Living within or below your means is one of the things Dutch people pride themselves on. You can call them stingy and cheap, but honestly, they are just being frugal and smart. There is even a very popular saying here in the Netherlands “geld lenen kost geld.” This essentially means “borrowing money costs money.” Whatever you may think of their spending habits, they are good with money. A lot can…
Sometimes I’ve got leftover rice or couscous and have got to do something with it. I don’t like food waste. I grew up with almost no money, so we ate whatever was put in front of us. Most of the food was vegetarian. Although I am now not a vegetarian, I’m pretty flexible when it comes to food. This zucchini looks massive because it is. I got it from a…
Although I now live in the middle of nowhere in the Netherlands, I used to live in New York City. During my many years of living in NYC, I got to explore the city and find some hidden gems. A lot of people go to NYC to see the Empire State Building, and of course, Times Square, among other places. I’m asked a lot about what to do in the…
Would you believe it if I told you that I never celebrated Christmas growing up? A lot of people I meet don’t believe it, but it’s the truth. I grew up in an ultra-orthodox Jewish family where all such holidays were not celebrated. Not a single Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or most legal holidays were commemorated. Even looking at holiday decorations such as lights and people dressed up as Santa was…
Please take note that this post contains affiliate links. The holidays are fast approaching, and that means many of us will be exchanging gifts. Sometimes it can be pretty hard to figure out what to buy for the people that you love. You may have even spent hours or days looking for a gift but still haven’t found one. Luckily for you, I understand this dilemma quite well and decided…
Moving to any new country can be extremely difficult. Even moving to a new city can be hard. As someone who moved to the Netherlands several years ago from the USA, here are a few things I wish I did right away instead of procrastinating. These things are much more important than I initially thought. The faster you can adapt to your new reality, the better you will feel. If…
Friendship is one of those things that most of us cannot live without no matter what we tell ourselves. Humans are like animals, they travel in groups, or in pairs. If we don’t spend time with people and don’t get any affection, the majority of us will end up feeling depressed. One of the hardest things about moving anywhere new is, finding new friends and building a good community. This…
My life is nothing like I imagined it to be when I was a child. Growing up in an orthodox Jewish family of 15 children, we had no money to speak of. The last time I went to see my little siblings at the home I grew up in, the roof was leaking. It is quite shocking going back to the USA and seeing how much poverty there is. Of…
Do you think how loyal you are to your job has anything to do with where you come from? I’ve been living in the Netherlands for the past three years, and my views on life have certainly gotten a refresh. The other day, I stumbled upon my friend’s LinkedIn profile. On her profile, she had all of her work experience written out. I noticed that every year and a half…
When many people think of the Netherlands, one of the first things that can come to mind is the red light district in Amsterdam, also known as De Wallen. The Netherlands has always been extremely progressive in comparison to other countries. It was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Smoking weed and eating shrooms are decriminalized, and a whole lot more. Sex is something that the…
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