We’ve been in the Netherlands for a little over 10 days now, but man, it feels longer! We’ve been so busy getting our lives set up and exploring our new area. As expected, we’ve had some ups and downs. It can be stressful starting over in a new country despite the always-smiling faces you see on social media. Today is the kids’ first day of school and I’m home alone and without a car for the first time since being here. The guesthouse is quiet and I’m alone with my thoughts so I’m going to take this opportunity to do a little reflecting on our journey so far.
The Stressors:
There is sooooo much paperwork and logistics to stay on top of! Justin has been doing a fantastic job ticking things off the to-do list, but it often feels overwhelming. Here’s just one example of a process that has been overly complicated and stressful: We need to buy a car. To do that we have to have car insurance first. To get car insurance, we have to have a Dutch bank account with money in it. Well, we found a car and we opened a local bank account. However, there is no money in the account. We tried to use another bank to transfer money but they needed proof of a permanent address. We don’t have that. Our next option was to wire the money from our American bank. However, doing this from a foreign country looks like a fraud attempt so the US bank intervenes and blocks the transfer. In order to see if it’s a legit request, they call Justin, but here’s the thing- we no longer have that American phone number they are calling, and our current, temporary phone plans don’t make international calls. To get a phone plan that works, we need…. a Dutch bank account. And round and round we go! Things like this take hours of troubleshooting, asking for advice, and hitting brick walls again and again. Also, it doesn’t help that places like phone stores and banks are closed on evenings and weekends.
Some things have gone smoothly, but the sheer volume of things to be done can be daunting. We needed NATO ID cards, general ID cards, school ID cards, a gas card (to get tax-free gas since the price of gas is around $10 per gallon here!), and a special credit card to pay off the gas card. Then there’s the appointments. We needed an appointment to set up our bank account, an appointment to get a drivers license, one to learn about how to find a house, an appointment to go look at a house, etc. etc. We had to learn everything from how to use our PO box to how to recycle properly. It’s just a lot to take in and a lot of information to keep organized.
And finally, there’s my own personal hurdles I need to overcome. Since we’ve come to the Netherlands, I’ve had this anxiety about driving, especially by myself and especially to new places. I have this fear that I’ll get lost and then my phone won’t work to get help. One day, I was home alone with the kids while Justin was at work and instead of getting out of the house, we just sat around all day because I felt too paralyzed to do something. I am finding that I’m going to have to really push myself out of my comfort zone and that’s been difficult. I don’t remember having this much fear when we were in Tunisia so I’m not sure what’s changed, but I’m hoping it will improve with time and practice.
The Bright Spots:
Despite all the challenges, we like it here. There’s a laid-back attitude among the locals and almost everyone speaks English which has made it easy for us to communicate. We love sitting outside of little cafes eating our lunch and sipping our lattes. We have been lucky enough to meet very friendly, helpful people who have gone above and beyond to help us. The staff at the school seem great and there are ample opportunities for the kids to get involved in activities. There’s a place on one of the bases called “The Hub” that has a climbing wall, ping pong tables, a pool table, a fitness center, a restaurant and bar, big screen TVs, and a play area for kids. And the use of this space is completely free. There’s also a Youth Center that has free activities for Middle School and High School students like a Dungeons and Dragons night and a cooking club. Ted is excited to get involved there!
Another piece of exciting news is that we found a house! We were fortunate enough to find a house in Brunssum. It’s close to the school, a park with a big pond and walking path, and shops and restaurants. We can literally walk (or bike if we want to act like the locals) to all of those places. Right now they are renovating the attic space, so it won’t be ready for us to move in until November. That means we’ll be at our guesthouse in Germany a little longer than expected, but I think it’s worth the wait.
And finally, the biggest bright spot for me has been the travel opportunities, and we’re just getting started! Our first trip outside of our immediate area was a group tour to Maastricht with all the new-hires. Maastricht is the biggest nearby city, about 25 minutes from the school. The city was covered in cobblestone streets, dotted with flowers and vines, and is centered around a big red cathedral. In true Netherlands fashion, our tour took place in the rain and we were able to get use out of our new rain jackets. We finished the evening with a late night, 3 course meal among new coworkers.
During our first free Saturday, our family took a little mini-trip to Valkenburg, Germany, a popular tourist destination for locals. In the Valkenburg city center, the streets are crowded with restaurants and shops. It kind of gave us a European Eureka Springs vibe. We ate at a place called Sunndays that had the prettiest terrace and the biggest burger that Ted ordered. After eating, we headed up the hill to the ruins of Valkenburg Castle, built in 1115 and demolished in 1122 and again in 1672. Being in a place that old always gives me a certain spooky, nostalgic feeling as I wonder about all the things that would have happened in this former castle. I was especially creeped out reading about the dungeon room that was basically a big pit with no escape.
On Sunday, we ventured to Aachen, Germany to return a temporary rental car. When we dropped off the car, I didn’t expect much of this industrial looking town. However, when we drove to the city center, we found beautiful old architecture in the city hall and old cathedral. We took an impromptu tour of the city hall which was quite grand and overlooked the church. We finished with a quick lunch and then headed back to the guesthouse to relax for the rest of the afternoon.
We’ve received lots of tips on places to visit. Everyone has their favorites. I predict that our weekends will be full of wandering around old European cities. The hardest part is deciding where to go next! There are so many hidden gems, and they are only a quick car trip away. And then we have longer breaks to look forward to where we can hop on a plane and dedicate a bit more time to further away areas. I’m already researching places for Fall Break. Will it be London, Malta, Dubrovnik, or Edinburg? So many options!
So there you have it- the positives outweigh the negatives and hopefully as we adjust to living here, it will continue to get easier. It’s going to be weird not having a job for the first time in my life, but I plan to volunteer at the school and maybe eventually sub. I think my main job right now is taking some of the weight off of Justin’s shoulders and being a cheerleader and planner for the family. Not a bad gig!
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 