From Australia to the Netherlands

Who are you and where are you from?
Nichole and I am from Australia.

Where do you live now?
I now live in The Netherlands or Holland to most people.

Do you live with your family?
I live with my soon to be husband. All of my family is in Australia. I have no family in the Northern Hemisphere

How old are you?
35

Share your reason for leaving your country. 
I left Australia for London for three reasons. One was to work overseas, the other was to travel and the third was to persue further a strong friendship that I had struck up online with a Dutchman.  

Were the adjustments difficult?
Very. Day to day life goes on but it's having nothing that feels familiar sometimes that can be overwhelming. The garbage collection, the post office, grocery shopping - even hanging the washing out. In Australia I can hang it outside for 95% of the year or undercover if it is raining. Here I froze some of my clothes doing that. Having my partner realize that nothing is familiar, all the things that are as second nature as breathing to him, were new to me and it took a lot longer than expected. I had no idea my partner had a wife and children until three months before I moved here to live with him. Dealing with a shocked family, a very angry ex wife, a small village where I am not only an outsider but other stress too such as an instant family of twins has been a roller coaster ride. I'm still here though.

What was the immigration process like (visas, work permits, residency, etc.)?
This wasn’t too bad. I'm lucky to come from a country that has a good bond with Holland . It was more the delay factor – in total it took almost a year with waiting periods. Having to get all new originals of documents from Australia stamped and sent over then sent in and wait, then more papers then wait. So not a lot of back and forwards etc., more a long time between stages. 

Do you work?
I work part-time. Part of the reason I moved here was so that my stepchildren wouldn’t have to be in childcare. The  system in this country means they come home for lunch for our 3 days of the school week (mother has them the other two) and we have them most weekends. I work on the other two school days. 

I also teach English as a second language at the school my kids attend. I love that so much. I'm completing my Dutch language studies so I can go back to university to become a teacher. I left a five-to-six-day a week job in London that I absolutely loved and earned more than my partner does. So to go from that to being a housewife in some ways has been the second biggest change I have had to deal with. To lose that independence was very, very hard and some very hard conversations have taken place between my partner and me.

What are the pros and cons of living in your new country?
Pros: The love I have in my life from my two adorable step kids and the man that I adore. Im experiencing a fantastic culture. Learning a new language and have new friends and a new extended family. I have Europe on my doorstep and have seen things I may have never seen from living in Australia.

Cons: All of the above such as new family, making new friends who understand some of your difficulties. I gave up a lot of my career and travel dreams, but now try to look at them as changes in direction rather than gone. MY FAMILY…. 

Do you miss 'home'?  How often do you visit?
I miss it every single day. I dislike it here in that if it is a nice day with warm weather everyone is quickly outside to do something outdoors, no matter what we are planning. It is because the really good days that you are not at work are fewer and far between, but I really miss the more relaxed living of home. We visit every two years. My mother has been here once and some of my sisters are planning to come next year.

Any advice to share?
Don’t rely completely on expat groups as you tend to isolate yourself more if they are your only contact in a new country. Learn the language and get out and explore your new surroundings. Seeing things not only helps you learn about the area, but makes great talking points for family and friends. Volunteer or work part time even if it is not your original field – it has so many benefits and also makes sure your whole world does not just revolve around your relationship. Volunteering can actually benefit your relationship a lot.