First of all, congratulations on your decision to make a huge change
in your life and move to Holland. Exciting!!!!!!!! Your life is about to
become an emotional roller coaster. There will be days when you are
so happy to be here with your loved one, and there will be those days
when you just can't bear to hear another Dutch word or see another
drop of rain. There will be days when you are sitting at home and
wish that you could call up your one of your girlfriends and chat.
There will be days when you miss your family so much that it hurts.
But it's all worth it when that great Love of Your Life walks through
the door and you are reminded of why you made this move.
Yep, it rains here, and a lot! But when the sun shines it is
breathtakingly beautiful. People here do speak English and try to help
you out, but sooner or later you will want to be able to understand the
news on TV or the radio. Or the kid next door. When you go to the
store you will forget your shopping bag and have to buy a new one,
or carry everything out in your hands. You will also forget to weigh
your bananas or broccoli and the cashier will say "Blah blehbleh blah?"
and it will take you a minute to realize that she is asking you to go
weigh them. Or the cashier will say "blah blabbity blah?", you
tentatively say "Ja", and you will be handed a fistful of savings
coupons. You will buy a new umbrella and the first day you use it,
it will get blown inside out because it's so windy. Your hair will never
be the same unless you invest in a can of hairspray a week. Or cut it
really short. You will take your life into your hands whenever you
try to cross a busy street. Dutch drivers have no mercy and neither
do the bikers. If you ride a bike you will feel like a kid again but,
again, you will take your life into your hands everytime you enter a
busy street. When you make an unexpected traffic move on your bike,
you will learn that "blah blah Godverdomme blabbity blah!" doesn't
mean they are praying for you, but cussing at you. The first
few months will be heaven. "Gosh", you will say,
"I live in the Netherlands!!
I am here with my man/woman!!". While those
feelings never go away, after about 6-8 months Reality sets in. If you
still don't know any Dutch that will possibly be the greatest frustration
of all. Where's the baking soda, you will shout! Where's the
crisco/chocolate chips/effective deodorant! What size underwear
do I buy???? What the heck kind of toilet is this and how do I flush it?
You will learn to dodge dogshit on the sidewalk. You will get used
to hearing the word "shit" used just like any ordinary word. You will
see a windmill and be struck by its simple beauty. You will see a
Dutch girl or boy loudly and proudly wearing their klompen. Someday
you will hear someone say something in Dutch that you actually
understand. You will visit Rotterdam and gawk at the Erasmus
Bridge. The tulip fields will take your breath away. At the end of the
day, when you are snuggling with your loved one on the couch,
the loved one that made you once stare at your computer screen and
cry as he typed good-bye or hung up the phone; when you are
hugging that person tight, you will remember the reasons for putting
up with the daily challenges you will face in your new life. If you face
it all with good humor, maturity, patience, and love, then you
will be fine.