On June 11, 2021, the last day of school for my daughter I got a call from my husband that went something like this. “So they really want me to move to The Netherlands. But before we can decide, we need to know that we can find an appropriate school.” I chimed in that a dance studio would be important too, given how much time our daughter puts into her study of dance. And so it began.
Over that weekend I researched all the schools, there were private verses public, and different languages of instruction. We narrowed it down to three options and started the applications. Not knowing how fast (or slow) the move was going to take place, I felt like I was on the clock. That Monday I started hounding teachers and administrators for the paperwork we needed from them. Thankfully they all obliged before going on summer break.
Admissions interviews and acceptances followed. But then the question was, when were we moving?
Being a typical Type A person, I had a job, I did it. But now the world was in slow motion. The first friends I talked to who had completed expat assignments warned me – be prepared to wait, everything takes a while. That won’t happen here I thought, they wanted my husband there quickly, it would move along fast and I envisioned we would be living in The Netherlands for the start of the school year in August. Not so.
Getting the paperwork together took a while, and then the CEO had to sign off. But wait, there was a typo in the offer letter – something that was supposed to be plural was noted as singular. The missing “s” required another round of approvals and CEO sign off. And then in mid-October, the move was official and the real clock started.
Red, White and Tulips 