“Why are you living in Amsterdam? Don’t you miss your family and friends? What about the food, the sun, the real espresso macchiato?” These and many more are the questions I constantly receive when I meet someone new and I say that I really love Amsterdam! So, why do I enjoy living in this city? Read my reasons below and if you would like to know more about life in Amsterdam, feel free to send me a message! With love, Maria.

A smooth beginning

Relocating to a new city can be very stressful, especially if you don’t know anyone and you don’t speak the local language. Luckily, settling in Amsterdam went quite smoothly for me. I don’t speak Dutch fluently, but I can read and write a bit (ok, I confess, I use Google Translate a lot ?), however, most “Amsterdammers” can and will speak English to you to make you feel more comfortable and part of the group. I will never get the guttural “g” sound right, but I make my Dutch friends laugh when I try to speak or say the word “gezellig”

Active Amsterdam

I love how active and sporty the culture is in Amsterdam. On average, I exercise three days a week and I bike everywhere; I feel more fit and healthy here. The weather is not a barrier anymore – while when I was living in Milan I would bike to work only when it was warm and sunny. Feeling the wind in my face has become quite a pleasure. I get annoyed when my hair gets wet but then I just wear it in a ponytail, which is very common amongst Dutch women.

The locals

I've met and built friendships with a lot of locals. How? Two ways! Firstly, through my partner, I met a few “Dutchies” and I invested time in building relationships with them beyond him. Dutch people love to plan things in advance. I learnt that and I started to have my own agenda and book appointments 2-3 months in advance (no joke). Secondly, through my Instagram page. Whenever someone on Instagram inspires me, I send them a DM to meet for coffee and most of the time this works. I really recommend you try this, it’s such a great way to make offline connections real.

New restaurants and hotspots

Dutch food - ok I am not crazy about it, but I quite enjoy the Dutch snacks. Have you ever tried kaasstengels or bitterballen? If not, you should! Also, there is a great variety of places to choose from. I've been living in Amsterdam for nearly three years and I am still not tired of checking out the new restaurants and hotspots that constantly come and go!

Equality

I love how open and non-judgemental the Dutch are. It’s not a cliché, in Amsterdam, you can really express yourself 100% - people respect who you are. My favourite day is the first Saturday of August, when the Gay Pride Parade takes place. Everyone celebrates equality and diversity.

Amsterdam is, without a doubt, one of the nicest cities in Europe with its gorgeous canals, tiny houses and vibrant atmosphere. Do you live in Amsterdam? If so, what do you like about living here?