How We Ended Up In The Netherlands

We moved to the Netherlands in May of last year.

We knew it was a risk since we didn’t know anyone there nor did we have jobs lined up but we also knew deep down inside that if we didn’t take the risk we would regret it. It wasn’t possible to build the future we wanted for ourselves in Italy, nor in Slovakia where we had been living in my family home while we decided on what to do next.

Because we had both transitioned to working online and we had savings, nothing was stopping us from making the move and we were free to move anywhere we could secure decent housing. This was our main concern since The Netherlands was (and still is ) going through a housing crisis.

Securing housing while still living abroad was no easy feat but despite the odds we managed to find a place that turned out to be much better than we had expected. That is how we ended up living in a small town between Roermond and Maastricht in the Dutch province of South Limburg.

I had never heard of South Limburg before but as the train moved south from Eindhoven, rolling past fields, farmland and forests, I knew that we were moving away from big city life. Something that we both wanted.

When we arrived at our station, we stepped off the train into the remnants of a thunderstorm. The sky was a mix of heavy grey clouds and golden sunshine. The rain was beginning to ease and the intense earth scent of petrichor filled our lungs as we walked along the road, using google to guide us.

Our flat and everything in it was brand new and modern. It came fully furnished including a vacuum cleaner, coffee maker, plates, etc., still wrapped in plastic and boxes. Unwrapping it all made it feel like Christmas.

We then went out to explore our new neighbourhood and found ourselves surrounded by nature. The supermarket was only a few minutes walk away and the town had not only an old medieval square but also a modern gallery and library, plenty of cafes, restaurants and gardens.

My husband’s paperwork – being non-Eu – was completed in 7 months and he was the first to find work that allowed him to completely move away from teaching and in a whole new exciting career direction. It took longer for me because I didn’t want to settle for work that didn’t excite me. I wanted to move away from teaching and into a career that would allow me to use my love of writing and communication and this wasn’t easy.

The bad thing about living in a small town is that there aren’t a lot of work opportunities. However, with the loving support of my husband, I preserved and landed a job I love and with amazing colleagues. A job, unlike teaching, that doesn’t require me to do any additional work at home. Once I leave my job, that’s me done for the day and the next morning I find myself excited to return to work.

Now that we feel more settled in our new home, the next step is to learn Dutch or at least attempt to. Although I work for an American company, Dutch is still spoken at work and it’s the only way to fully integrate into our community. The perks of living in a small town are that you are closer to the language and the traditions of the people who live there. We really value this and want to show our appreciation by being as involved in our community as we can be. Learning the language is key to this.

There is not a day that goes by that we are not grateful for the risk we took to open ourselves up to new opportunities and our decision to settle down here. Dealing with all the unknowns wasn’t easy but in the end, worth it.