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Hello reader! My name is Sophia and you may have read on my about me that I am going to be writing about my move to the Netherlands and sharing some of the experiences (both ups and downs) that I have experienced along the way as well as sharing some hints and tips about navigating Dutch culture and life.

But why the Netherlands?

If you’d asked me a few years ago where I imagined myself living, the Netherlands wouldn’t even have made the list. Not because I had anything against it — it just wasn’t on my radar. It was one of those countries I knew existed, knew people loved, but never pictured myself in. And yet… here I am. I guess I had a weird perception of it being only for people looking for a legal high, which was never really my scene. But how wrong was I.

For me, it started with falling in love with a Dutch man. What began as visits back and forth between Scotland and the Netherlands slowly turned into something bigger. Each trip felt less like a holiday and more like a glimpse into a life I could fully picture myself living.

I’ve always had the urge to move away, to start fresh somewhere new, but I never knew where that “somewhere” was. Then suddenly, without planning it, I found what I felt at the time was a little slice of heaven. Now that might have been because the weather here everytime I had visited was amazing compared to Scotland… Although I may have been led into a false sense of security with that one after the amount of snow that fell at the start of this year.

But going back and forward, my partner & I experiencing the Dutch and Scottish way of life… we both preferred the Dutch way of living.

There’s something healthier about it. Not just physically, but mentally. People cycle everywhere. And I mean in ALL kinds of weather. Work‑life balance appears to actually exists. The culture is direct but honest. Things are organised. Life feels calmer, more intentional, less chaotic. And every time I returned to Scotland, I felt a little tug pulling me back across the North Sea.

Since moving, I’ve definitely had my struggles.

Finding a job has been harder than I expected, especially living in a more typical Dutch part of the country where English isn’t as commonly used day‑to‑day. It’s one thing to visit a place and feel at home; it’s another to build a life there from scratch. There are days where I feel proud of how far I’ve come, and days where I feel like I’m starting from zero again.

But even with the challenges, I don’t regret choosing this life. The Netherlands wasn’t part of my plan, but it became part of my story — first and foremost through falling in love.

This blog is where I’ll share the rest of that journey: the good, the confusing, the funny, the emotional, and everything in between. If you’re thinking about moving to the Netherlands, or you’re just curious about what it’s like to start over in a new country, I hope my story helps you feel a little more connected, a little more understood, and maybe even a little inspired to also share your experiences.