Six Things I HATE About the Netherlands

Six months ago today I zipped up the last of my suitcases, watched the Tar Heels win in the Elite 8 game, savored my last bites of New York Italian food (chicken parm!), used my TSA pre-check and went through security at JFK as a NYC resident for the last time. I will never forget settling in my seat (on Delta, of course). Nervously fidgeting with the buckle. A lot of thoughts ran through my head. Not sure knowing what to expect. Not knowing when I would return.

I landed in the Netherlands on an unseasonably warm March day. The sun was shining, the tulips almost in full bloom. The city was bustling. My drive into the city was nothing short of magical. And 6 months later that’s how it has remained: magical.

It was exciting at first to keep track of the milestones: 1 week in the Netherlands, 2 weeks, 1 month and then 2! At a party early on someone told me one day I would lose count, and sure enough, I did. It wasn't until last week when someone asked how long I’ve been here, I realized I had to stop and think. I couldn’t believe how fast 6 months have gone by.

So, to celebrate my 6 month mark, I did what any normal American (or New Yorker) would do. I tried to think of all the things I hated about my life in the Netherlands. At first I thought I’d make a list of 10. But I could only get to 6. Ironic, I guess. Here are the 6 things I HATE about living in the Netherlands…one for each month I’ve been here:

1.       The Pizza

I was warned about the Dutch cuisine before moving. I was told it’s nothing to write home about. I disagree with that. Both the native Dutch food (bitterballen, anyone?!), the types of international cuisines, and sheer # of Michelin Star restaurants in the city way exceeded my expectations. But my one qualm is the lack of ability to grab a slice of pizza. Sure there are restaurants that specialize in pizza – real, Italian-style Napolitano pizza. But who wants that? Some days I just want a delicious slice of NY-style pizza from Luigi’s on the Upper East Side. I miss that. A lot.

2.       The Bread

Sticking with the food theme…the bread in the Netherlands is so DAM good. So why is this on my list of things I hate? I am convinced it has contributed a significant amount of any weight gain. I never used to eat bread so much in the States. I don’t know what they do to it, but it is unreal. As is the bread in every European country.

 

I start each week telling myself this is the week I give up bread. For example, yesterday, on Monday morning, I woke up and said “today’s the day.” And then I got to work. And had a lunch meeting. And at noon when the sandwiches arrived I was hungry. Promise broken. Again. This is actually becoming a serious problem. #FirstWorldProblems

3.       The Hours of Operation

The Dutch are fantastic when it comes to work-life balance. People leave at 5*. I’ve never seen anything like it. It is truly admirable. But, there’s nothing special about leaving work at 5pm when everything else around you closes at 5pm. Stores, dry cleaning, drug stores. I’ve also never seen anything like that. I’ve yet to figure out when you’re supposed to pick up a prescription, stamps to mail letters (yes, I still snail mail things), and the millions of other things that come up in life. If you’ve figured this out, please let me know.

*Disclaimer: Not everyone leaves work at 5 and not every day. This also doesn't mean the Dutch aren't hard working. They are just WAY more efficient at getting things done within working hours from my observations.

 

Also within this bucket, my gym hours. During the week, the gym opens at 7am and closes at 11pm. I was a 6am gym go-er in NY, so 7am is not that convenient as it means shorter workouts that just allow enough to time to rush home, shower, change and run to work to get there by 9. It’s annoying, but not the end of the world. However, on the weekend, the gym opens at 9am and closes at 4pm. 4pm! What is that? So on a Sunday if I wanted to sleep in, then actually do something during the day, there’s 0 opportunity to go to the gym at night. That really irks me. Especially after eating so much bread.

 

4.       The Dutch Obsession with Dairy Products

Back to the food. The Dutch are OBSESSED with cheese and milk. Two things I loathe. When I was 11 one of my friends accidentally spilled milk on me at the breakfast table at summer camp. It sent my disdain for milk through the roof and scarred me for life. I have yet to recover. The Dutch drink milk with everything and every meal. It totally grosses me out.

As far as the cheese thing goes, they love their cheese. If you know me, you know I only will eat cheese under the following circumstances: 1. It is mozzarella cheese that is fully baked/melted on pizza or a pasta and accompanied by tomato sauce OR 2. it is orange/yellow cheddar cheese that is pre-grated and completely melted on a macaroni noodle. There is an occasional #3 which includes melted [orange/yellow] cheddar on an omelet, but that is absolutely it.

 

In the Netherlands, there are two kinds of cheese: old or young cheese. I don’t know what that means, nor do I particularly care to find out. What I do know is there are a lot of cheese shops and they smell when you walk by. I live on a street with an apparently very famous shop. I suppose that’s nice for someone who likes cheese. For me, it’s just becoming a nuisance to hold my breath or dodge the cyclists to get to the other side of the road when I pass by.

5.       The Weather

The Netherlands is not Spain. No one moves here for the weather. I knew that from day 1. I started this post by saying I arrived on an unseasonable warm day, but it never really got warmer than that. Summer in the Netherlands is like autumn in New York for frame of reference. Absolutely beautiful weather to be outside with a light sweater or light jacket. And while that is extremely comfortable to spend a day outside and walk around a city, it's a bit of a let-down for sun worshippers like me. Luckily, there are some incredible beach destinations just a hop, skip and a jump away. And if you're following my adventures, you know I managed to find the beach a handful of times this summer.

One of the positives of being so high north is the insane amount of daylight during the summer months. The sun rises at 5:30am and doesn't fully set until close to 11pm. This was an incredible discovery. On the flip side, I'm still trying to prepare myself for what's to come in winter when I hear the sun doesn't fully rise until 10am and sets around 4pm. Wish me luck!

 

One last note on the weather: the rain. It rains A LOT in the Netherlands. And it's not the put on your raincoat, pop open your umbrella and you're fine kind of rain. It's the coming at you sideways, no matter what you do you will get wet kind of rain. I am not a fan.

6.       Not Being…Dutch

While I fully understand you cannot generalize an entire population, overall I have noticed there’s something about the Dutch that is so admirable. They are direct, which I am learning to love. They are practical. They work to live instead of live to work. The latter point is what fascinates me the most. I find that the Dutch have a zest for life. They know how to enjoy every moment of every day, particularly the moments when they are not working. There’s a contagious energy that I can’t help but envy.

In 6 short months I have learned so much from the Dutch. Except for the language. I have not yet picked up the language, and while I plan to start Dutch lessons in about a month, I do not have high hopes for much success. It’s tough! I can still barely pronounce the name of my street correctly without getting an eyebrow raise, and it’s not a difficult name to say. Baby steps.

 

So there you have it. My list of why I HATE the Netherlands. It’s pretty laughable. I hope you had as good of a time reading this as I did writing it...and I hope in 6 more months I will have some equally as ridiculous items to add to the list J