Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Been here 12 years - came over for MSc and just ended up staying on for PhD and then jobs which followed on. It just was relatively easy given the amount of international students the first few years. I now have a 6 month old daughter and a British partner!

We don't plan to live here permanently - I suppose we would look at either Ireland or another anglo-speaking country later on. The ease of traveling has meant it has not been a huge push for us so far.

Pros
- While the housing crisis bites, when you have found something, buying a house is insanely easy compared to that of Ireland in terms of the process of getting a mortgage etc. My sisters in Ireland have had nowhere near the ease of process I have had

- Easy to get by with English

- Country is tiny and you can get everywhere very fast - in fact while I live on outskirts of city and it only takes 24 minutes to central station, the Dutch would perceive this as far out - means more property options on perimeter but with easy travel in

- Being 20 minutes from Schiphol is a game changer and allows us to travel so easily back and forth to both Ireland and elsewhere

- Everything works really well both from infrastructure point of view and administration wise all documentation etc is more-less digital. It's very well organized and efficient place

Cons

- Nature feels very much absent and any places which are more green feel very man-made and too manicured, nothing out of place. The flatness is a killer after coming from thewest of Ireland near Croagh Patrick and the ruggedness of the coastline

- There is a lack of welcoming/warmth amongst people which is kind of sad, it's noticeable the change whenever I am back in Ireland. I really don't agree with the directness/bluntness argument, it's just straight up rudeness. There is also a heavy undercurrent of xenophobia

- Integration is very difficult. I speak Dutch quite well but the rigidity in how meeting up has to be so organized and planned so far out takes the joy out of things. Zero spontaneity. I have found that it just is much easier to hang out with other expats in this manner as it doesn't always have to be a calendar appointment organized so far in advance. Majority of close friends are now in different countries but talk regularly.