom dancing school or club. Something where you repeatedly go to each week, these are the places where friendships form and they do so in small circles. For Americans I suggest to take it slowly, naturally, don't push the issue too fast. If you chat-up make a little deeper conversations in, let's say, that dance club, don't say: Hey we should go together to that concert that's coming up after 3 weeks, that is too soon.
If you are a young man and you're thinking to go to The Netherlands and "score" with those beautiful Dutch blond girls. You've heard they are very modern, liberal and open minded, they are sexually liberated in a sexually liberated country. Many Dutch people are that but I don't think you are going to be all that successful. Many of the Dutch girlfriends that I had when I was young, I am thinking all of them, the relationship and openess to take it a level further (not THAT many I was popular, not Casanova!) came from getting to know the girl from those close circle groups and it took a bit of time. Dutch girls are not prude but it is not like the stereo typical manner in which foreigners report The Netherlands.
Politics was mentioned in this video, left verses right. The Netherlands has the same peculiarity as many of the western social European countries. People think that they are very progressive thinking and it makes them vote progressive. Others are very progressive in larger concept, many people type thoughts, organizational. But when it comes to their daily lives and small circles of family friends and surroundings, this is Europe ""the old school world"". I do things this way because my grandmother taught me. Why do things differently all the sudden? Why change what is working just fine? And so on. They may vote progressively and believe in the freedom of marriage for gays but they live their lives in traditional manners, conservative even. So far that what they vote and politically believe in may not reflect how they live their lives on a daily basis.
The turquoise necklace and your red hair look georgous together ❤️
I truly hope you both find your way here in the Netherlands.. personally i think you guys are really adapting and no matter where you go.. there always will be.. how to say it nice... people that think they can say anything to everyone.. .. just try to ignore them. I totally understand you miss things form back home.. specially family but also simple things as food etc. Some things can be resolved.. there is an expat store in the Hagua and Wassenaar if im right.. Kelly's ? or something like that. It might help with some cravings but its not cheap. Anyway.. please keep showing more from your life here and Live your life as you want it.. ignore the ignorant ones, they are everywhere across the globe. HUgssss
Well said, very true!😊
Hey welkom to the netherlands. So at this time it's not easy to come to the netherlands because of the house shortage, but if you are looking go live in the smaller cities, it is cheaper, more space and don't forget it is a small country so by car you can drive it in 3hrs. So every city is close by. The east is usefull because you have space close to germany, 2 hrs away from belgium en 1.5 to most big cities. And it is the most green. Keep informing you doing great🙃. Have a nice weekend
From Texas to Amsterdam I moved ..best decision I ever made..love it it's amazing
Awesome. How do you find integrating into Dutch society?
Very good and realistic video, especially in the Randstad situation.
Salary expectation, to be fair, how many hrs did u work in the states and how many hrs do u in the Netherlands, and did u have paid vacation days in the states, sick days, so if you take it into account, it's pretty good to stay here, although it can always be better
Yes, that’s a great point for sure.
Very realistic and nuanced; as a Dutch person I totally understand your points
According to this American couple, it’s probably better not to move to the Netherlands, because of certain obstacles you will face. Well, emigration in itself is a very, very hard enterprise and never be taken lightly. No matter where you come from or going to. About a holiday destination we might think: “oh, it’s so beautiful here; I’m bored back home, so I’m gonna live here”. But it’s not that easy. After the honeymoon you will sober up real quick!
Salaries in the U.S. are maybe higher than in the Netherlands. But oh boy see what happens in America if you get sick, dissabled or unemployed. Where is the financial support from the government that you really need to pay for all of your bills ? You may well end up being homeless (as many people do) That would (hardly) never happen in the Netherlands. Not to mention things like at least 4 weeks of paid vacation every year for every employee to take (even in a first year of full contract). And essential things like healthcare are way way way more expensive in America than in the Netherlands.
Yes, exactly. Even picking up a prescription here is a completely different experience!
In the late 90s-2004, i lived in Roermond,
Maasbree and lots of time in Amsterdam. Best time of my life.
Just realised that I haven't seen new uploads for a time.
I hope all is fine. I miss your uploads and views about your lives in the Netherlands.
Hopefully till soon again 👍
Learned some time ago that het moved back to the USA. Reason unknown
Space depends where your live in The Netherlands and what you can spend for a house.
