Jon and I have made many trips back to New York City over the four and a half years we’ve been living in Amsterdam. A few weeks ago, we took a trip that was a little different. We spent several days in Jersey City, just across the water from Manhattan. We were there to look for an apartment because we will officially be moving back to the United States at the end of this month. This move has been in the works for a while, but recently it has started to feel oh so real. In fact, writing it down now to share with you makes it feel the most real of all.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, like a lot of couples, we started to question things in our life. The idea of moving back to the US came up more than once, but we ultimately decided to continue our Amsterdam adventure. In late 2021, when we started to question things again, we made a different decision and began to put things into place for our return to NYC.
The decision to go back to New York has been very bittersweet. I love our life in Amsterdam more than anything. It has been the most incredible adventure and has provided me with so many precious memories. I don’t necessarily feel like I’m done with the city, but I also can’t see us continuing to live here any longer. Not only are we ready for a life change, but we are ready to be closer to family. The pandemic really made it clear to us that it was time to be nearer to the ones we love, especially as we get ready to embark on our wedding journey.
When we first moved to Amsterdam, we expected to be here for six months to a year. When we board the plane to return to the US, it will be exactly 4 1/2 years that we’ve lived in the Netherlands. We have been so lucky to experience so many other cultures while here in the NL and while traveling. Life abroad has changed me forever. I look forward to carrying so many of these lessons and experiences with me into our future in New York. And of course, we will continue to travel and will not be gone from Europe forever. There is a wedding in Italy to plan after all!
To all the friends I have made in the Netherlands, thank you for making my time here so special. You have become my family abroad, and I will miss you most of all. Any chance I get to come back and visit, I will. You can count on that.
I will also be continuing to blog, although it may take me a little time to figure out what my transition looks like once I’m no longer an American in Amsterdam. I’m so so grateful for this platform that I started when we moved to Amsterdam in order to capture our experiences. Writing down all of these incredible memories and building this community to share them with has been a highlight of my time here.
Thank you for following along on this journey abroad and for supporting me every step of the way. I hope you stick around for this next chapter and please let me know if there is anything you want to see from me moving forward.
Xx, Kelsey
