Andriana BoyrikovaPrecisely four years ago on this day, a bag full of bright plans for the future in my hand, I was finding my way to the Harmoniegebouw of RUG, determined to make the most of the master’s programme that had brought me to the Netherlands. Little did I know that this flat but pretty country would turn into something much more than a study destination: a place I will call home.
I came to the Netherlands for my studies but stayed for love
And the more time I spent in the country, the stronger attachment I fostered for it. However, I was averse to lots of things in my first year: the rain and wind all year long; going clubbing soaked, with smeared mascara and ruined hairstyle; the incomprehensible language the Dutchies spoke; and the embarrassing reality that everyone but me could cycle.
I reached a point I was so ill-disposed to everything Dutch that I was making plans to go to work in England, Ireland, or Australia after my studies. But then my plans failed – as it usually happens in life – and I ended up doing an internship in Eindhoven: on a side note, one of my best work experiences so far.
The more time I spent living in the Netherlands, the more I opened my eyes to its people and culture. And here I am: four years later, not being bothered by the rain even when cycling to an important job interview; speaking Dutch with my Dutch family; and savouring stamppot met boerenkool on a cold winter evening. I have started to appreciate the culture around me and focus my energy on what makes me happy here.
Cycle with your furniture
It was during my first week in Groningen when I saw people on cargo bikes carrying sofas and tables, their pets, or three kids tucked under a plastic sheet meant to protect them from the rain and wind. Later I learned it is pretty common here.
What is also common is that the Dutch Prime Minister cycles to work (okay, not every day but still). And why wouldn’t he? The Netherlands’ extensive cycling network can bring you wherever you want: if you are a fervent cyclist, you can pedal all the way from Groningen to Amsterdam (267km.)
Having learned to cycle in Groningen, where 61% of all trips are made by bicycle, now I feel my bike is like an extension of my body. I have even upgraded my skills to cycling in a storm or snow: I don’t recommend that, though.
Your assignment sucks
Being born and raised in Bulgaria (a country with stunning nature I recommend you to visit), where you need to speculate on what someone implies or expresses in a non-verbal way rather than explicitly says, I experienced quite some culture shock once I started my master’s degree at RUG. The first time I gave a presentation there was a whirl of Dutch students criticizing me and a professor who didn’t spare her negative feedback either. Did my assignment suck?
I was criticized again and again for the next few months before I found out that my fellow Dutch students and professors had nothing against me.
The Dutchies simply say what they think and criticize you no matter what. Sure, their sometimes terse sentences might lack any politeness, but the advantage is you don’t need to sugarcoat anything either. As a person who has always upheld open communication, I feel totally at home with the Dutch directness and love that I don’t need to pretend. Yet, I still get sulky when my boyfriend remarks “Are you going out like that?,” telling me what is wrong with my outfit or hairstyle. I have started to appreciate this blunt honesty, though.
A lot of cool stuff
The Dutchies are quite inventive. They keep their waterlogged country, 55% of which is sensitive to flooding and 26% lies below sea level, safe from floods and the influence of the sea through a sophisticated system of natural sand dunes, dikes, dams, drainage ditches, canals, and pumping stations. But it isn’t only their cutting-edge water management that I admire.
The Dutchies have built an excellent infrastructure of ports, airports, highways, rail network, and comprehensive bike pathways
In the 2018 Global Competitiveness Report, the Dutch infrastructure was ranked as the best in Europe with regard to its transport and road network. Two of my favourite examples are the world’s biggest multi-storey bike park, located in Utrecht, and the world’s first floating cycle path roundabout – the Hovenring, in North Brabant;
The Dutchies propel sustainability in every aspect
- Companies and governments in the Northern Netherlands have established an investment plan for the production of emission-free hydrogen at commercial scale in order to meet its national climate goals of CO2-free society by 2050;
- In the summer, the roofs of 316 bus stops in Utrecht were transformed into green-roofed bee-friendly spaces to help bees thrive and encourage pollination;
- The Maastricht startup Mosa Meat, which unveiled the first burger patty made by growing cow cells instead of slaughtering animals in 2013, is going to get their cultured meat “that is delicious, healthier, better for the environment, and kind to animals” on the market in the next 3-4 years.
If the Dutchies don’t have it, they build it
For example, they make up for the lack of any mountains in the country with indoor winter sports facilities. Although they don’t come even close to the ski slopes in Austria, the facilities provide a good winter entertainment to adults and children. And can you guess where the world’s tallest freestanding climbing wall – the Excalibur – is located? In the city of Groningen!
Home is where…
Even though the Netherlands can disappoint any ardent mountaineer or sun seeker (like me), it has a lot to compensate with:
- the touristic frenzy of Amsterdam and the world-famous landmarks in the Randstad
- the serene nature reserves
- the endless cycling paths
- the scenic islands in North Sea
- the bustling shopping streets and the colorful markets for cheese, flowers, books, or antiques
- the romantic canals where people can go sailing, canoeing, stand up paddling, or fishing for plastic
- the iconic tulip fields.
I have traversed the country and experienced a lot of Dutch stuff, among which the New Year’s Eve explosions and the Carnival in the South, and there is more I want to taste: ice skating on a frozen lake, mudflat walking in the Wadden Sea, and visiting Anne Frank house.
In the end, it is all up to us how we feel about the place where we live and call home. And what is home? It is never a country, a city, or a house. It is the people, the experiences, and the emotions we attach to a place. And to me, the Netherlands stands right next to Bulgaria as my home.
Featured image: www.sandervanderwerf.nl.
