Today I went on another “mommy field trip,” after a long hiatus, to the Corrie ten Boom Museum in Haarlem. When I first visited Haarlem last fall, we passed the museum and a friend recommended visiting. It took me a bit to get back, but it was worth it. Prior to moving here, I had … More Corrie ten Boom Museum

Here is not a subject line you would expect to get from your local government in the U.S., “Gemeente publiceert bommenkaart.” Translation – Municipality publishes bomb map. It is not something I thought about before, but The Netherlands was home to a number of minefields. Of course not all of these ordinances exploded. It is … More Uniquely European Dangers

Today was another “mommy field trip” day. I went with 16 other parents from my daughter’s school to the Clara Maria Cheese Farm & Clog Factory in Amstelveen. It was only about 30 minutes from our house and it was so fun, even for a non-cheese eating person such as myself. The farm is run … More A Very Dutch Day – Cheese and Clogs

I know Halloween is a North American holiday, but somehow, living in a place with so many American expats, I thought it might spill over here. Not one trick-or-treater last night. The school had a trunk-or-treat event before fall break, which was way too early for me, but there was no better day. About 30 … More Halloween 2022

The perception is that the Dutch are big cyclists. In fact, the country is home to three times as many bikes as it does people. Many households don’t own a car, and for those who do own cars, it is VERY rare to see two car families. Here are some pictures from our daughter’s school … More Getting Around

Earlier today a friend sent me a text, “This article literally says move to the Netherlands for happiness!” Interesting timing I thought. The article she was referring to was “Yale’s Happiness Professor Says Anxiety Is Destroying Her Students,” by The New York Times’ David Marchese. For the article, Marchese interviewed Yale cognitive scientist Laurie Santos. … More THE NETHERLANDS = Happiness?