The van Putten Diaries

Nowhere is perfect, it's true.  The Netherlands has its flaws just like anywhere else, even though I've spent the last 2 years observing and commenting on almost exclusively positive things.  I thought maybe it was time to gather up some of the negatives. The issue I'm having, however, is that I look at this list and it's contents feel just so inconsequential compared to what we left behind and how much the US has continued to devolve since.  When Nic and I talk amongst ourselves about the negative things we've experienced and observed here, it almost feels like an inside joke.  In the grand scheme of our life experiences, does this thing (insert something from the below list here) actually suck?  No, not often. So, with as genuine of feeling as I can muster and all joking aside, these are the absolute worst things we've encountered so far in The Netherlands (mostly in order of relevance). 1. Smoking I know that I came from a region with a low smoking rate so my...

Hello! It's been a moment since I've settled in to write with purpose and I feel like it's time for me to be more intentional.  As so many new readers find themselves here, it's probably important for me to revisit basics about who I am and what this blog is even about. So , the story with this little blog of mine... When we moved from the Pacific NW to the Netherlands in 2022, I knew I was going to be writing about it for myself and for my kids who would grow up as immigrants.  I also received a whole lot of requests from friends and family to make it public, and so here we are.  I started writing it as an introspective memoir for myself/family and as a resource for people who may want to follow in our footsteps.  Then my NL-based community became interested, so I shared it with them and have tried to incorporate some aspects that they may find interesting from the other side of the puzzle.   And as our life became more settled in the day-to-day here and ...