November 10, 2018

18 American Things I Miss Most

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I have been living in the Netherlands for almost 3 months now and I feel pretty settled in at this point. I’ve been teaching here for 11 weeks and finally moved into my own studio in Amsterdam. I have made some new friends, am an expert at navigating the city/country via public transportation, and have learned a little bit of Dutch. Recently, though, I’ve been thinking about the things I miss from home. Of course I miss my family and friends and colleagues, but besides the people, I miss many other American conveniences. I figured I’d compile a list of them for you. And for those of you living in the states: the next time you use/see/have one of the beloved luxuries below, feel grateful… because although they may seem simple or “part of every day life”, they’re not everywhere!

18 American Things I Miss Most:

1. Biweekly Paychecks

This is tough. For Americans who are used to getting paid twice a month, it can be (and is) quite difficult to switch to only one paycheck per month. I have to be super careful with my money for 4 whole weeks before a new deposit comes in at the end of the month. It forces you to save and be smart about your money- but who am I kidding, I just returned from a 7 day holiday in the UK last month. I do have to check all of my accounts constantly though, and shuffle money around if I notice one of the accounts I use regularly is getting low.

2. Fahrenheit, Feet, Miles, 12 Hour Clocks

Celsius and kilometers confuse the hell out of me. I have switched the clock on my phone to 24 hours and seeing 18:00 doesn’t bother me much anymore. But in the beginning it was a lot of math: “OK what is 18-12? Hmm 6, great!” but I have started to memorize it all now. However, I can’t wrap my head around Celsius and kilometers. Or meters and centimeters for that matter. In the states, I’d say I’m 5 feet tall. Here? I am 152 centimeters, or 1.52 meters. And do you know how silly it sounds when people say, “It’s going to be super hot tomorrow! 28 degrees!” Sweet baby Jesus it sounds like a blizzard is coming into town tomorrow. Get your earmuffs ready!

3. Stores Being Open Early and Late (and by late I mean please be open at 6pm!)

Many stores here do not open until 9 or 10 in the morning, and close at 5, 6, or 7 at night. I am not talking about little family-run cafes or boutique shops. I am talking about big chains like HEMA, Blokker, etc. Even grocery stores open late and close early! The other day after work I tried walking to Blokker (which is like a household appliance store) to buy some miscellaneous items like hangers, trash bags, and a step stool. It was a bit after 6pm. They were closed. CLOSED. And if you want to grab some tasty dessert at night, around 8:30-9pm? TOO BAD. Want to grab some breakfast before work, around 6-6:30am? There may be 1 open cafe nearby at that hour, serving pastries and coffee, but that’s it. No breakfast sandwiches, smoothies, acai bowls, or yogurt with granola. Nope. Oh and if you want anything on a Sunday around here: good luck.

4. Baseball

Do I even have to elaborate here?

5. Target

I think this one speaks for itself. But just to give you an idea, you need to go to about 4-5 stores here in Amsterdam to get everything that you could easily pick up at Target in just one trip. At Target, I could buy groceries, vitamins/supplements, household appliances, indoor and outdoor decor, video games and TVs, hiking and camping gear, bicycles, clothes, shoes, bathing suits, school items, toys, car seats, hair products, pesticides, shower items, cleaning tools, the list goes on and on…

6. Air Conditioning

Believe it or not, air conditioning isn’t really a “thing” here in the Netherlands. Most homes do not have it. Most stores don’t either. Many hotels and museums do at this point, but that’s about it. Sooo my apartment does not have air conditioning which is quite upsetting on warm, sunny days. Luckily, it’s now November and getting quite cool outside.

7. Pedestrians Having Right-of-Way

In Amsterdam, pedestrians basically have zero rights. In fact, when I walk around the city, I feel like I am participating in one of those video games where they keep throwing obstacles in your path and you have to quickly duck or jump out of the way so you don’t die or lose points. Except this is real life– and there is soo much to watch out for. In the USA, pedestrians almost always have the right of way. Here, the bikers do. Before you cross a street or make a turn, you need to look left then right, and then left and right again, to make sure no cyclists are going by on the bike path. They will not stop for you. They will hit you and it will be all your fault. But if you manage to steer clear of the bikes, you then have to check for cars, taxis, trams, vespas, and buses. If literally NOTHING is coming your way, then you may by all means cross the street. 🙂

8. Pocket Folders

This truly, truly shocked me. As a teacher, pocket folders just seemed like normal, everyday necessities. They’re nothing groundbreaking. All teachers and students have them. Heck, even those outside of education use them! You open up the folder like a book and, voila!, there are two pockets on each side where papers easily slide in and stay put until you need to take them out later. I thought pocket folders were everywhere. But no, they are not. Instead, folders here are plastic and flimsy with prongs inside that require all papers to be hole punched. Who has time for that nonsense?!

9. Towels that Absorb Water

I don’t understand why but I have yet to find towels here that actually absorb water well. Hand towels and shower towels just seem to be made out of this weird, thin material and even when you rub them against your hand/body vigorously, you don’t feel very dry. It’s odd. And a bit frustrating. Oh well.

10. Free Public Restrooms

Can you imagine having to pay to enter a restroom? It doesn’t matter if you only want to use the mirror, blow your nose, or wash your hands. You cannot get in unless you pay. This isn’t a huge thing in Amsterdam, especially since museums and restaurants allow you to use their restrooms free of charge if you’re a paying customer. But many parts of the country, and Europe in general, have public – yes PUBLIC- restrooms that cost you money. *Sigh*.

