When I moved to the Netherlands in 2022, I wasn’t trying to “escape” America—I was just trying to find something different. A better rhythm. A life that felt a little less frantic and a little more human.
And for the most part, I found it.
The Netherlands has given me space to breathe, think, and grow in ways I never could have predicted. I’ve written about the ways Dutch life has surprised me, calmed me, and honestly… improved me.
But here’s the part I didn’t expect:
Living abroad hasn’t made me love America less. In some strange way, it’s made me love it more.
Distance Brings Clarity
It’s funny what you start to notice once you’re on the outside looking in. The longer I live abroad, the more I’m able to see the U.S. for what it really is—its flaws, sure, but also its strengths.
There’s a kind of emotional detox that happens when you leave your home country. You stop swimming in it. You see it clearer. And what I’ve realized is that for all its chaos, dysfunction, and noise… America also gave me some incredible gifts.
The American Spirit Is Real
There’s a reason American culture spreads so easily. At its best, it’s warm, inventive, funny, hopeful, and bold. That mindset—the idea that you can try anything, reinvent yourself, build from nothing—is still uniquely American, and I carry it with me.
Even here, in a country that’s older, more structured, more pragmatic… that internal American “spark” hasn’t left me. And I’m starting to see it not as a flaw, but as part of my creative toolkit.
The Culture That Raised Me
Living in the Netherlands hasn’t made me forget where I came from—it’s actually made me realize just how much American culture shaped me.
When I hear a familiar song in a café in The Hague…
When I see someone wearing a baseball cap or quoting an American show…
When I get a craving for something I didn’t even realize was “American” until it wasn’t around…
I realize just how embedded that culture is—not just in the world, but in me. And there’s something beautiful about seeing it from this distance. I don’t take it for granted anymore.
American Friendliness Is a Real Thing
It’s easy to roll your eyes at the over-the-top customer service in the U.S.—the “How are you today?” and the endless smiles. But once you’ve lived somewhere that doesn’t do that by default, you start to miss it a little.
I’ve come to appreciate the American gift for small talk, warmth, and making strangers feel seen. In the Netherlands, people are kind, but not overtly warm. It’s more reserved. More efficient. And while I’ve adapted, there are moments I’d kill for a random conversation with a chatty grocery store clerk or a waiter who genuinely wants to know if everything’s good.
We Think Big—And That’s Not a Bad Thing
There’s something undeniably ambitious about Americans. We’re dreamers. Builders. Over-doers, sure—but also people who believe that reinvention is possible at any age, any stage.
That “go for it” mindset? It’s not always logical, but it’s powerful. And I’ve realized I still carry it with me, even here. The Dutch are brilliant at doing things well and efficiently—but they don’t always leap without a parachute. Americans might leap too often… but at least we jump.
Living in the Netherlands taught me how to slow down. But being American still reminds me how to start.
Grateful for the Passport, Grateful for the Perspective
There’s also the sheer privilege of being an American abroad. My U.S. passport opens doors in ways I didn’t earn but deeply appreciate. I was able to move here, set up a business, create a new life. That’s not true for everyone.
And that perspective—that global mobility I never used to think about—has made me more grateful, more humble, and more aware of how complex this whole privilege thing really is.
Two Homes, Two Truths
So yeah, I love the Netherlands. It’s better in a hundred quiet ways. But America? It’s still in me. The language, the culture, the rhythm. And the more I embrace both, the more whole I feel.
Living abroad didn’t make me choose sides.
It helped me build a bridge.
