Привіт, незнайомий друг! I live in the Netherlands, what would you like to know about it?

Housing is tough indeed, people are not easy to open, windy and rainy all the time - everyone can tell you that. Also, the main cure from the doctor is “take paracetamol”.

What is good. The Netherlands has a massive club culture, massive electronic music sphere, and events related to games (from game nights to conventions). I prefer rock and metal but in the Netherlands a good EDM is unavoidable. Ever heard of Defcon? You would like their show.

Tolerance. Our babushkas would call the Geirope on liberasty, but I feel like here no one cares about your appearance, age and sexuality in the best way. People care if you want to be better, watched an interesting movie or learn more languages or do sports. What I truly love is that at work, no matter if it’s a white or blue collar job, your boss is close to you. No things like “Шановний пане господарю-начальнику, чи не могли би ви дозволити мені взяти один день моєї відпустки… Щиросердечно, форева Ваш Пан ОР”. Nope, your boss, your friends, doctors and whoever is absolutely fine with calling you by name and being called by their first name.

Biking. That one can be nice in Denmark but I can only imagine how. In the Netherlands it’s safe and many routes are going through the parks and forests. I never biked before moving to the Netherlands, in my hometown it’s quite dangerous. In the Netherlands biking is safe and convenient. In general, this country seems to encourage people to do sport, activities and exercises.

Food. This is a tricky one, many expats don’t like the variety of food. As for me, after few years of living here, I see that the choice of food is growing so as the quality. The Netherlands has market days which reminds me of Ukrainian bazar, because you go there and buy farmer veggies, fruit and cheese among other things. I didn’t see the markets to that extent in Germany, Belgium or Finland. Btw, I hope you are not lactose intolerant, Dutch cheese is tasty, plus, the cheese from neighboring countries is accessible.

Board games. Maybe it’s just my social bubble, but I see gaming communities everywhere, every city has board game gatherings but that one is most likely the case in Denmark and Spain.

Language. Keep in mind, that Dutch, Danish or Spanish is your key to have a more versatile social life. The Netherlands is very multicultural so you may find people who communicate in English. Meanwhile, Dutch is the easiest language I have had and locals are friendly if you try your luck with speaking Dutch. Though, they might want to switch to English with you but that is just to make a conversation easier for a foreigner.

Infrastructure. It’s everywhere for people, you may rely on schedule.

Beurocracy. As someone who has replaced the national passport and tax number in Ukraine, (Дія doesn’t work for me ever), I enjoy how little papers I need for the most serious things in the Netherlands. No one cares about “extra copy of the paper, signed on the blood moon by a virgin”, no one is rude to me while doing their job, everyone wants to be done with the things.

Also, everything is digutalized, you can avoid cash and pay with a card or even a phone.

The only thing I truly miss is the clear starry sky. The Netherlands is dense, many people are living in a small area, which means much more light pollution and significantly less privacy.

That’s my opinion. Good luck with your search and good luck with your family.