Even as a native Netherlander it's hard to make new friends. We're just like that.
Every friend that i had/have with exeption of 2 people i met at my workplace.
Why are you not sociable?
I wanted to comment as another American who moved to NL, about the same time as you, around the same age as you, and also from Texas (Dallas)!
What you said is all very true. My wife and I live in Noord Brabant and even here, affordable housing is hard to find. Personally, for me, convenience culture has been the most difficult thing to give up. I'm reminded of that now that I'm waiting to exchange my drivers license; it's been almost 6 weeks and I think it will take at least another month. In the US, I was that guy shopping at 10 or 11pm at night. I took a Dutch language course with a woman from Japan and we both lamented on how much we miss 7-11!
To other Americans who are Dutch-curious: come visit! Especially if you are considering a permanent move, it's worth it to save for an exploratory trip before committing to move. The smaller towns are just as nice as the big cities and the language barrier really isn't that high for a temporary visit.
The final thing I will add, is that it's okay to go back home. Part of being human is making mistakes and sometimes those mistakes are big and cost a lot of money. You aren't a failure if you move and eventually decide you want to go back. Nobody thinks less of you; you aren't flawed. Often, it just isn't a good fit and that's fine. Be kind to yourself in the same way you are kind to others.
Gezellige dag en hebt een fijne week! 🇳🇱🥰🇺🇸
I live in Friesland. Have a large house and garden. Why would people want to go to the Randstad? Houses are for sale here. Nice old cities and towns, lot of nature. And the second official language of the Netherlands: Frisian.
We have yet to make it to Friesland, but we are planning a visit there soon. We’re looking forward to it.
My husband and I are wanting to start a business in the Netherlands and this video has helped a lot! We know what city we want to place the business, but we don’t quite know what city we want to live in. Any suggestions
We’re so glad you found our videos helpful. It completely depends on what your business is and your personal preferences. We like a lot of quiet, but still not too far away from bigger cities. We also prefer to be close to the airport, as we love to travel, which is why we chose Leiden.
Kinda dpends on your budget tbh. The West Randstad Area (Amsterdam/Rotterdam/Utrecht/Den Haag) is the most densely populated part of the country and since we have a housing shortage all over the country, but especially in the Randstad prices are absolutely ridiculous, the suburban towns in the Randstad are a tad more affordable, but only a tad (and not nearly as charming), If yoou head to the East and South prices are lower and cities like Zwolle, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Enschede or Masstricht might be interesting (though that also depends on the kind of business and what are prerequisites for that). i live in Drenthe province in the rural east of the country, and it's lovely and quiet, it's also not nearly as well served by public transport though. It really depends on your preferences. If city life is what you want but not in Amsterdam, I'd research Groningen, Enschede and Zwolle for bit. All three are small provincial cities with a very nice old city centre which is culturally very active (especially Groningne and Enschede becasue of major Universities in those cities)
The honeymoon is over? I've lived here for 45 years (originally from Wichita,KS.) and have gone through several phases. The first is always euphoria, the beauty of the country, the bike culture, the good health care, the liberal outlook of most people, the old European architecture, the museums, the cafes, etc. Slowly you realize that you are a foreigner and you will always be a foreigner (I was fortunate to have acquired Dutch citizenship 25 years ago when it was permitted to hold two passports). i speak fluent Dutch, but I am still a foreigner. You have to be able to live with that, integrate as best you can, My social life has always revolved around the ex-pat community, but certainly not exclusively. I had terrible homesickness for years and probably would have moved back to the U.S., but my child was born here and her father was not interested in leaving Amsterdam. When I'm outside, I hear so many Americans (or Canadians) moving around the city, and they're not tourists. Somehow I feel a resentment about that, maybe because I feel Dutch and many Dutch people complain a lot about all the foreigners/immigrants in their midst. You are right, the reality of living in the Netherlands is complicated and it takes years to realize where you are and what it means. I enjoy your blog, keep it up!
I haven't seen any new uploaded since a while, do you know why?
Travis and Tracey, I live in Australia, and housing is a nightmare here, not enough houses available, we have a big rental crisis, unfortunately it's a big problem everywhere..love your videos😊
Thank you so much! We appreciate you!
