Stephanie Jane 86
Introduction
Moved from Johannesburg to Amstelveen in July 2015 with my partner and cat. We are still adjusting but I have no regrets and we've found the Netherlands to be a beautiful place and easy to live in. Would love to meet some local friends whether new or old to the country.
I joined expat.com on 21 April 2015.
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Stephanie Jane 86posted on the thread Where to buy a pet rabbit?
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Stephanie Jane 86posted on the thread Online shopping in the Netherlands
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Stephanie Jane 86posted on the thread Adapting to the climate in the Netherlands
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Stephanie Jane 86posted on the thread New members of the Netherlands forum, introduce yourself here 2nd quarter of 2015
Expat experience
Planning to permanently settle here
I loved riding my bicycle as my primary means of transport. Everything works well, it's clean, pretty and very accessible with lots of well used public spaces. A realtively stress free lifestyle. Amsterdam is a fun city with the feel of a large town. Plenty of expats to find friends.
The language was much harder to learn than I anticipated with my basic Afrikaans. Culture shock due to the cold and closed nature of many locals.
The weather, sunny and dry in winter and hot in summer. The vibrant multicultural community and how friendly and accepting many people are.
The country is falling apart at the seems.
Most of my family are from the UK and I have a British passport so it was an obvious destination for me to spend part of a gap year working there
Walking and catching trains to anywhere, the fields and nature near where I worked, meeting other adventurous and interesting souls. Christmas in the cold and snow. Foxes and hedgehogs in London.
It can be overwhelming and hostile being alone in London and I battled with it being so urbanized, I was only 18 then though.
