I can’t believe that I have allowed two months to race by without stopping to write on my blog. I hate when I read blogs and the author makes promises to write more while apologizing for life getting in the way of posting, yet here I am doing just that. That said, a lot has happened in the past two months during my WordPress absence. A few things of note include:

We moved!

When we first moved to the Netherlands, we lived with family in the east of the country. We lived in a small town outside of Arnhem that was lovely. It was quiet, very green and lush, but could also be quite boring at times. While I am beyond appreciative for having their home open to us so warmly and with such generosity, I am also pleased that we have moved to the West of the country into a place of our own. Now, we live near Utrecht, the fourth largest city in the country and quite possibly my favorite Dutch city. It’s still very green and beautiful, but a bit more lively. The new place is bright, spacious, and large–not just by Dutch standards. I’m loving it so far.

I started working! 

I started working in Amsterdam teaching at a language school. It has been a fun job, and I have really enjoyed it. It’s a 35-minute commute from home, and I love teaching my students. I’ll update in a separate post more details about the process of getting a job in a foreign country, or, at least, my experience with it.

I had my first experience with Dutch healthcare.

I was concerned about visiting a doctor in The Netherlands. I’ve heard horror stories about the Dutch healthcare system with many people reporting that doctors basically recommended Paracetamol (acetaminophen) for all ailments and to wait it out. While that may work for a lot of conditions, especially viruses which a lot of people inaccurately think they need antibiotics for, it’s not a cure-all. Luckily my experience at a doctor here was pretty good. She was thorough, patient and took my concerns seriously. I spoke about the medical system here with a few of my Dutch students, two of whom had their own nightmarish medical experiences, and they told me the tales of Tylenol and time was pretty accurate. I’m so glad that wasn’t my experience!

Those are the big things that have happened since my last post. I’m really starting to settle in and enjoy life here much more. I am eagerly anticipating more adventures ahead. I’ll leave you with a view from the new place. I’m really loving it!