I'm an American who moved to the Netherlands 9 years ago. I love the bike culture, but I miss Trader Joe's and speaking English.

This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech pinch Jaime Bancroft-Gennaro, a 50-year-old advisor and coach, who moved from the US to the Netherlands. It's been edited for magnitude and clarity.

I was calved successful Pennsylvania, grew up successful San Diego, and went to assemblage successful Santa Cruz. After graduating, I moved to Oregon. At first, I lived successful Bend, and past I spent 15 years successful Portland.

When my boy was calved successful 2009, my hubby and I moved to Italy, wherever my hubby is from. He was homesick, and it felt for illustration the correct move astatine the time.

When the system collapsed during the world financial crisis, we moved backmost to the US. We were ever pining to get backmost to Europe — we conscionable didn't cognize wherever aliases erstwhile the correct clip would be.

Before we moved to Europe for the 2nd time, my hubby sent maine to Amsterdam by myself to spot what I thought. I loved it, and we decided to move there.

In 2017, my kids started simple school

Trump had been elected for the first time. My kids were coming location talking astir immigration, lockdown drills, and different things that made maine recognize this wasn't really I wanted them to turn up.

Around the aforesaid time, my hubby received a mini inheritance, which really sparked the move. I thought, "We person the money to do it now. The timing seems right. When other are we going to do it?"

Amsterdam reminded maine of Portland successful a batch of ways. It felt for illustration the correct spot for us. We were nearing the extremity of our lease, gave our landlord a mates of months' notice, and past moved correct extracurricular Amsterdam successful 2017.

We didn't cognize anyone successful the Netherlands

We didn't speak Dutch and didn't cognize the culture, but we felt that if we were ever going to do it, pinch our kids ages 4 and 6, it was the correct time.

I was moving successful advertising, and location were a batch of advertizing companies successful Amsterdam. My hubby had a occupation successful software, and he moved pinch that job. I recovered a caller occupation aft I arrived. I worked nether a activity licence done my company, and that was my sponsorship to unrecorded successful Europe.

When I later mislaid that occupation during COVID-19, I was capable to enactment successful the Netherlands done my husband. I yet became a national myself.

Since moving to the Netherlands, location are things I'm gladsome we did, things I like, and things I miss.

We sewage free of astir of our things

I decided we would get free of astir of our things isolated from our kids' stuff. I wanted to bring each of their stuffed animals, toys, gifts they'd received, and their blankets. It felt important to support what mattered to them — and the things that would make them consciousness astir comfortable erstwhile we arrived.

I didn't mind getting free of my ain things. I'm a minimalist, and arsenic personification who has moved astir a lot, a purger, too. We brought our clothes, 2 cool retro chairs I loved from Portland, and my VHS tapes from college. My husband, who is simply a photographer, besides brought a container of aged slides.

I liked letting spell of things because each clip you deed a milestone successful your life, aliases you move, you're a caller person. For the things we kept, we hired a institution that filled a shipping instrumentality pinch a bunch of different people's boxes. They sold america a information of the container.

It wasn't much, but it worked. I do wish I had brought my motorcycle because I needed 1 arsenic soon arsenic I sewage to the Netherlands.

We moved into a furnished house

We moved into a furnished location that we rented for the first 2 years, which was really helpful. We didn't person to interest astir accumulating a bunch of worldly because we didn't cognize whether we'd enactment long.

In the US, we paid $1,900 a period successful rent, which included 3 bedrooms, carpet, and a dumpy room pinch an electrical stove, but did not see utilities. Our owe present for a four-bedroom pinch an agency is €1,500, aliases astir $1,745. We walk €150 a week connected groceries.

We placed our kids successful a Dutch school

When we arrived, we plopped our kids correct into a Dutch schoolhouse because they were truthful little. We wanted a connection immersion program, but not an world school, because I wanted my kids to consciousness rooted location alternatively than transient.

The kids were fluent aft six months and stayed location for 2 years, and past moved to a Dutch nationalist school. They consciousness for illustration they're successful it, whereas world kids thin to beryllium connected the outskirts. My kids consciousness are now fluent successful 3 languages: Dutch, English, and Italian.

I emotion to return my motorcycle everywhere

I for illustration the motorcycle civilization of the Netherlands. In Portland, they person a motorcycle culture, too, but it's not for illustration the Netherlands. Every clip you thrust a bicycle, you're not connected the street. There's a full motorcycle infrastructure pinch stoplights, extremity signs, and roundabouts.

My kids besides thrust their bikes everywhere, and they don't request america to thrust them astir aliases return them to parties; they're wholly independent.

I activity from location and ne'er thrust anymore. If I ever near the Netherlands, I'd miss the motorcycle culture.

People are ever location to thief each other

I emotion that everyone watches retired for each other. If a kid falls disconnected their bicycle, group are instantly astir them trying to help. If an older personification falls, it's the aforesaid thing. No 1 conscionable passes them by.

We besides person a vicinity WhatsApp group wherever 1 older female often asks, "Can personification thief return retired my garbage, aliases person java pinch me?" and group happily do. There's this consciousness of organization wherever I deliberation Americans are now getting a small spot frightened of each other.

There are things I miss, including Trader Joe's

I miss going to Trader Joe's. OK, I miss Trader Joe's a lot.

I miss the mini talk. I miss going to the market shop and having the cashier inquire really my time is going. Here, they're not chit-chatters. They usage words very efficiently.

Also, they don't container your groceries here.

I besides miss English

People speak a batch of English successful the Netherlands, but each clip I time off the house, there's a small apprehension. I took a fewer Dutch classes erstwhile I first moved, and I cognize capable to get by astatine this point.

Still, I chiefly interest I'll misunderstand personification aliases opportunity thing they won't understand. For example, if I get into a analyzable situation, for illustration falling disconnected my motorcycle and taking an ambulance, it would transcend my connection abilities. Or erstwhile I sojourn my husband's family, they speak Italian.

Sometimes I consciousness for illustration I'm not my afloat self, and I'd for illustration to be. I'm friendly. I for illustration talking to and gathering people. It feels embarrassing to inquire personification to speak English because I unrecorded here. I've realized I've go overmuch quieter and much reserved than I was backmost successful the US. I've go measurement much of a wallflower, and that makes maine homesick.

Despite the discomfort, I would do it again

When I first moved here, I was uncomfortable. I had dreams astir leaving, and I was fresh to leave. I thought, I don't want to do this, but I had to move done the discomfort of being location new.

Within the past mates of years, I've appreciated surviving present a batch more. I often think, look astatine what we did. I think it's truthful cool that we moved here.

At my 10-year day of surviving here, I'd for illustration to person a scheme to move location else. My boy is successful his past twelvemonth of precocious school, and my girl is simply a sophomore, but she's unfastened to finishing precocious schoolhouse location other successful Europe.

I for illustration watching my kids really thrive successful their communities, navigating friendships, and uncovering their places. I consciousness for illustration we each person recovered our small pouch successful the world, and I'm really appreciating it a batch much than I deliberation I ever have.