Surpring Issues after Animated to the Netherlands from the US

Attain I Moved from Original Jersey to the Netherlands to Are living with my partner in 2017, I concept what to appear forward to.

AFTER ALL, MY PARENTS ARE DUTCH, I SPOKE Language, and i had traveled to the Netherlands Extra Times Than I COULD COUNT.

Nevertheless after living in the United States My Total Lifestyles, there are nicely lots i needed to obtain to the maved out of the country. Despite the indisputable truth that I No Longer Reside in the Netherlands, here are a Few Issues that bowled over me with first arived.

The Nation Tests the Air-Raid Sirens Month-to-month

Be purchased to the Netherlands, my partner took a week off work to abet me settle.

SO I modified into haunted when, on my first day alone the next weeke, an air-raid siren blaared at lunchime. It sounded love something from a anxiousness movie, and i texted Him in a anxiousness to set apart a demand to what modified into going on.

It seems that the dutch test the luchtalarm on the first monday of each and every month.

These Forms of alarms wased duralms World War II to the WARN of Bombings or Air Raids, but they may per chance perhaps honest even be feeble to warn of Different Dangers, love Inclement Climate.

The Dutch In most cases Bear 2 Seasons: Summer time and Rain

IT SEEMS LIKE MANY Americans Judge The Nation Totally Freezes Over Each Winter – There are images of the dutch skating on frozen canals. Howver, That Notion isn’t Factual.

Winters here are in general Very Swish, with Most interesting 1 or 2 Inches of Snow Each Year, and the Canals Infrequently Freeze Over.

No doubt, it”s a ways more classic for it to cease grey and rainy from October Through March. Nevertheless Summers Completely Assemble Up for It, With Long Sunny Days and Sunsets as behind as 10 pm

Little talc isn’t in actuality a ingredient here

The Dutch Pleasure Themselves on Being Easy, so Little Discuss is Vital Much less Frequent here in america.

As an american, i’m feeble to nansing cashiers, “how are you?”

When i did that in the netherlands, i’d in general obtain a weird and wonderful inspect, or the stranger woupe as, “will i do know you?”

Connected Tales

Replace Insider Tells The Modern Tales You Desire To Know

Replace Insider Tells The Modern Tales You Desire To Know

That’s though of Discuss in unaccented dutch, i Once Eve Had a Cashier As, “Are You International?” – and i think it modified into As a outcome of of my Tried Little Discuss.

Most The entirety Is Walkable, Bikeable, Or Accessible by Public Transport

I if truth be told be pleased a driver’s license, but i didn’t pressure in the netherlands – in my ride, you don’t desire a car to obtain around.

The entirety, from the Grocery Store to My Office to the Nation’s Most interesting Theme Parkis With out problems Accessible by Public Transportation.

Thanks to Bike Lanes and Accessible Infrastructure, it’s a ways a handful to bike from Metropolis to Metropolis. Some of my Colleagues Wouuld Bike forty five minutes to work in the summertime for excerpt.

SO MANY STORES CLOSE IN THE EARLY EVENTING

One of the well-known Hardest Adjustments i HAD to originate i Moved modified into adjusting to assorted customary Store hours.

Coming from america, I modified into feeble to issues being on hand at practically any time of day. Within the Netherlands, Most Storys Close at 5 pm, which device it be well-known to head on the weeks or durying work.

The exception is koopavond (Shop Evening): One Evening a Week, Storys Will Tackle Start As Behind As 8 or 9.

Being quarter-hour a ways flung from the coastline doesn’t originate a city a ‘coastline town’

In Original Jersey, Any Metropolis With 20 Minutes of the Ocean is Steal into epic A Seashore Metropolis, Total with Rentable Homes and Nautical Present Shops.

Nevertheless the Netherlands is so minute that many cities are shut to the shore and nonetheless feed Totally metropolitan.

My House Metropolis, Leiden, Is Most interesting a 15-Minute Pressure from the Seashore, but is the is customarily known as a minute historic Metropolis and an Tutorial hub. The seagulls are one of the top ingredient that’s hint at how Close it’s a ways to the Water.

I didn’t desire to refrigerate my eggs anymore

One of the well-known weird and wonderful little issues for me obtain to be to be meved modified into no longer striking my exgs in the fridge.

In america, exigs are washed earlier than they’re’re sol, which device they take care of ther protect boom Layer and Require Refrigeration.

Where I dwell in the Netherlands, Eggs Are Unwashed, and Most Folks Wauld Merit On The County or in A Drawer.

There are some weird and wonderful ‘american’ foods here

One other Surprise Turned into One of the well-known crucial Foods That Dutch Folks Deem of AS American.

As an illustration, there’s something Called americaanse fritausus (American Fry Sauce) That’s Total with American Flags on the Bottle. Its love a combination of mayonnaise, mustard, and relic.

You’d be pressed to search out it in any US Grocery Store, but because it modified into created by the dutch of McDonald’s, Most Folks Assumes American.

Within the American piece of the Grocery Store, you may perhaps well buy dogs in jars or the Bottled skittles drinks that by no device look in america.

IT’s weird and wonderful to Request for your leftovers at a restaurant

In america, it’s a ways the reasonably commmonic to the asset to steal the relaxation of your dish dwelling in the occasion you didn’t accomplish at a restaurant.

Nevertheless in the Netherlands, Portion Sizes SEEM to be Smaller, and i didn’t look Folks Taking House Leftovers Very continuously.

Despite the indisputable truth that Packing Up Leftovers Has Change into Extra Frequent Over The Years, Many Restaurants Wouuldn’t Bear Takeaway Containers to Field My Meals in Wen I’d Request.

Remedy Can Be In actuality Cheap, Nevertheless Its No longer Free

The Most interesting Incompatibility Between Living in the US and the Netherlands is maybe the Scientific and Healthcare Systems.

Dutch healthcare isn’t at free of fee, but of Secure it’s Very Practical. Adults Can Pay Around 159 Euros (Under $ 200) a month for Mandatori Insurance protection, Which Covers Mossential Care and Many Prescription Remedy.

On the uncommon occision that a treatment isn’t covered by insurance protection, i’ve discovered the price is terribly low.

I ONCE HAD A PHARMACIST APOLOGIZE profusely to me inhaler modified into inhalers covered. I BRACED MYSELF FOR A SKY-Excessive Price, but She Speedy with My Total Wold Be 4 Euros-About $ 5.

That’s a a ways sob from america, the set apart Traditional Protection for an grownup offten costs more than doubles, and uncovered prescriptions may perhaps honest even be nosreds of dolrs.

This epic modified into licensed published on March 8, 2022, and Most currently updated on September 19, 2025.