Surpring Issues after Transferring to the Netherlands from the US

Come I Moved from Original Jersey to the Netherlands to Live with my companion in 2017, I believed what to count on.

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

But after dwelling within the United States My Total Life, there are correctly loads i needed to uncover to the maved abroad. Though I No Longer Live within the Netherlands, listed below are a Few Issues that shocked me with first arived.

The Country Tests the Air-Raid Sirens Monthly

Be purchased to the Netherlands, my companion took a week off work to attend me opt.

SO I was jumpy when, on my first day on my own the next weeke, an air-raid siren blaared at lunchime. It sounded care for one thing from a disaster movie, and that i texted Him in a effort to quiz what used to be going down.

It appears that the dutch check the luchtalarm on the critical monday of every month.

These Forms of alarms wased duralms World Battle II to the WARN of Bombings or Air Raids, nonetheless they would furthermore be former to warn of Other Dangers, care for Inclement Weather.

The Dutch On the general Occupy 2 Seasons: Summer season and Rain

IT SEEMS LIKE MANY Americans Hang The Country Entirely Freezes Over Every Cold climate – There are photos of the dutch skating on frozen canals. Howver, That Thought isn’t Soft.

Winters listed below are in most cases Very Soft, with Ideal 1 or 2 Inches of Snow Every twelve months, and the Canals Infrequently ever Freeze Over.

In any case, it”s mighty more general for it to conclude gray and rainy from October By March. But Summers Entirely Invent Up for It, With Long Sunny Days and Sunsets as late as 10 pm

Minute talc isn’t in actuality a element here

The Dutch Pride Themselves on Being Easy, so Minute Narrate is Mighty Less Traditional here in america.

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

When i did that within the netherlands, i’d continuously uncover a abnormal glimpse, or the stranger woupe as, “will i know you?”

That’s though of Narrate in unaccented dutch, i As soon as Eve Had a Cashier As, “Are You Foreign?” – and that i suspect it used to be Resulting from my Attempted Minute Narrate.

Most Every little thing Is Walkable, Bikeable, Or Accessible by Public Transport

I in actuality possess a driver’s license, nonetheless i didn’t pressure within the netherlands – in my journey, you don’t want a vehicle to uncover round.

Every little thing, from the Grocery Retailer to My Situation of labor to the Country’s Ideal Theme Parkis Without predicament Accessible by Public Transportation.

Due to Bike Lanes and Accessible Infrastructure, it’s a handful to bike from City to City. A pair of of my Colleagues Wouuld Bike forty five minutes to work within the summertime for excerpt.

SO MANY STORES CLOSE IN THE EARLY EVENTING

One of the most Hardest Modifications i HAD to produce i Moved used to be adjusting to reasonably plenty of fashioned Retailer hours.

Coming from america, I was former to issues being accessible at practically any time of day. In the Netherlands, Most Storys Shut at 5 pm, that come you wish to head on the weeks or durying work.

The exception is koopavond (Shop Night): One Night a Week, Storys Will Preserve Open As Leisurely As 8 or 9.

Being quarter-hour some distance from the seaside doesn’t produce a metropolis a ‘seaside metropolis’

In Original Jersey, Any City With 20 Minutes of the Ocean is Hold into consideration A Beach City, Full with Rentable Homes and Nautical Reward Stores.

However the Netherlands is so tiny that many cities are shut to the shore and mute feed Entirely metropolitan.

My Home City, Leiden, Is Ideal a 15-Minute Power from the Beach, nonetheless is the known as a tiny historical City and an Academic hub. The seagulls are basically the most easy element that’s hint at how Shut it’s some distance to the Water.

I didn’t have to refrigerate my eggs anymore

One of basically the most unearthly minute issues for me uncover to be to be meved used to be now not putting my exgs within the refrigerator.

In america, exigs are washed earlier than they’re’re sol, that come they care for ther protect express Layer and Require Refrigeration.

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

There are some abnormal ‘american’ foods here

Any other Shock Used to be A pair of of the Meals That Dutch Folks Hang of AS American.

As an illustration, there’s one thing Called americaanse fritausus (American Fry Sauce) That’s Full with American Flags on the Bottle. Its care for a aggregate of mayonnaise, mustard, and relic.

You’d be pressed to win it in any US Grocery Retailer, nonetheless attributable to it used to be created by the dutch of McDonald’s, Most Folks Assumes American.

In the American share of the Grocery Retailer, you seemingly have to have dogs in jars or the Bottled skittles drinks that by no come stumble on in america.

IT’s abnormal to Query for your leftovers at a restaurant

In america, it’s some distance the reasonably commmonic to the asset to rob the comfort of your dish house within the occasion you didn’t carry out at a restaurant.

But within the Netherlands, Portion Sizes SEEM to be Smaller, and that i didn’t stumble on Folks Taking Home Leftovers Somewhat frequently.

Though Packing Up Leftovers Has Was More Traditional Over The Years, Many Ingesting places Wouuldn’t Occupy Takeaway Containers to Field My Food in Wen I’d Query.

Treatment Can Be Surely Cheap, But Its Now now not Free

The Ideal Inequity Between Residing within the US and the Netherlands might perchance perchance very correctly be the Scientific and Healthcare Programs.

Dutch healthcare isn’t without cost, nonetheless of Uncover it’s Very Cheap. Adults Can Pay Around 159 Euros (Beneath $ 200) a month for Mandatori Insurance protection, Which Covers Mossential Care and Many Prescription Treatment.

On the uncommon occision that a drugs isn’t covered by insurance, i’ve stumbled on the worth is terribly low.

I ONCE HAD A PHARMACIST APOLOGIZE profusely to me inhaler used to be inhalers covered. I BRACED MYSELF FOR A SKY-Excessive Model, nonetheless She Urged with My Full Wold Be 4 Euros-About $ 5.

That’s a some distance shout from america, the keep Traditional Coverage for an grownup offten costs bigger than doubles, and uncovered prescriptions might perchance perchance furthermore be nosreds of dolrs.

This legend used to be long-established published on March 8, 2022, and Most recently up up to now on September 19, 2025.