Well, where to begin? Our first few weeks were a mix of emotions in our attempt to acclimate to our new city. The flight was what you would expect with a 1.5 year old in tow. We all survived! We weren't able to get a bassinet in our bulk head section, which was annoying. Brie wasn't thrilled being confined to her seat for 7+ hours. Despite being overtired, she fought the exhaustion with solid 10 - 15 minutes screams that made some travelers clutching their ears. Umm…this is just with one child! I think that crosses my mind every day. All in all, we can't complain. Things would have been far worse if it wasn't for our nanny extraordinaire, Miss Tayler (The Brie whisperer), who joined us on the flight. Maddie was by far the best traveler of the family. Would you expect anything less? She's perfect!
Upon arriving, we had a little short stay apartment in an beautiful, family friendly
neighborhood right outside the city center. The apartment was cozy to say the very least. It still beats a hotel! There were four of us packed into about 800
square feet making our home in Nashville feel like a mansion. Although, Dutch design is know for efficiency, we're still adapting to a refrigerator
about 1/4 of the size of the one in the States. I've been growing accustomed to shopping every other
day. Thankfully, the local grocery store (Jumbo) is a quick five minute walk away. I can't help but miss our grocery delivery option (Shipt) during those lazy, rainy days. More on this at a later date.
As in any new place, you realize the similarities and differences rather quickly. Below are a few things that we've come across thus far:
1) There are a lot of rules and everyone (for the most part) follows them. The speeding fines are high, you always pay your
parking meter and using a cell phone while driving is unthinkable (however, texting and biking is another story).
And don't even try to do anything without an appointment. Getting a
bank account, cell phone, and even a gym membership all require one!
2) Bikes are the Dutch minivan. I am not kidding! At 8am you'll find many moms and dads traversing the city streets with kids on the front, back or in a basket being biked around rain or shine. Props to the Dutch women who do this while fully dressed in work attire including high heels. Not to mention, if you have a newborn, they are strapped to you via a Baby Bjorn or Ergo carrier. And I thought my commute with one kid in an SUV was tough. I have to add that none of the kids wear helmets. If you see anyone with them they are probably American. Right now, my helmet tally is at two and counting...
3) The doors here are a bit different than what we are
accustomed to in the U.S. We've managed to lock ourselves out of the house not
once, but TWICE. In my defense, the door will lock behind you when closed, like in a hotel. A locksmith is more than happy to come out and rescue you for an easy 100 Euros. I need to figure out how to break into my own home. My unfashionable solution has been to wear house keys on my wrist. Isn't the grandma look in? So far we haven't had to call the locksmith again!
4) Utrecht and Nashville have a lot more in common than we thought. Hen (Bachelorette) parties seem to be just as prevalent here than in Nashville. Sigh, just when we thought we were rid of them. These hen parties are often found dotting the canals in rented, electric boats starting on Thursday night with the same outrageous attire found in Music City. Imagine our surprise when we saw peddle pubs traversing the city square as we sat outside enjoying our favorite Belgian beers during our date night last weekend. Seriously, we can't get away from these things!
As with any new
place, it's all about establishing a new normal. We are quickly learning the challenges and benefits of being in a new, European city.
Ben now
faces a 75 km commute each way to work. What was once a short 20 minute work
commute in Nashville is about a 60 minute trek in the Netherlands. We believe
it's worth it in order to be in such a fantastic city. We have access
to Amsterdam and the airport via a quick train ride. To Ben's credit, he's transitioning into this new way of life relatively well. His ability to navigate the narrow city streets flanked with parked cars is impressive. There is the additional complexity of bike lanes full of two-wheeled commuters EVERYWHERE. The 90 Euro weekly petrol bill and 4 Euro an hour street parking has been hard to stomach. Not to mention, trying to charge an electric hybrid on the street when all the instructions are in Dutch is no small feat.
Brie has
been immersed in a wonderful world of toddler friends and playgrounds. We were
taken back to see the numerous parks and playgrounds surrounding the neighborhood. Griftpark is just a few blocks away that has a petting zoo filled with cows, sheep, pigs and rabbits. Its's amazing to see the caliber of parks given the such high taxes. We are lucky enough to be a half kilometer away from "The Toddler Garden".
It's a membership only playground for ages 0-4. Here they have an enclosed,
safe space with a sand pit, playground full of every toy imaginable with
oodles of water activities to keep the most rambunctious tots entertained. For
parents, there is a volunteer run café with snacks, coffee, treats, toilets and
baby area. One could stay there all day, if needed. We go every morning after
our walk and it's packed with children. We're in the midst of finding a Dutch
daycare. We know Brie will be much better off being in a place that can help her
learn Dutch, get the socialization that she needs, and most importantly give mom a break! More on this in my next
post as I'll be touring a few places later this week.
Maddie is now going on countless walks dramatically increasing her exercise intake. To make our
daily walks even more entertaining, we learned that Utrecht has a large population
of cats that seem to have free reign around the city.
We can't seem to get away from them. At any turn, we find them sitting on the
sidewalk, sunny themselves in the window, or harassing Maddie atop a fence. She seems quite determined to tell them off and make them dessert.
I am trying to get used to getting my beloved caffeine from tiny cups of espresso instead of my mega 20+ ounce coffee mug (Yes, it is so American). The adjustment to whole milk in my coffee instead of cream hasn't been as bad. I have also found that ordering a decaf coffee is not common. Both my mother and mother-in-law will not be happy to hear the news. In meeting up with a friend of a friend a week ago, I received a puzzled look when asked if I could get a decaf cappuccino. Turns out a caffeine free herbal tea was the best I could do. At 4pm, I didn't want to be wired the rest of the night. Okay, maybe I really am turning into a grandma!
At least the coffee quality is much better and it is not hard to find a quaint little café (not to be confused with the "other coffee shops") around the city. Furthermore, it is common to have it offered everywhere you go. From the bank to the gym and even on the playground, coffee is everywhere. I think we will be just fine here.
Earlier this month we
took our first family mini "vacation" in Europe. Keep in mind that
vacation is a relative term with a toddler. It was planned around Ben's work so it required me to fly solo with Brie to Munich. No sweat, I thought as I've
traveled many times with her over the past year. What I
failed to recognize is with Brie's newfound mobility (as of 18 months) all bets
are off. Here are a few travel reminders based on my latest experience:
