First up, expectations. In many ways, I think Todd and I were well-prepared physically and emotionally for our move here. We had both been to Europe on multiple occasions and had experienced what life was like in this part of the world. Todd's company had also provided us with training and guidance on people and life in the Netherlands, so in lots of areas, we knew what to expect. And for the most part, I think we've made a rather smooth transition. If I had to pinpoint where our expectations didn't line up, I suppose I can think of 2 major areas.
One would be Todd's work. Now, I won't go into details about this since it is Todd's business and all, but work isn't always easy for him here. As one would expect, things are done differently in a foreign country, and Todd has been working through how to adapt to the differences. One might imagine that since he is working for the same company, that things are similar to home. However, it turns out that there are very different ways of doing business across borders even within the same company. I do believe though that he is already recognizing the huge value in getting to have an experience like this where he is pushed outside of his comfort zone.
The second biggest area that I thought would be different is our ability to meet other couples our age. I have now started to have success in meeting other women through the International Women's Club of Eindhoven (IWCE), but before I joined that, the only people we really knew in Eindhoven were Todd's colleagues. It has been an adjustment to go from being constantly surrounded by our friends and family to often spending time just the 2 of us. Cue Will Smith:
Clearly this song doesn't exactly relate to us, but I think the chorus is pretty fitting. We can make it if we try...
So I'll sum this one up by saying that we are getting to know people here slowly, but surely. Through the people I'm meeting in the IWCE and Todd's co-workers, we are definitely beginning to feel less isolated as "just the 2 of us". And it doesn't hurt to know that there are other American expats from Todd's company that we get to see from time to time, which is always fun.
In other ways, our pre-departure expectations do match up. We definitely love the European lifestyle (which is slightly cramped now by this thing called winter...), where we are outside and moving a lot! As we've mentioned, we bike everywhere. And when we aren't on our bikes, we are probably walking. I love that I can go around the corner to buy a loaf of bread (and take Jack in the store with me!). And that we can hop on our bikes to go out to dinner. You just feel healthier when you are not required to get in the car to go everywhere. Of course, we also love that we are able to do so much traveling. Europe is at our fingertips, and that has been incredible. We are so excited to continue exploring as much as possible this spring and summer. Todd bought me a new sleeping bag for my birthday, so some of our explorations might even be in the wild outdoors while camping!
Our expectations have also been met since we know we made the right decision in coming here. We are getting to experience new cultures, peoples, places, and that's just plain exciting. I learn multiple new things everyday. Even though most Dutch people speak English, that doesn't mean that communication is always smooth, so we are learning to communicate in new ways. These experiences are invaluable.
Now, of course there are things we miss, both big and small. Biggies, of course, are family and friends. Boy, were we spoiled back in Grand Rapids! Our families were a half an hour drive or less away, which meant that we could see them whenever we wanted. We also had great friends who we got to see a lot as well. Those friendships are precious and it is not easy to be away and missing out on their lives (I have 4 good friends who are currently pregnant!).
In the "small stuff" category, we miss the conveniences of home. If I needed to get something, I knew exactly where to find it. And it was probably at Meijer or Target. We miss options. I like a large cereal selection, gosh darn it! We miss Chipotle and Qdoba. And all other "in-between-er" food options. In the Netherlands, one can either go to a place where they sell various fried croquette type items and fries (no drive-through options) or you go to a sit down meal that is sure to take at least a couple of hours. Places like Panera just do not exist. There you can eat in or take out and it's all very fast if you want it to be. I'm sure Todd would also want you to know that he misses Taco Bell, and hot sauce. Additionally, I miss ice. Yes, frozen water. It is not readily available. We don't even have a freezer in our home. Oh, and free refills, I miss those too. That's probably not an exhaustive list, but I think you get the idea.
I mentioned a lot of the things that we will miss about the Netherlands above (biking, traveling, experiencing something new, stepping outside of our comfort zones). But a big thing that I will miss is that Todd and are in this "just the 2 of us". I need to remember that life will speed up a lot again once we get home. I am grateful for this time to really learn to rely on each other. To have time to just "be", not always rushing from one thing to the next. I have to remind myself to savor this time together! We'll never ever have this much alone time again.
So, how's that for a long-winded post, eh? Hopefully you enjoyed reading! I cannot believe that we are over 1/3 of the way through our time here. It is less than one year before we move back home. Wild!
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