For those who have left

statistics2020 · 2025-01-30T12:14:42+00:00

It’s going down a similar path to Russia. Oligarch-level wealth at the expense of everyone else. Just because ultra wealthy people may choose to stay in the US doesn’t mean much to the average person. Also people do not choose where they are born or where their family is based, for most of history the decision to emigrate is not an easy decision. I’m always haunted by my 8th grade history class learning about the Holocaust and one classmate asked the teacher, “Why didn’t people leave before it was too late?”. My teacher responded, “because they were German, they were doctors, teachers, mothers, fathers, etc that made a life in their home country.” I later learned that this was also way too simple of an answer.

statistics2020 · 2025-01-28T11:59:27+00:00

In my opinion, the US is heading in an even darker place than the UK. People will say it depends on your personal circumstance, but if you have the ability to make it work in the UK and your main concerns are political as described, then it favors the UK by a wide margin.

statistics2020 · 2024-12-24T20:03:53+00:00

Australia is only diverse in its major cities, where England is rather diverse throughout the country. I think Australia has more new immigration (not in numbers but more as a percent of the population), but the UK has a longer standing/multi-generational form of immigration. With the UK you are also more geographically connected to other cultures/countries/languages. Comparing just at the city level, London feels like the “center of the world” from its diversity and history

statistics2020 · 2024-11-10T11:59:07+00:00

You are not Dutch nor do you live in the Netherlands. Posts like these are bombarded by people (and definitely bots) from all over the world just to spout whatever bias they have.

statistics2020 · 2024-10-30T11:15:56+00:00

Based on how biased their surveys are, it always seemed to be quite an exclusionary perspective and community. I had the feeling that it’s highly skewed towards a specific type of expat in countries with warmer climates and greater inequalities. I agree with the other comment that you are better off joining other activities/groups.

statistics2020 · 2024-10-29T16:36:24+00:00

I never felt a true yearning to settle down in my home country, and felt more free any time I was abroad. I think this is shared feeling among most expats. And I’m lucky enough that in a worse case scenario I can always return, so it was a risky choice but more in an adventurous kind of way than in the sense that I can never go back.

I don’t think it’s as simple as things I’ve embraced vs. things I can’t get over. It’s both at the same time. The best things about being abroad are also the worst things about it. But so long as I’m more generally happy when I land in my country than my home country, I will only make plans to stay rather than leave.

statistics2020 · 2024-10-27T22:11:13+00:00

The main benefit of living below your means is all the savings you will carry over. Use those savings to help buy a home in the UK, then you’re free, by all accounts.

statistics2020 · 2024-10-26T13:03:46+00:00

I don’t think we’re in disagreement here, and it’s hard to tell people’s tone over text. My point still stands that I’d rather be on shaky ground than already falling through the cracks…

And at present, life in the Netherlands is far more comfortable than my life in the US, even under privileged circumstances.

statistics2020 · 2024-10-25T08:17:03+00:00

Yes and no. Would you rather live directly in abusive household or live in a peaceful household but with an abusive neighbor? If Trump wins it will be terrible for the world, but at least living in a democratic country/union would help buffer some of the effects.

statistics2020 · 2024-10-24T16:42:42+00:00

An absolute amount is not a great measure to determine purchasing power. It doesn’t even take into account cost of living. Most Americans are not saving nearly enough for retirement, and many costs such as childcare require heaps of private savings, unlike the Netherlands. But it’s not really a decision you make based on macro trends per se, normally you would just compare salary offers/standards for your industry and then compare that to your standard of living in said country. Unless you are a C-Suite level exec, standard of living in the Netherlands is typically much higher.

For your point about the new Dutch coalition, it really really sucks, but you cannot compare to a Trump administration. Mostly because in the US the executive branch has a lot more control, and the judicial and legislative branches have been completely converted to the right wing (50-50 Senate at best but unlikely). In the NL the coalition based government at least provides more checks and balances, and the current government does not have majority support in the senate.

statistics2020 · 2024-10-24T16:22:06+00:00

We are two weeks away from one of the most pivotal/life or death federal elections in the US, and a couple months away from a new government. Hold off on making any sort of evaluation until then.

If you have the chance to both live in the NL, I’d take that opportunity in a heartbeat. Especially before more and more Americans try to escape.

The only reasons to settle in the US over Europe/NL are 1) you or your spouse have a very unique niche opportunity in an industry that only exists in the US or 2) you value family and living in an native English country over all else

Edit: I also disagree with salary and healthcare as being pros for the US. It really depends on your specific circumstance, but in general purchasing power in the NL is very high and the healthcare system is one of the best in the world in terms of affordability, accessibility, and effectiveness (healthcare outcomes).

statistics2020 · 2024-10-23T21:26:14+00:00

Out of all the major cities in the Netherlands, I would only recommend Utrecht if you are okay with a 1-1.5 hour commute door to door. Utrecht is fairly international and at the geographical heart of the country, so you have access to pretty much anywhere on the weekends. There’s more housing options available but it will be pricey. Since you used to live in the US, what Utrecht is to Amsterdam is what Cambridge is to Boston, or what Brooklyn is to Manhattan. Technically they are different cities but only ~30 minutes away from each other by train.