Well...if you wanna make friends in the Netherlands it is wise to join a sports club or a join a hobbyclub...that is the fastest way to learn the culture...and try to speak Dutch to show you are interested in their culture...remember they took the time to learn your language...I can't be a one way way street...
Keep up the good work and I am sure you will make lots of friends...
Great video!
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Boy, your comments about how some people wish "you would go back to your country" reminds me how there're plenty of U.S. citizens here in lots of states I've been in, who even act that way towards other citizens who move out of one state and into another! I've seen it, I've lived all around the U.S. (been in 46 states). That unwelcomeness is alive and well, even here in the States.
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We've thought about moving to the Netherlands, we're both dual U.S.-EU citizens and can easily step off a plane in any EU nation, dot a few "i"s and cross and few "t"s on a few forms, and we could settle in for the long term. We have lots of relatives in nearby Germany. My wife even speaks some Dutch.
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Gee, I just can't see living somewhere without some mountains. ... although, I do see the Ardennes are not to far away.
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I much rather wanted to go to Canada, but they're really tightening up the entire immigration scene now and it's crazy difficult.
Excellent vlog, T&T! Another consideration before packing your life up and moving abroad is that if you have children, please be sure to think about what they might go through as well, especially in the first several months. It will be hard on them, being uprooted from everything they know, friends and family that they will be leaving behind, and adapting to a new way of life.
But why throw it on you-tube !
Make a case on internet
where you can inform us Dutchies and make your own (objectiv or subjectiv) experience clear also for other Americans.
*UA-cam* is not the place if you think about it.
Also you are not the norm
while other intelligent people know things you warn them about at fore-hand.
Practice is difficult for every foreigner ofcource.
Put it in the place where it belongs.
😉🌹
Jullie zijn geweldig ❤
I live in Woerden and as a follower I realise I could have bumped into you somewhere in de city, and then could have treated you a coffee. Love your videos and hope you enjoy your trip to Rome 😊
Most expat video's on youtube are like "oh it's like heaven here in the netherlands" , so I'm very happy with this video. I love my country but like every country it has it's pro's en cons and people that want to imigrate here should be prepared for that. About housing: it's a small country we simply don't have enough space for huge houses and gardens.
Thank you, we felt like it was important to address a few of the things we experienced as we transitioned. No place is perfect. We appreciate you watching!
Discrimination is always there. I have seen enough and it goes way back in time too. Went through a couple. As for moving here, I think that you should know what kind of life you want. I enjoy hearing American expats because I have been here a while. Good luck to all. Love your friends Eric and Tammy.
They don't got the 2A
Have y'all ever visited the American military cemetery in Margraten?
When you compare salary, do you also compare cost of living? Meaning housing, insurances (particularly health insurance cost) food etc? In the US you get taxed less. I think it really depend what area in US you compare with which area in NL. Generally speaking you don’t move for the money to NL (from the US), from other European countries it can be a benefit. Cost of having multiple motorized vehicles is much higher in NL vs US. And a free standing spacious house in a nice area is pretty much unaffordable in NL or you both need a very high paying salary. But that is due to limited space and housing market. The houses are build more to last though and build less to “show how big it is” while it’s actually not, just wide and not deep. Personally I settle for a well build bricklayed house any day over the wood and dry wall ones.
Having lived abroad I found that it’s always hard to befriend locals. They already have their circle of friends and relatives, and they don’t want to invest time in a friendship with someone who may move away in a few years.
My wife is from Brasil and moved over here 6 years ago. She studied Dutch about 15 hours weekly and her Dutch is close to perfect, being on an age of 57 now. Because of this and her great personality she has a bunch of very good Dutch friends. Her son, the same song.
If you want to live like back home, go back home. Don't expect Wendy's, Walmart here.
All depends on which enviremont you fall into in terms of occupation and background.
You're adapting your own cirkels.
Even the Dutch themselves have differences.
I know several Americans who have seen and lived in different European places and they all confirm that The Netherlands of all E.U. countries is the most 'american' relatively spoken.
I have to add that most of them are musicians and artists of all kind and most are intellectual leaning.....
Living in Amsterdam is like permanent vacation..only difference is u go to bank..pay bills check mail... after doing that u can walk around do whatever you want u have This awesome environment 24 / 7
That’s awesome that you feel that way! Sounds like you’re integrating pretty flawlessly. Unfortunately, we don’t think it’s that easy for most people, so you’re lucky!