11. Walmart Grocery Pick-Up

I am such an advocate for Walmart Grocery Pick-Up! I did it biweekly or weekly back in the states! It is free, easy, and convenient. I mean who wouldn’t do it? It saves you money and time. Obviously, since there is no Walmart here, this service also does not exist. Oh, how I miss you, Walmart! You made my life so easy.. and my fridge full.

12. Free Water

All bars and restaurants in the states provide free tap water. As much as you’d like. No one tells you “no” when asking for tap water, and no one charges you. Well, friends, many times water does cost money here. Don’t get me wrong, some places will give you a small glass for free, but there are many other establishments that do NOT. There are places that don’t offer tap water at all, and you must buy a bottle. The other day I was ordering food in a nearby restaurant and I noticed that water was 2.50 so I thought to myself, “I might as well buy another beverage.” So I got a green tea for the same price. Go me.

13. Personal Mailboxes

Growing up, our house had a mailbox out front. In college, I had my own mailbox in one of the main university buildings. In my apartments, I had a mailbox on the ground floor where I received mail, and there were also slots where I could send mail. All within my building. Here, I do not have a mailbox. If I have a letter to send, I need to walk outside to the nearest “postbox”. Postboxes are scattered around Amsterdam and depending on where you live, there may be one close by on your street, or you may have to walk several blocks to find one. And if someone sends mail to me? It gets slid through a slot in my building’s front door, where all the mail gathers in a pile on the floor. When you walk in the main door, you look down at the letters you’re about to step on, and quickly sift through them to see if anything’s for you. Isn’t that something?

14. American Netflix

I use Netflix here in Amsterdam, but I do not get the same variety of shows that people do in the USA. Many of the shows I get are in a different language and many shows aren’t available at all. For example, my mother recommended that I watch a show called Longmire. I hopped on my laptop to pull it up so I could watch it except… there was no Longmire. Many of my favorite American shows, such as Law and Order SVU and Criminal minds, are also nowhere to be found. I don’t even get THE OFFICE. But I’m currently watching a British show which is quite good!

15. Quality Conditioner that Actually Works

This one is quite annoying, because I am a woman with very thick, coarse hair. My hair can get very wavy and frizzy and honestly, it just has a mind of its own. People compliment its “body” and “volume” but having to manage this much hair all the time can be a hassle. And what makes it even more of a hassle? When most stores here don’t even SELL conditioner- let alone quality conditioner. I had to go to 4 different stores before finding conditioner- but the other 3 all sold shampoo. What? If you travel around Europe, you’ll notice that most hotels don’t even supply conditioner. It boggles my mind how there must be a breed of women out there who can get by just fine with only shampoo. But I am not, and never will be, that breed unfortunately. So, if you were wondering, I finally found some extra-runny conditioner. It sucks.

16. Leisurely Biking

I used to love biking. It was fun. You’d go out and ride around your neighborhood or explore a nearby park. Here, biking is super serious. And it’s called “cycling”. People cycle to and from work. People cycle to accomplish errands. It’s just a mode of transportation here. The Dutch cycle fast and the bike lanes are not very wide. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, especially in the city of Amsterdam. I fell off my bike during my first 2 weeks here while trying to get out of other bikers’ way, and no one even stopped to see if I was OK. I cycle here 5 days a week now, to and from the bus stop at work. It’s about 15 minutes daily. And that’s enough stress for me!

17. Variety of Automobiles

When you walk around, or sit on the bus and look out the window, you see lots of cars driving by. Lots of the same car driving by. Even if some of the cars are manufactured by different companies, you have to look very closely to tell the difference (i.e. very small logo on front). The majority of the cars here look the same. And they only come in 2 sizes: small or extra small. People here joke that everything in America is big- but really- what do families with 3+ children do here?! I have not seen one mini-van or large SUV. Pickup trucks, like the F-150? Forget about it.

18. Stick Deodorant

No, I do not want spray deodorant and I don’t want a little rolling ball on the top of my deodorant either. I want a stick. A nice, simple, Secret stick of deodorant that fits perfectly under the armpit and spreads evenly. Is that so much to ask for?

I love living here. I mean I am not going to lie, it’s tough. But this isn’t me making a list of complaints- I am just pointing out some differences between the USA and the Netherlands, and items that I miss. Of course there are also Dutch things that I really like and believe are better- for example, choosing your own table and seating yourself in most restaurants. I LOVE that. And you may have noticed that I didn’t even list “customer service” as one of the American things that I miss. In the beginning, it did bother me that it took so long for a server to ask me what I wanted to order, and that he or she rarely came over to ask how things were or if I wanted the bill. But I have since gotten very used to waving people down when I need something or want to pay. It’s not that bad. And I like that I don’t have to tip 20%!

I also enjoy “borrel” and the fact that I can drink after work, IN MY WORKPLACE, with my colleagues. As an American teacher, this is unheard of. I love that the drinking age is 18 and I never get carded when entering a bar at night. I could go on and on about the differences between the two countries, and maybe I will someday in another post, but for now, I’d say these are the top 18 things I miss from home.

Are you an expat? What are some things you miss from your native country? I’d love to hear them!

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