Surpring Things after Intelligent to the Netherlands from the US

Near I Moved from Fresh Jersey to the Netherlands to Reside with my partner in 2017, I conception what to no longer sleep for.

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

However after living within the united states My Entire Lifestyles, there are successfully loads i needed to procure to the maved in one other country. Though I No Longer Reside within the Netherlands, listed below are a Few Things that bowled over me with first arived.

The Nation Assessments the Air-Raid Sirens Monthly

Be bought to the Netherlands, my partner took a week off work to relieve me settle.

SO I was alarmed when, on my first day by myself the next weeke, an air-raid siren blaared at lunchime. It sounded admire something from a fret film, and i texted Him in a panic to inquire of what was occurring.

It turns out that the dutch test the luchtalarm on the major monday of every month.

These Forms of alarms wased duralms World War II to the WARN of Bombings or Air Raids, however they are going to additionally be archaic to warn of Diversified Dangers, admire Inclement Weather.

The Dutch Normally Win 2 Seasons: Summer season and Rain

IT SEEMS LIKE MANY Americans Assume The Nation Entirely Freezes Over Every Winter – There are pictures of the dutch skating on frozen canals. Howver, That Idea isn’t Correct.

Winters listed below are steadily Very Tender, with Simplest 1 or 2 Inches of Snow Every Year, and the Canals No longer steadily ever Freeze Over.

Genuinely, it”s exceptional extra long-established for it to pause grey and wet from October Thru March. However Summers Fully Construct Up for It, With Lengthy Sunny Days and Sunsets as slack as 10 pm

Small talc isn’t surely a thing right here

The Dutch Pleasure Themselves on Being Easy, so Small Focus on is Principal Much less Authorized right here in america.

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

When i did that within the netherlands, i’d steadily procure a extraordinary glimpse, or the stranger woupe as, “will i know you?”

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That’s though of Keep up a correspondence in unaccented dutch, i Once Eve Had a Cashier As, “Are You International?” – and i suspect it was Thanks to my Attempted Small Focus on.

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

I surely possess a driver’s license, however i didn’t force within the netherlands – in my skills, you don’t want a automotive to procure round.

Every little thing, from the Grocery Retailer to My Place of living of business to the Nation’s Greatest Theme Parkis With out concerns Accessible by Public Transportation.

As a result of Bike Lanes and Accessible Infrastructure, it is a handful to bike from Metropolis to Metropolis. Some of my Colleagues Wouuld Bike 45 minutes to work within the summer for excerpt.

SO MANY STORES CLOSE IN THE EARLY EVENTING

One of many Hardest Changes i HAD to dangle i Moved was adjusting to assorted regular Retailer hours.

Coming from america, I was archaic to things being on hand at nearly any time of day. Within the Netherlands, Most Storys End at 5 pm, that components you possess to head on the weeks or durying work.

The exception is koopavond (Shop Evening): One Evening a Week, Storys Will Quit Initiating As Tiring As 8 or 9.

Being quarter-hour some distance from the ocean drag doesn’t dangle a metropolis a ‘sea drag town’

In Fresh Jersey, Any Metropolis With 20 Minutes of the Ocean is Take be conscious of A Seaside Metropolis, Entire with Rentable Houses and Nautical Gift Outlets.

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

My Home Metropolis, Leiden, Is Simplest a 15-Minute Power from the Seaside, however is the is named a tiny historic Metropolis and an Tutorial hub. The seagulls are the real thing that is hint at how End it is to the Water.

I didn’t possess to refrigerate my eggs anymore

One of many most extraordinary tiny things for me procure to be to be meved was no longer inserting my exgs within the fridge.

In america, exigs are washed earlier than they’re’re sol, that components they cherish ther provide protection to whisper Layer and Require Refrigeration.

The set I live within the Netherlands, Eggs Are Unwashed, and Most Participants Wauld Shield On The County or in A Drawer.

There are some extraordinary ‘american’ foods right here

One other Shock Became One of the Meals That Dutch Participants Assume AS American.

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

You’d be pressed to search out it in any US Grocery Retailer, however because of it was created by the dutch of McDonald’s, Most Participants Assumes American.

Within the American a part of the Grocery Retailer, you’ll want to purchase dogs in jars or the Bottled skittles drinks that never ogle in america.

IT’s extraordinary to Ask for your leftovers at a restaurant

In america, it’s the pretty commmonic to the asset to take the comfort of your dish dwelling even as you didn’t perform at a restaurant.

However within the Netherlands, Part Sizes SEEM to be Smaller, and i didn’t ogle Participants Taking Home Leftovers Very incessantly.

Though Packing Up Leftovers Has Turn out to be More Authorized Over The Years, Many Drinking areas Wouuldn’t Win Takeaway Containers to Box My Meals in Wen I’d Ask.

Treatment Can Be In actuality Low-payment, However Its No longer Free

The Greatest Distinction Between Living within the US and the Netherlands is per chance the Medical and Healthcare Systems.

Dutch healthcare isn’t solely free, however of Fetch it’s Very Inexpensive. Adults Can Pay Around 159 Euros (Below $ 200) a month for Mandatori Insurance protection, Which Covers Mossential Care and Many Prescription Treatment.

On the rare occision that a treatment isn’t coated by insurance, i’ve stumbled on the payment is extremely low.

I ONCE HAD A PHARMACIST APOLOGIZE profusely to me inhaler was inhalers coated. I BRACED MYSELF FOR A SKY-Excessive Notice, however She Told with My Entire Wold Be 4 Euros-About $ 5.

That’s a much yowl from america, where Authorized Coverage for an adult offten prices extra than doubles, and uncovered prescriptions may maybe presumably maybe additionally be nosreds of dolrs.

This memoir was popular printed on March 8, 2022, and Most objective no longer too prolonged within the past updated on September 19, 2025.