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Expat Interview With Farrah - American Expats in The Netherlands
| Published: | 5 Apr at 9 AM |
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Filed: Interviews,Netherlands
Farrah and her family are new expats to The Netherlands as of November 2012. With twins + 1 (all boys and under 4 years old) they travel, make messes and have the good and bad experiences of parenting abroad. Living in Oisterwijk, a smaller village, for the next two years- thus far the expat experience has treated them well. Farrah's expat blog is called The Three Under (see listing here) where she tries to jot down the day to day life of being a mom to little kids while living in Europe. It's been a life long dream to live abroad for her and her husband- and their hope is that their love of travel is passed down to their children while on this grand adventure.
Meet Farrah - US expats in the Netherlands
Where are you originally from?
Born & raised in Michigan, but have lived in South Carolina for the past 6 years.
In which country and city are you living now?
Oisterwijk, Netherlands
How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
Three months, and at least two years.
Why did you move and what do you do?
We have just always wanted to live abroad. I am a sahm to our three young boys and my husband works for an international company.
Did you bring family with you?
Yes- my husband and boys- ages 4 years and 2 year old twins.
The the three little expats. Our new home has a window looking out onto a cobbled street- a far cry from our US cul de sac!How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
So far it has been great! Biggest adjustment is dealing with winter. South Carolina didn't see much snow.
Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
I've been really lucky! I made a few local friends through my boys' school- but also some expats. I think it has given me a realistic impression of the area.
What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
Take advantage of the wonderful restaurants, shopping and ease of travel to other places. Be open minded when thinking about a smaller village instead of focusing on an area teeming with other expats.
What do you enjoy most about living here?
The quaintness of the village and our city center- the ease of walking to school and the market and feeling very welcome by the locals.
Oisterwijk beauty- I love the doors. Says so much about the colorful personality of our village.How does the cost of living compare to home?
Absolutely more expensive- but South Carolina has one of the lowest cost of living states in the US. We were not surprised.
What negatives, if any, are there to living here?
So far just the cold of winter and snow!
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
Be open- be willing to try the language. Dutch isn't easy, but people respect you for attempting to try it.
What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
Trying to acclimate myself into my son's school. He has had no problems, but I seem to be having a hard time understanding simple things like what is/is not allowed for lunch, etc. It's overwhelming to me that he has so many children in his class with one teacher- and ages 4, 5 & 6- while he is a new 4 year old. I'm also a former teacher so much of this goes against what I leaned and applied in my teaching and thoughts of education. The Dutch, however, seem to have it all together!
Family fun was just a short drive away in Switzerland. And none of us ski!When you finally return home, how do you think you'll cope with repatriation?
I am pretty much dreading it. I foresee some depression and longing for living back in Europe. If it were only up to me, we would stay here for at least 5 years, or until we had to get the boys settled in a high school where they could finish their 4 years in one place.
What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?
Dad and his crew on a stoop in the City Center of Oisterwijk.Tell us a bit about your own expat blog.
My blog has morphed with my family. It started as a focus on my high risk twin pregnancy over two years ago- and since then has grown with us. I now blog mainly about the challenges as a mother, a parent, an expat and an individual trying to attain her sense of self and identity again. I try to make our experiences relatable to others- I do not paint a perfect picture- I paint a messy, well loved and hectic experience of a family with three boys under 4. It is what it is.
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
Via my blog, Twitter: @Momofthreeunder, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheThreeUnder and Instagram: @Momofthreeunder
Farrah blogs at http://thethreeunder.com which we recommend a quick visit if you haven't been already. The Three Under has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here so add a review if you like! If you appreciated this interview with Farrah, please also drop her a quick comment below.
Meet Farrah - US expats in the Netherlands
Here's the interview with Farrah...
Where are you originally from?
Born & raised in Michigan, but have lived in South Carolina for the past 6 years.
In which country and city are you living now?
Oisterwijk, Netherlands
How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
Three months, and at least two years.
Why did you move and what do you do?
We have just always wanted to live abroad. I am a sahm to our three young boys and my husband works for an international company.
Did you bring family with you?
Yes- my husband and boys- ages 4 years and 2 year old twins.
The the three little expats. Our new home has a window looking out onto a cobbled street- a far cry from our US cul de sac!
So far it has been great! Biggest adjustment is dealing with winter. South Carolina didn't see much snow.
Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
I've been really lucky! I made a few local friends through my boys' school- but also some expats. I think it has given me a realistic impression of the area.
What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
Take advantage of the wonderful restaurants, shopping and ease of travel to other places. Be open minded when thinking about a smaller village instead of focusing on an area teeming with other expats.
What do you enjoy most about living here?
The quaintness of the village and our city center- the ease of walking to school and the market and feeling very welcome by the locals.
Oisterwijk beauty- I love the doors. Says so much about the colorful personality of our village.
Absolutely more expensive- but South Carolina has one of the lowest cost of living states in the US. We were not surprised.
What negatives, if any, are there to living here?
So far just the cold of winter and snow!
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
Be open- be willing to try the language. Dutch isn't easy, but people respect you for attempting to try it.
What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
Trying to acclimate myself into my son's school. He has had no problems, but I seem to be having a hard time understanding simple things like what is/is not allowed for lunch, etc. It's overwhelming to me that he has so many children in his class with one teacher- and ages 4, 5 & 6- while he is a new 4 year old. I'm also a former teacher so much of this goes against what I leaned and applied in my teaching and thoughts of education. The Dutch, however, seem to have it all together!
Family fun was just a short drive away in Switzerland. And none of us ski!
I am pretty much dreading it. I foresee some depression and longing for living back in Europe. If it were only up to me, we would stay here for at least 5 years, or until we had to get the boys settled in a high school where they could finish their 4 years in one place.
What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?
- Don't expect anything to be easy. That includes grocery shopping and cooking.
- Be open minded and not intimidated by the language barrier. Make an effort to learn the local language.
- Being ethnocentric will do nothing but ruin your experience. Do not try to compare everything to the way it was in.... You're an expat for a reason. Experience what you can- and live like a local!
- Budget time and money for travel. If you have a limited amount of time in your new location- make sure you plan to see everything you can and not squander your time.
- Don't try to take all of your 'things' from home with you. Put your stuff in storage, and buy used/cheap to furnish your home. Things are just things. You're not here to impress people. You're here to live the experience of a life time.
Dad and his crew on a stoop in the City Center of Oisterwijk.
My blog has morphed with my family. It started as a focus on my high risk twin pregnancy over two years ago- and since then has grown with us. I now blog mainly about the challenges as a mother, a parent, an expat and an individual trying to attain her sense of self and identity again. I try to make our experiences relatable to others- I do not paint a perfect picture- I paint a messy, well loved and hectic experience of a family with three boys under 4. It is what it is.
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
Via my blog, Twitter: @Momofthreeunder, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheThreeUnder and Instagram: @Momofthreeunder
Farrah blogs at http://thethreeunder.com which we recommend a quick visit if you haven't been already. The Three Under has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here so add a review if you like! If you appreciated this interview with Farrah, please also drop her a quick comment below.
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