We love our lives here in The Netherlands, but we don’t view it as a holiday at all. There are so many positives of living here, which many of our videos focus on. We don’t want to sugarcoat it,
As far as cons go, There’s trying to integrate into Dutch society, learning a new language, navigating a foreign healthcare system, dual taxes, etc. Not to mention homesickness!
Fair assessment. Also it rains a lot. And while your salary will be 3/4 of that in the US, a (small) car will cost you 1.5x as much, so you will have to learn to ride a bike (in the rain). Your neighbors are part of your Dutch life. If you are used to burning leaves in the spring, without regard for your neighbors, Nederland is not the place for you (You'll live, but it won't be gezellig).
I grew up in the Netherlands as a kid but we moved to Australia. Going back with ideas to stay I was a bit shocked at the standard of living. Everything is so crowded, the lack of space, the mediocre housing I was in, energy costs, the gloomy weather. I couldn't do it & went back to Melbourne.
It's a pity that the Netherlands did not bring you what you were looking for. Perhaps too high expectations? You lived in the most densely populated part of the Netherlands.
Have you returned to Texas now?
If so, I hope this was a nice adventure to remember, to look back on later in your life. I wish your both all the best
Love to you guys! Just for who you are!!
I think if one moves to a new country one will inevitably experience all the issues you are talking about in this video. I came to Canada from the Netherlands 71 years ago but still there are days when I do not feel like a Canadian. Just having a strange name is enough to set people off. I think that the best thing to help anyone integrate into a new society is to completely drop the old one. Whole hog or nothing!
These are all very realistic and reasonable points, but I also think these apply for almost any foreign country you move to 😉. I think every country has benefits and disadvantages. Making new friends is also hard for me as a Dutch person 😉.
Good advice
A frank & wise appraisal.
Look i wouldn't go and live in the US for a million bucks, not because it isn't a good country but because i love my country and love the things about it like the cities with all its history, my friends and just the understanding of how stuff goes on here, the type of humor, the inside jokes. i feel connected to that and you guys obviously feel and are American and like the things you grew up with. I understand this 100%, so that's why I'm still surprised why you guys even live here? i want you guys to love it here but it doesn't sound like you would choose this country over the US, so why are you guys here?
We love our lives here so much. This video is more of a cautionary tale for Americans who dream of moving to Europe. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, certainly not perfect, but perfect for us and the family we’re hoping to have here. Hopefully that clears things up a bit.
It's a good question to ask. I ask myself the same question after living in venlo the last 8 months. I myself can only part answer it that I don't feel at home in England anymore. Maybe that's why they left the us. Further for me the brexit and my 2 young kids live in venlo. So looks like I'm moving back there next month. You are lucky you love your country of birth. Many people dont.
Yes, as a Dutch person I have had expat friends, but at some point they always leave so you also need to make new friends, which is hard. That's why we do not invest too much in those relationships. Sorry. I hear a lot of complaints on that part, but this is the reason and you need to learn to acknowledge that point of view.
Besides, we distinguish hugely between friends and acquaintances. As an expat, you need to keep dat in mind.
About the Dutch being loyal to their childhood friends. I don't have any friends from my childhood anymore. Probably cause I moved to Amersfoort and certainly because it didn't feel right anymore. Now I have friends here in Amersfoort. And still making new friends. Even though I am 44 now.
So it is possible! Don't give up
Why do expats want to live in a city? I live in a village near Rotterdam, 20 min. to the centre with bus and metro and it's great, 10 min. cycling and you are in the middle of nature on beautyful bicycle paths
One big difference between The Netherlands and Korea that you mentioned is that Korea is all about convenience. You can get most things next day delivery and they are super nice and professional about it. Maybe I should make a response video about Korea. Sounds like fun!
I'm curious, why did you not mention the health care system at all? You have friends who have experienced the Dutch health care system, and I gather you also have experience with the Dutch system. This could be a huge attraction to Americans who can lose everything after having to pay hospital bills. For me, I would never consider moving to the US for that reason alone, although there are plenty others.
