Becoming Utrechters
First Steps
7/15/20263 min read
This has been a big week for us and a bit of an anxious one for me (Tony). We are here in the Netherlands on a trip that was originally intended to help Heather and Lil O determine if the Netherlands is a place they would be interested in moving to. However, because we started our search for a home early and expected a lengthy process due to a housing shortage in the Netherlands, we were fortunate to have an offer accepted on a rental unit much sooner than expected. So instead of coming for sightseeing, we have been arranging furniture deliveries, touring a school, and figuring out how to activate Dutch utilities for our new home in Utrecht for which we’ve accepted the keys.
My weeks of excitement in the U.S. quickly gave way to nervous energy as we boarded the plane and came to introduce Heather and Lil O to a country they have never visited and would soon call home. This is very new for me - not only living someplace other than Florida, but moving a family to an unfamiliar place. It certainly gives me new appreciation for families that have faced similar challenges, whether it be moving for military, job transfers, or simply moving to the other side of the world for love as Heather did (or to get away from Aussie spiders). I also have greater appreciation for the immigrants that have left home to find better lives and futures for their families with far, far fewer resources or accessibility. We don’t speak Dutch, but we are fortunate to be able to speak English in almost all interactions and still receive a warm reception from the locals we meet.
News of a European Heat Wave leading up to our departure certainly didn’t quell my anxiety as a Floridian that hasn’t know life without air conditioning. Additionally, would Heather and Lil O be charmed by this country the same way I had been in April? Could they see themselves living here happily? We hope that the experiences we continue to share will answer that question.
I’m happy to share that my anxiety about their ability to find contentment living here has quickly subsided. In the few days we’ve been here, we’ve enjoyed a healthier level of activity that comes much easier than in Florida. We will not own a car at our new home and we do not yet have bicycles. Although the days have been warmer than usual, we enjoy getting around by walking, or in Lil O’s case - scootering. She’s lost count of how many neighborhood cats or adorable dogs she’s found when we venture out.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that while this adventure is incredibly exciting for us, it isn’t without sacrifice. Moving halfway around the world means trading spontaneous dinners with friends for video calls, birthday parties for FaceTime, and Sunday afternoons with family for carefully planned visits across an ocean. While this was a choice that felt right for our little family, it also means the people we love are making a sacrifice they never asked to make. Our parents, extended family, and friends didn’t choose to have us move 4,500 miles away, yet they now have to share in the distance that comes with our dream.
If you’ve reached out with encouragement, celebrated with us, or simply told us you’ll be here whenever we come home, thank you. Those words have meant more than you probably realize. We hope this blog helps bridge that distance just a little. We can’t invite everyone over for coffee on our canal, but we can at least leave the door open here and share the view.