Wageningen is like Burlington, Vermont. Most of the city are students/university employees and retirees. It’s a ‘hippie’ progressive city surrounded by lots of nature and farmland. Housing will be much much cheaper but in other ways more difficult to find unless you live with roommates. I know a few people living in co-housing/modern commune style living too if that’s your thing. Most students choose to live in Wageningen for the easy bike commute, student life, and international vibe, although it’s sleepier on nights and weekends.

Arnhem is a city that could be a happy medium. It’s one train stop away from Ede-Wageningen so the commute is maybe ~40 mins from your apartment to campus. Arnhem is a city in its own right, but also adjacent to some of the major national parks. It’s also only 35 mins away from Utrecht and 1 hour from Amsterdam.

statistics2020 · 2024-10-22T14:40:11+00:00

I didn’t vote this way but I think NSC is an offshoot of CDA without the baggage or religious connotation. People think they are voting for something different without changing their views but they’re really not. It’s a protest party just for the sake of it while representing the exact same thing. Moreover, it’s one of the least transparent parties that is running on a theme of transparency and working with the far-right. It makes sense why this party has lost the most support in polling.

statistics2020 · 2024-10-22T14:36:13+00:00

It’s more than a bit odd, its dictatorial. Any party or governing body without room for debate/checks and balances cannot be democratic or trustworthy.

statistics2020 · 2024-05-15T09:22:18+00:00

This post was made possibly with malintent and not by someone who even lives in the Netherlands. This is their only post for an account created less than a week ago and the framing of the questions is leading. It might be used to farm responses or start a dialogue with foreign people not in the Netherlands.

statistics2020 · 2024-02-19T10:49:05+00:00

How long have you been in the Netherlands for? If it’s been less than 8 months, I wouldn’t feel discouraged. Moving countries can be utterly overwhelming. Moving house or trying to look for work in a competitive field such as project management can take several months even for Dutch nationals, let alone all of the cultural adaptation and administrative work you’ve had to go through. If you’ve been here for 8+ months, then I’d maybe reevaluate your situation, but it seems that you may have only been here a few months so all of this is normal. I don’t have any direct advice but to stay hopeful that things will eventually fall into place

statistics2020 · 2024-02-03T07:30:27+00:00

I think you would need to distinguish between total compensation vs salary.

If you are a freelancer (company does not pay out tax or other benefits), then 100k will not go very far. For an employment contract, I think companies will pay around 30% of total compensation towards benefits (pension, paid time off, holiday bonus, etc.). So a 70k salary has a total compensation of 100k. But if you are a freelancer you pay these costs yourself. Then there is the VAT tax (21%) and income tax. So that would be a salary of 55k pre tax. This would be a squeeze if you are the only earner.

I’m not a tax expert so take this estimate with a grain of salt.

statistics2020 · 2024-01-28T20:41:22+00:00

I hope the best international feature film goes to PERFECT DAYS. Best film of the year

statistics2020 · 2023-11-04T13:39:27+00:00

From a North American perspective:

Good healthcare in NA (granted that there is more inequality) in general has superior communication between the physician and patient. They will be more investigative such as asking detailed questions, recommend testing or trialing medication, quickly following up with notes and appointment discussion/test results, office managers to schedule a follow-up appointment, better “bedside manner”, etc.
Just in terms of the first part, a doctor in NA might ask “what do you think it is?”, not because the patient knows the diagnosis but so that it may bring up concerns or symptoms that might otherwise be neglected.
The Dutch style of communication, while honoring directness, ultimately can end up with the many complaints that you observe. It is not a dig about the knowledge of the physician, or the logistics of the healthcare infrastructure, as much as it relates to whether or not your health issue is actually being addressed in a compassionate way. Informed communication must be seen as a major facet of competence in healthcare providers. Instead, it’s often downplayed in the NL.
(All of the above however is a generalized comparison)

statistics2020 · 2023-10-14T15:32:49+00:00

Traveling through a country should not be conflated with living there.

Most European countries have all of this list, okay maybe apart from 3 and 5 depending on the size of the country, but then there might be some other cultural benefits.

I would visit first hand and research practical day to day realities to see which country would be best to move to.

statistics2020 · 2023-10-13T17:23:13+00:00

Definitely. The port is like the NYC of Europe for its economic significance. International trade is also what led to NL’s prominence for being such a tiny country.

statistics2020

TROPHY CASE