We’ve discussed the health system at length in some of our previous videos (especially regarding our fertility journey.) We’re planning on doing a video solely on healthcare in the future. Thanks for watching!
every move is hard even a move to Belgium will be hard for us. But I hope you can live a happy life here in The netherlands 🌷😘
I moved here alone, it is not for the faint of heart! Housing is no joke. It’s almost 2 years and I just feel like I’m settling in. It is so different than most of the US so people should know what they are getting into. Living in high density areas has it’s ups and downs.
For social housing the waiting list is over a decade in some places. That’s why people get irked about immigrants jumping the queue. The main gripes with immigration is that it’s getting so full over here. Stuffing 18 million people in an area about the size of Maryland (which has about 1/3rd of the population of the Netherlands) will get you that.
Well we take in too many immigrants. We just can't handle that because the homees are not built as quickly as people coming in. In that sense they could better move to Germany maybe.
@@Ozymandias1 Yes, I totally understand but in my experience, immigrants like me can not take social housing. It was super hard as a non Dutch citizen for me to find an apartment and I pay considerably more because of it in a private owned apartment. I’m not complaining, I think I should. The foreign investors that own my building are more of a worry to me. Just like the US, foreign investors are hiding their dirty money in housing. Also, I live outside a big city so hopefully that helps not taking housing from people that need to be in the city.
I waited 10 years (whiIe renting a room in somebody's house) to get a tiny 'aanIeunhuisje' in a viIIiage outside the city and another 6 years to get a house that nobody eIse wanted because it was on the waiting Iist to be torn down. 🤪
seems to me a normal way to get into the living in our country, takes time and time will tell .. if you cant get used to certain things you will leave again, or you find yourseves getting the hang of it, loving life here. The world is the world, make of it what you want. But be grateful for what you got.
I have a question regarding there being both progressive parts of NL and conservative ones. Even the most conservative NL community is still subject to Dutch & EU laws, right? So there would still be, for example, safe access to abortion, LGBTQ rights, and common sense gun laws, right? The same can not be said for many US states that are majority conservative.
Yes, no matter where you live, the laws are the same, so things like access to abortion clinics and LGBTQ rights are the same wherever you live. There is a string of villages that form what we call the Bible Belt. In the past all shops there were closed on Sundays, but now supermarkets are open that day just like everywhere else. However there won’t be much else to do there that day, except for church services. As far as gun violence is concerned, that only happens in the major cities. Not the mass shootings like in the US, but between competing drug gangs. Unfortunately these criminals sometimes err in the address and innocent people can become the victim.
One perhaps odd thing about LGBTQ rights: gay people get more harassed and discriminated in the larger “progressive” cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, were there are far more Muslims than in smaller towns and villages. Definitely not all Muslims cause problems, but the bad behavior of a sizable group of nasty teenagers who beat up gays does damage the image of all Muslims here. In the Bible Belt the conservative Christians may not agree with your gay lifestyle,but they won’t attack or harass you.
Think you nailed most of the good reasons not to move to NL and in particular, the biggest one being the lack of space and housing.
I couIdn't heIp but smiIe when you were taIking about 'convenience' .. when I first arrived in HoIIand in the 70s, peopIe food shopped daiIy (groenteboer, bakker, sIagerij, meIkboer (toetje) en sIijterij) because there weren't those Iarge American refrigerators avaiIabIe .. maybe just a tiny 'koeIkastje' if you were weaIthy.😁 I moved back to CaIifornina after 5 1/2 years, but decided to move to Virginia in the 80s and got the shock of my Iife when I discovered that even in America, their stores cIosed on Sundays and didn't even stay open aII night.🤪 Came back to The NetherIands in 1989 and have been here ever since. I suppose you're right that most peopIe make their friends when they're young or through their work, but I must not have been much of a sociaI butterfIy, maybe because I worked with the pubIic on such a grand scaIe that I was pIumb tired when I got home (indeed to my tiny apartment). I've Ioved wherever I've Iived though, each cuIture I've touched and every Ianguage I've attenpted to speak. I never experienced homesickness .. not that I didn't miss my famiIy/friends/country, but because I aIways knew it was avaiIabIe to me. I'm oId now so maybe that's not reaIIy true anymore. In any event, I Iove watching other expats share their experiences. Have a great Iife for as Iong as you choose to stay here. P.S. what kind of work do the two of you have? 🌹