I often joke that life in The Netherlands is one of communal living. Houses here are small and close together, often sharing walls. So what do you do when you house is small and you have a party? You head outside. And the yards are also small. Today we received our second letter from a … More Communal Living

Just less than two months after we packed up and left Houston, our air shipment has arrived. The anticipation feels a bit like Christmas morning. With our game of packing roulette, we were not quite sure what might arrive and what might not, so it really was like Christmas morning opening up some of our … More It’s Like Christmas Morning

This weekend my husband went to pick up some furniture that we bought from a soon-to-be departing expat. So now we have two beds – the most important piece of furniture. The master bed was actually part of a whole set including two bedside tables and a wardrobe. But then we were struck with the … More Curse of the Dutch Staircase

A quick update from the land of tulips and windmills. We still don’t have carpet on the staircase to the 2nd floor, which means nothing has moved in yet. But…we do have an internet connection. Post internet set-up, my personal IT support technician enjoyed a first meal at the house. No plates and no furniture … More Becoming home step by step

Anyone who has lived in Europe has probably run into the the discussion of furnished, unfurnished, and soft furnished housing. But if you are coming directly from the US or Canada, this is a shocker. Here is a little comparison for you. When you move into an unfurnished place you have to add the cost … More Housing episode #2 – you call this furnished?

One of the many unique things about living in The Netherlands is the housing. Houses there are quite different than what we have in Canada or the U.S. Several people have asked, so I thought it was worthy of a couple of posts. First off, like most European cities, land is at a premium, so … More There is a sink where?