The majority of the readers of this page are those of you who made the decision to leave your home countries and relocate to the Netherlands. No matter if you’ve stayed or gone away, I’ll guarantee my fellow Dutchies can sympathize!
1. Healthy living but still enjoying delectable appetizers
The following foods are stroopwafels, bitterballen, frites and fritessaus, and kibbeling (I know, it’s fish, but it’s battered!)., croquettes, cheese, appeltart, poffertjes, and hagelslag (because it’s not wrong to eat chocolate sprinkles first thing in the morning).
Then, of course, there are the fantastic Christmas and New Year’s treats, such as oliebollen, chocolate letters, speculaas, and kruidnoten.
Nevertheless, how can all of that be best avoided? Biking! Dutch people excel at it. Contrary to London, which can be incredibly dangerous, the bike lanes make it safer and easier to pedal around.
It forces you to leave the house and go by foot, bicycle, or even just for pure enjoyment, to work, the store, or anywhere else.
2. A difficult language that is yet learnable
A new experience can be had just by immersing oneself in a foreign tongue. When learning Dutch, this is especially true. Since I had never had to do that before, it actually took me months to perfect the “chhhhhh” sound, which is similar to clearing your throat.
The only exception to this is if you relocate to Amsterdam, where you might hear more English spoken.
3. An innovative viewpoint on customs and culture
Numerous Dutch traditions will surprise you, depending on where you have lived in the world. What occurs throughout the holiday season, as an illustration?
Sinterklaas travels from Spain by steamboat in the middle of November to the Netherlands, for those of you who may be reading this with the intention of moving here and are unsure of what I’m talking about.
Christmas Day itself is not solely about gifts, as I believe it can occasionally occur in other nations. This is a far better way of doing things. In the midst of a prolonged holiday season, who can complain?
- Read more Do Dutch People Still Wear Clogs Today?
4. Beautiful natural scenery (as well as amazing city life!)
It is a beautiful country, the Netherlands. There is always something lovely to look at, whether you’re biking through the tulip fields in spring or strolling along the canals of cities like Amsterdam.
Additionally, if you enjoy modern architecture and lifestyles, visiting places like Rotterdam and Eindhoven will help you develop an appreciation for them. It’s a simply lovely location to be in, all in all.
5. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential.
Working can be different, in addition to living in the Netherlands. In comparison to other nations, people tend to work fewer hours here and place equal value on personal time as on professional time.
Better earnings generally translate into a higher level of living. The Netherlands actually has some of the best work-life balance in the world!
6. The more liberal approach to the legislation
The law also varies (depending on where in the world you are) from place to place. Cannabis has been decriminalized, as we all know.
The general practice among drug sellers on the streets is to grow their own marijuana in attics. Cannabis is regarded as a class B substance (not a “soft” drug), and there is zero tolerance for its use.
7. Traveling and exploring are simple.
It is very simple to move from one part of the Netherlands to the other because it is a small country.
You can complain all you want about railway fares, but the fact that the price of a ticket remains the same whether you purchase it two months in advance or 20 minutes later means that you can go whenever and wherever you like without having to pay exorbitant rates.
Even for a short trip of a few hours, waiting until the day can cost you hundreds. Although the Dutch system has its share of shortcomings, it allows for much greater travel opportunities for everyone.
Additionally, the Netherlands’ location in the middle of Germany and Belgium, as well as its proximity to France and Luxembourg by car, makes it easy to travel farther afield in a single day.
