I have been in Mexico for a week, and I am surprised at how many things of the Netherlands I miss. I am enjoying a lot of family time and food, but there is no doubt that I am becoming Dutch and I am missing ¨home.¨
1. Silence- Mexico City is a busy city with more people than the entire Netherlands. There are cars everywhere, and people tend to honk a lot. In the Netherlands, I have observed that people are a lot more calm at driving. The Randstad area tends to be very busy and there are plenty of files, but it is a lot more calm than here.
2. Fietsen– Since it got cold in the Netherlands, I have neglected my fiets way too much and the nice sunny weather in Mexico City makes me want to ride around the city. I also miss the fietspad.
3. Small portions- When I moved to the Netherlands, I was very surprised with the small portions in the Netherlands, particularly with drinks. I am so used to the small portions now that I cannot finish the big drink portions here. I cannot imagine what I will think when I go back to Texas and see really big drinks!
4. Trein– I have mentioned before what a big fan I am of the train service the NS provides. Regardless of the delays I´ve experienced with the NS, I still think the service is great and I am so thankful for it now that I have to drive around. I am sure everything can be improved, but being stuck in traffic or having to depend on a car to go somewhere else is something I don’t like.
5. Sneeuw– I have been waiting for snow since I moved to the Netherlands and it seemed I missed my first chance to see it. Our driveway was covered in snow Monday morning, and although it melted right away, I would have loved to have seen it and attempt a small sneeuwman.
What do you miss from the Netherlands when you are away?
Comments:
cathy:
Fietsen!!! And the casualness! Also zoute drop. 😉
William (American half of Dutch/American couple):
I’ve only visited 5 times in the 15 years I’ve known my wife, but I loved the quiet (walking through downtown on a Sunday afternoon with no traffic is sublime), bikes (I’ve always loved them, but riding them to anywhere in American cities is harrowing), the trains (nope, none here) and small portions (I could stand to lose some weight). If I had lived there all my life, I could see how I missed it. Things I actually miss? Chocolate (Swiss may be better, but Dutch is better than American), bread (my wife has come close with home made bread, but it just isn’t the same), and small cars (I owned several small cars growing up, so this is as much from my childhood as the Netherlands).
Shannon:
Hagelslag
Kaas
Gazellig cafes
Dutch humor
Those are the things I miss the most.
Stephanie:
I just moved back to Texas with my Dutch husband and I miss NL a lot! The fiets pad, trien, kibbling, my friends there, and being close to other European countries!
Karoly G Molina:
@Stephanie Stephanie,
I lived in Texas for many years and I can tell you I miss sweet tea, BBQ, Tex-Mex food, HEB and more!