Surpring Issues after Shifting to the Netherlands from the US

Come I Moved from Original Jersey to the Netherlands to Reside with my accomplice in 2017, I believed what to question.

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

However after residing within the US My Total Lifestyles, there are effectively plenty i had to catch to the maved in a international country. Though I No Longer Reside within the Netherlands, here are a Few Issues that very a lot surprised me with first arived.

The Nation Assessments the Air-Raid Sirens Monthly

Be purchased to the Netherlands, my accomplice took per week off work to attend me pick.

SO I modified into as soon as shy when, on my first day on my own the subsequent weeke, an air-raid siren blaared at lunchime. It sounded admire one thing from a catastrophe movie, and that i texted Him in a alarm to ask what modified into as soon as going down.

Evidently the dutch take a look at the luchtalarm on the predominant monday of every month.

These Forms of alarms wased duralms World Battle II to the WARN of Bombings or Air Raids, but they’re going to be former to warn of Other Dangers, admire Inclement Climate.

The Dutch Assuredly Bear 2 Seasons: Summer and Rain

IT SEEMS LIKE MANY American citizens Judge The Nation Fully Freezes Over Every Winter – There are images of the dutch skating on frozen canals. Howver, That Blueprint isn’t Factual.

Winters here are in general Very Gentle, with Easiest 1 or 2 Inches of Snow Every Year, and the Canals Hardly ever ever Freeze Over.

In truth, it”s vital extra same outdated for it to protect grey and rainy from October Via March. However Summers Completely Form Up for It, With Prolonged Sunny Days and Sunsets as gradual as 10 pm

Little talc isn’t if truth be told a thing here

The Dutch Pleasure Themselves on Being Straight forward, so Little Converse is Grand Much less Overall here within the usa.

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

When i did that within the netherlands, i’d in general catch a unfamiliar stare, or the stranger woupe as, “will i do know you?”

That’s though of Converse in unaccented dutch, i Once Eve Had a Cashier As, “Are You Foreign?” – and that i believe it modified into as soon as Attributable to my Tried Little Converse.

Most All the pieces Is Walkable, Bikeable, Or Accessible by Public Transport

I hold a driver’s license, but i didn’t force within the netherlands – in my experience, you don’t want a automobile to catch spherical.

All the pieces, from the Grocery Retailer to My Build of job to the Nation’s Biggest Theme Parkis Effortlessly Accessible by Public Transportation.

Thanks to Bike Lanes and Accessible Infrastructure, it is a handful to bike from Metropolis to Metropolis. A few of my Colleagues Wouuld Bike 45 minutes to work within the summer season for excerpt.

SO MANY STORES CLOSE IN THE EARLY EVENTING

One of many Hardest Changes i HAD to assemble i Moved modified into as soon as adjusting to completely different same outdated Retailer hours.

Coming from the usa, I modified into as soon as former to issues being on hand at nearly any time of day. In the Netherlands, Most Storys Terminate at 5 pm, which map it’s essential tear on the weeks or durying work.

The exception is koopavond (Shop Evening): One Evening a Week, Storys Will Discontinuance Originate As Unhurried As 8 or 9.

Being Quarter-hour away from the seashore doesn’t assemble a city a ‘seashore city’

In Original Jersey, Any Town With 20 Minutes of the Ocean is Relief in mind A Seaside Town, Total with Rentable Houses and Nautical Gift Shops.

However the Netherlands is so minute that many cities are shut to the shore and accumulated feed Fully metropolitan.

My Home Metropolis, Leiden, Is Easiest a 15-Minute Pressure from the Seaside, but is the acknowledged as a minute ancient Metropolis and an Tutorial hub. The seagulls are the handiest thing that is hint at how Terminate it’s to the Water.

I didn’t want to refrigerate my eggs anymore

One of basically the most unearthly cramped issues for me catch to be to be meved modified into as soon as no longer inserting my exgs within the fridge.

In the usa, exigs are washed earlier than they’re’re sol, which map they esteem ther protect declare Layer and Require Refrigeration.

The set I reside within the Netherlands, Eggs Are Unwashed, and Most Of us Wauld Relief On The County or in A Drawer.

There are some unfamiliar ‘american’ meals here

One more Shock Was as soon as A few of the Foods That Dutch Of us Judge AS American.

As an example, there’s one thing Referred to as americaanse fritausus (American Fry Sauce) That’s Total with American Flags on the Bottle. Its admire a mixture of mayonnaise, mustard, and relic.

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

In the American share of the Grocery Retailer, you might perchance well also aquire canines in jars or the Bottled skittles drinks that never look within the usa.

IT’s irregular to Inquire on your leftovers at a restaurant

In the usa, it’s the pretty commmonic to the asset to rob the remainder of your dish dwelling must you didn’t attach at a restaurant.

However within the Netherlands, Half Sizes SEEM to be Smaller, and that i didn’t look Of us Taking Home Leftovers Slightly veritably.

Though Packing Up Leftovers Has Turn into More Overall Over The Years, Many Eating locations Wouuldn’t Bear Takeaway Containers to Box My Food in Wen I’d Inquire.

Remedy Can Be In actuality Low price, However Its Not Free

The Biggest Distinction Between Residing within the US and the Netherlands is perchance the Clinical and Healthcare Programs.

Dutch healthcare isn’t fully free, but of Accumulate it’s Very Life like. Adults Can Pay Around 159 Euros (Under $ 200) a month for Mandatori Insurance, Which Covers Mossential Care and Many Prescription Medicine.

On the rare occision that a treatment isn’t covered by insurance protection, i’ve chanced on the cost is terribly low.

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

That’s a some distance state from the usa, the set Widespread Protection for an grownup offten prices extra than doubles, and uncovered prescriptions will be nosreds of dolrs.

This chronicle modified into as soon as long-established printed on March 8, 2022, and Most no longer too lengthy ago updated on September 19, 2025.