Today 12 months ago I moved abroad, but it honestly can be 12 years or 12 days. Time has passed so fast but is has been really stressful and good all at once. Somedays I reflect back on how stressful this was for me, but then again I realize how much I learned through this journey.

There is probably a few people who don’t know my story.

A few years ago my family looked at options to move abroad. For a year of two the process stood still. On March 2015 the process started, and this time it was for real. It all happened so fast, I can’t even remember the whole process. The first step, was to tell family and friends. That was probably the hardest step. We spent months selling furniture and deciding what stays and what goes. Later in 2015 we sold the house and within a few weeks we moved out.

I stayed behind in South-Africa to complete my last year in school, but that plan also changed. On the 9th of March 2016 I was on the plane with one suitcase, and no clue what would happen next. For 2 months we lived in a summer house, waiting to move into the new house. The real estate market is more complicated than I antisipated.

Okay, now that you know a little bit more, let’s get down to the real Question.What’s it like being an expat?

What’s been the biggest change?

The Culture. It was the first eye opener for me. Not in a bad way, just unfamiliar. For instance, there are Coffee Shops scattered around town, and people are allowed to purchase and smoke weed freely, but you never see anyone do so around children, elderly people, or even their peers who might seem uncomfortable.

Monday is the New Sunday and Thursdays are All The Rage

One particularly peculiar thing you need to get used to if you consider moving to the Netherlands is the quiet atmosphere on Mondays. This is because on Monday most shops are closed and people are eased into the week, whereas on Sundays, everything is open for business as usual. I find this quite unusual, but the Dutch like their rules

Life is still very much different – I don’t have a car, I ride my bike or hop on a bus, train or tram.

What’s the best part

This would sound strange to some people, but I admire the freedom people have here and mostly the Children. I can ride my bike to work or hop on the bus to work, and it is safe. Somedays I would stand still and watch the kids play in the streets, and I wonder why I didn’t have this freedom as a Kid. The travel is for sure another bonus, it is so easy to get around. Being able to hop on a train on your way to anther Country or City still amazes me. I have not traveled a lot to other European countries, but I have experienced a lot of places in the Netherlands.

What has been the hardest?

Missing out on events with family and friends. It is not easy knowing that you wouldn’t be at the family get-together or going out with your friends. I realized how much I miss just being around my family. Another struggle is to adjust to the life here. It’s so different to ride my bike or taking the bus instead of the car.

Okay, but the hardest part is the weather. Not seeing the sun for days or weeks at a time, can be a big adjustment. Using an Umbrella every day has become a part of my daily routine.

Has life changed a lot?

Yes, to be honest. Even my daily life. For instance, I take the bus or my bike to work and University. Going to the store of hopping on the bus is a daily reminder of how much I have learned about my new home. Anyone can hop on a bus, but I had to learn how the public transport system works. With certainty I can say, I feel like a Dutchie when I hop on a bus, train or tram. I’ve had the priveledge to be surrounded by multiple cultures this has opened my eyes to how different we all are, but we all have the same things in common we are all human with our own struggles in life.

Moving abroad is fun and exciting, but it is HARD. It’s one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done. Lots of people say “I want your life!” but they don’t realize how much time and effort went into planning this. Also, just living abroad itself is no walk in the park. There are new challenges every day. I wouldn’t change anything for the world, and I love the experiences I am getting, but it isn’t easy.

I have learned so much in this past 3 years, I have learned how to appreciate my freedom and I would not want to change how this past year turned out. I experienced difficult times, but I found more good than bad in those times.

For me, that is how it feels like to be an expat, or so far.

xoxo

Chante’