On this day, three years ago, Jon and I stepped off a plane into our life as Americans in Amsterdam. I remember how we arrived in the Netherlands early after our redeye flight. We had about eight suitcases between us with all our belongings. I’ll never forget that first walk around the Amstel river when it hit home that I was officially an expat in Amsterdam.
And here we are three years later, having just signed on to stay for a fourth. It’s honestly so crazy when I think about it. One of our goals when we moved was to “really do it.” We didn’t want to do what a lot of expats do, which is move abroad for 6 months to a year and then return home. While still difficult, I don’t believe you can truly experience life in another country unless you do it for longer.
It’s been funny this year when we meet other expats. They always ask how long you’ve been here. Now, we are the ones that people look up to because we’ve been here for quite some time. It’s a weird feeling to be the veterans of expat life in Amsterdam. But it’s true. We know our way around the city so well. We’ve got all our favorite restaurants, bars, and parks. We’ve seen our neighborhood grow and change so much over the past few years.
2020 has been a hard year for all of us. Jon and I started 2020 in Hong Kong on our way back from visiting my parents in Sydney. In late February, we made our way to Chamonix for a ski weekend. And then. The world shut down. I lost my job with Bloomeffects, and Jon and I started to talk about returning to New York. But as always, life has a way of working out, and things turned around. I’m employed again, and we decided to stay for another year.
As the chill creeps into the air and I look out my window onto this sunny September morning, I’m filled with so much gratitude for this life as an expat in Amsterdam. Living abroad can be really hard, but I am so appreciative of my friends, this town that I love, and the many experiences of life abroad.
As I always say, if you get the opportunity to experience expat life, seize it. Three years and a lot of ups and downs later, I’m just as grateful as that first day I walked around the Amstel river as a newly minted expat.
Cheers to another year!
Xx, Kelsey
OUTFIT DETAILS:
Julahas cape | Similar shirt | J. Crew Factory jeans | Similar shoes
