Four Years as an American in the Netherlands

As I write my fourth of these posts, the sun is streaming into our apartment. It’s a crisp 60-degree morning, the exact same weather as the day we stepped off the plane from NYC four years ago into our lives as Americans in the Netherlands. Jon and I always talk about how we went directly from summer to fall in one 7.5 hour flight that year. 

I’d say it’s crazy to think we’ve been here four years, but it actually feels about right. We are so comfortable in our life here. Over the past four years, we’ve gotten used to the quirks of Dutch culture. We know our way around the city so well. And we’ve grown adjusted to the European way of life. 

And the last year has been especially special. In February we adopted our sweet pup, Jolene, who turns one tomorrow. We also got engaged a little over a month ago under the Magere Brug on the Amstel. We managed to finally make the trip to Greece we’d been dreaming of. Despite spending half of our fourth year in lockdown, it’s been pretty good. 

As I went for a walk this morning with Jolene, I took some time to be grateful for our life in this beautiful city. How lucky we are to have spent the past four years surrounded by so much history and culture. To have experienced a lifestyle so different from the American ones we grew up with. To have made so many amazing friends who share in this expat adventure. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. 

Of course, with every additional year that passes as an American in the Netherlands, we have to ask ourselves, “how long do we stay?” In the middle of the pandemic last year, we had some very serious conversations about returning to the US to be near family. Ultimately, we decided to stay another year. This year, I’m honestly not sure what we’ll decide. 

At this point, I don’t feel like there is any part of the abroad experience that we’ve missed out on. We’ve done so much incredible travel, and we’ve settled into life amongst people who speak a different language than us. I miss being close to family, something the pandemic really brought to light. I also miss the ease of life in America. Even after four years, getting mail in Dutch can still be stressful! But I also love this experience as an American in the Netherlands. There’s just nothing like it. Just looking out my windows to see the beautiful historic canal houses makes me so happy. 

I’m not certain where things will go from here and whether I’ll be writing one of these posts next year. But never really knowing what’s next is part of the expat adventure. Thank you for following along for these last four years as an American in the Netherlands.

Here’s to many more adventures ahead! 

Xx, Kelsey