The 24th April 2017, marks my 1 year anniversary with the lovely city of Amsterdam! One year ago today I drove with my Dutch hunk from my London share house to his hometown and started a new chapter as an Aussie Expat in Amsterdam. Read how my first 6 months was here!
The Move
The journey from London to Amsterdam began with my Dutch boyfriend driving to London from Amsterdam in his tiny car. We then packed it so full of my belongings that we could not see out of any windows.
And then on Sunday April 24th 2016, we left my share-house in London for the Eurotunnel, driving to Amsterdam in 6 hours from London! I was in 4 countries that day (England, France, Belgium, Netherlands). 🙂
Apartment
Luckily, the Hunk had secured us our first apartment together before I came to Amsterdam, in the cute neighbourhood of Indische Buurt. Our flat is a re-furb of a 1920s Dutch house on a quiet street with a charming canal. On the end of our street is one of Amsterdam’s largest public parks.
Living together has certainly had its moments. We have learned so much about each other through living under one roof, and Hunk calls me a lunatic almost daily. You win some, you lose some. 🙂
Our flat has become so Dutch that I have nick-named it the Hortus Botanicus (Botanical Garden in English). Why? The Dutch LOVE having flowers and house plants. It’s like a silent competition for who can have the most greenery in their houses. And so, we now have at last count 9 house plants and 5 vases full of flowers at all times. I have seen a full size tree through the window of a canal house..
Work
After 6 months, I landed a job. For the last 6 months I’ve been an employed member of Dutch society! Earning money has been great and I’ve been paying my way with rent and groceries etc – which Hunk was carrying the load on for a few months.
Now that the weather is picking up and summer is well on its way – I ride my bike to work! It’s a 30 minute cycle each way so I get “free” exercise every day! I also have a pretty nice view of sunsets from my office window.
Dutch language course
I’ve taken 2 Dutch language courses this year! I made attempts to speak Dutch prior to taking any Dutch courses, which didn’t go so well! My first course was a beginners Dutch course, spanning 3 weeks, with class on M-F each week. It was intense but really helped me with my initial understanding of the language and getting to know the basics!
Recently, I completed my 2nd Dutch course – Intermediate level! This course lasted 8 weeks with class on for 2.5 hours twice per week. If I thought my first course was intense.. sheesh! I can now understand so much more than I used to be able to understand which is great, however I still have a long way to go!
Listening to people talking has gotten easier for me to understand and I can sometimes now chime in with my own remark. Understanding the written word is my best skill. I can really read Dutch which amazes me all the time! I still am learning much of the vocabulary but I am well on my way! The hardest for me is forming sentences outside of the class room.
Within class, we generally talk about one topic at a time, and so I have confidence within class to make mistakes and create sentences at my own pace. Plus, we only stay in the boundaries of one topic, so the brain can focus on just that set of vocabulary at a time. However, being in a “real life” conversation adds pressure which I freak out about and consequently I completely blank on most words. It WILL get easier – I hope!
Travel
During the 12 months since moving to Amsterdam, money has been tight. However, it has only driven me to find great travel deals and ideas so that travel is still very much a part of my (& hunk’s) life!
Here’s a snapshot of where I’ve travelled in the last 12 months:
- Toulouse, Carcassonne, Montsegur in France
- London, Leicester & Lutterworth, England
- Cologne & Monschau, Germany
- Antwerp & Bruges, Belgium
- Rome & Vatican, Italy
- Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands & the Isle of Skye, Scotland
- Delft, Zaanse Schans, Volendam, Durgerdam, Apenheul, Rotterdam, Carnaval in Maastricht & Keukenhof, Netherlands
Expat Life
The last 12 months have at times been really hard. I didn’t have a job, I didn’t speak the language, I didn’t have any friends, I didn’t have any money.
And Christmas was by far the hardest. On the one hand, I was celebrating the Christmas traditions in the Netherlands and immersing myself in the Dutch culture, which is awesome. On the other hand I was very homesick. With all of the life struggles I’ve had, nothing made me feel quite so homesick than being away from my parents during Christmas.
That being said, there are also upsides to expat life! As an expat, I constantly learn new things, and find the charm in things that locals would consider normal. I also find that I explore Amsterdam more than your average Dutchie because I’m discovering things for the first time!
Second Year Goals
As I look to year 2 of living in Amsterdam I have many goals. I really want to end year 2 being able to say I’ve got and have had the confidence to throw myself into dutch conversations and with that, be able to feel much more at home in my surroundings.
Apart from improving my Dutch, I have travel goals. Visiting my grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins in England numerous times is a big one. Being away from my parents (who live in Australia), it is important to still have that family connection. Being able to just have a cup of tea and some laughs with family is my favourite.
I am driven to visit so many places throughout the rest of the year – check out my Travel Goals.
When I lived in London for 3 years, I left having not done everything I had wanted to do whilst living there. I don’t know how it is possible but I never went to Richmond Park. So, my goal is to know Amsterdam better than the back-of-my-own-hand.
Lastly, my goal is to grow my blog! I’ve dabbled in travel blogging for the last 3 years and as of January I decided to take it seriously. With this comes a lot of work and effort but I’ve begun taking steps to improve my blog including SEO, a re-design and I even created a Twitter account!
Looking Forward
That’s a wrap on my first 12 months in Amsterdam! What’s coming up?
- KINGS DAY in 3 days!
- 11 days in NYC & Philly in 4 days!
- A trip to the Lake District in the UK in August!
- A summer trip to an un-decided destination!
- Year two of living with my Dutch Hunk!
- Christmas in Australia!
So, stay tuned to all that’s happening on my Expat & Travel blog!
Australian expat, married to a Dutch guy, living in Amsterdam. Previously lived in London for 3 years, too! Lover of travel, coffee, brunch, beaches, fresh flowers, and family. Now a new mum, navigating life with a baby!
2 thoughts on “One Year an Amsterdam-er”
I’m looking forward to your Looking forward list!
As usual, a very entertaining and honest read.