Ten Things I Love About Living in the Netherlands {Diary Entry N.2}

1. Biking!!! The roads are designed for bikes, and there’s greenways and highways for the bikes !! It’s so healthy and I love being out in nature. I spend about 45 minutes total riding to and from class, and the scenery is just jaw dropping. The canals, the hanging trees, the townhouses with their lush gardens…It always makes me so happy. Aurora loves it too—she has a seat on the front of my bike and she LAUGHS the entire time!! She draws a lot of attention to herself with her giggles being carried away in the wind. 
2. Dutch people are tall. The tallest people in the world! No joke. I feel too low at my dining room table because it’s designed for tall people. And the door knobs in my house almost come up to my chest! 
3. The ice cream is *chefs kiss*!! Not sure if I’m eating ice cream or gelato half the time, but it’s always delicious.
4. THE CHOCOLATE MILK! I heat it up and it tastes like the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. Okay enough about desserts…
5. The buildings are quaint and charming. I feel like I’m in a movie. Especially when I’m riding around the town with a dress on, my hair flowing, Aurora laughing in the front seat of the bike, the flowers creeping up the colorful brick walls, the golden rays shining between puffs of clouds…those moments are pure perfection! 
6. Castles…castles everywhere!!! Okay I’ve only visited 2, but wow they were so intact and pristine! Absolutely beautiful. The historical information about the castles seems to be lacking, (where’s Rick Steves when you need him!?) but it was pure magic to wander the gardens and get a taste of how the people used lived in the old days.
7. The language sounds…barbaric. Lots of harsh, guttural sounds. And the grammar is difficult! Much more difficult than mandarin was, surprisingly. The teaching style is extremely old fashioned…think authoritarian teacher with a white board teaching complex grammatical sentences before we’ve even learned how to say ‘help’.
8. Terraces are a THING. When the sun is out, the Dutchies rush to an outdoor terrace where they can order a drink and relax in the sunlight while chatting to a pal or reading a book. 
9. Dutch girls are soooo trendy! Everyone from college students to the elderly! They have embraced fashions that Americans are *just* starting to warm up to. It’s also very common to see a Dutch girl in a super trendy outfit, but without a lick of makeup on and her hair in a tussle. You never see people go outside in lounge clothes here {unfortunately}. 
10. The Netherlands is very kid friendly! There is no shortage of parks and playgrounds for the kids to play on! I can think of at least 4 playgrounds off the top of my head within walking distance of my apartment.
    

Needless to say, I think we are going to love living here!! ❤