Hi, I’m from South Texas, an area considered “poorer” than national average, and my husband is Dutch.

Pros:
Honestly, I think we have it pretty good here. The cost of living is ridiculously cheap. We paid off our home last year (it took us 4 years to pay off), we don’t have have great jobs yet we can still save up lots of money. Even if we find jobs at Walmart we can save up at least 1,000 a month easily. We’re currently taking a sabbatical this year traveling around the US from all the savings and I want to spend 3 months in Mexico too. Also, I really love the food down here (Mexican food galore and you can get a box of 20 mangoes for $4 bucks), I like the people, how friendly, family-oriented and chill everyone is (sometimes my badass neighbor helps me mow my grass for free), and most importantly: my family is here and I’m used to seeing them every week and have BBQs (carne asada every week). Also, the proximity to Mexico allows for daytrips for cheap dental and medical procedures plus cheap flights.

Cons:
Well, it’s still Texas! The politics, the heat, machismo, the ignorance, and stupidity of some people really bug me. Although I got to say that this area is 90% Mexican and I personally think there’s a difference with Latino conservatism. It’s not really pretty and secluded and the rest of the nation. Not much to do although not nearly as bad as living in bumbutt, Kansas. No nature around, just ugly streets, stroads, and infrastructure. Car dependency, etc.

Why I want to move:
It’s honestly me. my husband says he doesn’t want to go back but it can be discussed if I really want to do it. And honestly, I don’t know if it’s a smart choice. I’m aware of the housing crisis in NL that’s why I’m also thinking about other EU countries. I want to know what it feels like to work and live in another country, fully experience another culture, and also I want to experience this “European lifestyle” everyone keeps talking about. I also speak Spanish and French (not fluent but I can get by an understand everything).

Concerns:
Although what concerns me the most is the worry that we won’t be able to find housing, save up as much money (hence no more constant sabbaticals), and having to live check by check, or if I’ll be exposed to racism since I’m not White, or feeling super lonely, etc. Basically end up with a lower quality of living.

  • demostenes_arm@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Honestly speaking, as a hispanic american, adapting to the Netherlands will be tough. I get that you don’t like Latino machismo and conservatism, but the sense of community and warmth of Latino people is something you will deeply miss. It’s difficult to make friends with Dutch people, they tend to hang on with the same circle of friends for the whole life, and you also naturally have to learn Dutch to have any chance of integration. I can’t never forget when a Colombian friend told me that none of her soccer club mates, all Dutch and with whom she played for many years, attended her birthday party.

    As for “prettyness” and “the nature”… uh… Netherlands is “pretty” to visit as a tourist but once you are there long term it gets boring quickly. The landscape is nearly uniform, basically flat farmland with small patches of nature here and there. Almost every small town looks exactly the same, with exactly the same shops everywhere, and shops are closed during evenings and most of the weekend. When the sun is out it can be nice to go out and do some outdoor activities, but the weather is depressing for countless days in a year. It’s not easy to smile after say 2 weeks of nonstop rain.