Hello to New Readers

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 it became clear that the day-to-day in the US was becoming more difficult, I heard from several friends that engaging with my content was a bit too much for them because it drove home a feeling of helplessness.  I 100% understood and I didn't want to make it worse, so I started writing only when it was for me.

That was before the election.  Now, just more than 2 weeks since inauguration, I have had conversations with many new acquaintances in the US who found me because they want nothing more than to GTFO and fast.

To you newcomers looking for connections as you prepare for your own journey, I'm so glad to have virtually made your acquaintance!  I hope we can meet in person one day, preferably over here in the Beloved Swamp on the North Sea because I certainly don't plan on returning to the US in the near future.

I will continue to write along the same themes as I have before, but I would also love to hear from you if there are specific questions or issues you'd like me to address.  I will try to write with a bit more frequency as well so that some of the information and observations I have yet to detail can be available for you.

Now a bit about myself!  I think it would be useful for you to have my stats so that we can find common points of connection and dive into things deeper if there is something about my lens that you find especially valuable.

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest under 2 different volcanos and surrounded by evergreen trees.  I was adopted and raised by a single mom, who passed away last year while I was halfway across the world.

I'm queer and genderqueer.  I have a personal and professional background in activism relating not only to LGBTQIA+ issues, but also to immigration and minoritized youth.

I think it's possible that my Dutch language skill has surpassed my Spanish at this point, but I studied Spanish for 20 years in the US and used it every day at work until we moved.  Sadly, I never got to visit or live in a Spanish speaking country so my fluency was always just under the surface.

I am a millenial pushing into my late 30's.  I was 12 when I watched President George W. Bush get elected and 13 when I watched the planes crash into the Twin Towers.  I graduated from college during the recession and it took me 2.5 years to find a full time job, which didn't even require my degree.  These were huge, formative events in my life.

I studied history at university and continue to be a bit obsessed by the incomprehensible connections to the past I am now surrounded by.  Yet, I've found myself working in HR and I absolutely love it.

My family is super wonderful.  I will talk about them a lot, but they haven't ever written directly.  My spouse continues to work in US elections in WA State and his job is what secured our visa to live here - more on that wayyy down at the beginning of the blog.  Our kids are currently 9 and almost 7 years old, fluent Dutch speakers, and incredibly happy.  We brought our 2 large dogs with us.

I have a LOT of opinions about parenthood, childhood, and balancing life in NL vs US and you'll find them politely scattered throughout.  

Please note that I realize our ability to move came with a huge amount of privilege that we acknowledge made our journey relatively "easy".  Our story sounds idyllic, I think, yet I hope to be able to convey both the risks and the rewards of our route here.  I will constantly be checking our privileges.