Is city living making us sick?
In 2007, the global urban population exceeded the rural community for the first time in history. This ushered in a new era for humanity…
Columns
Springtime, fun time in The Hague
Spring has sprung in The Hague, and for expats residing in the Netherlands, it’s the perfect time to explore the vibrant cultural scene of…
Is ChatGPT a parental figure?
When I was in my early 20s, a friend and I once spent an evening lamenting our ever-stereotypical youth-driven disillusionment with the working world….
Why you should learn Dutch
We’ve talked about this before and lots of people have their own take on the subject, but for those newer readers and those who…
How to beat the post-holiday blues
After weeks (or maybe even months) of shopping for the perfect gifts, baking, entertaining, and decorating, it can feel like – once the holidays…
When women speak back: Why Miley Cyrus’s new single is a more than a breakup anthem
Disclaimer: I use the words women and men throughout this article for clarity. However, these terms refer to how someone identifies andorients themselves within societal…
What I learnt about cravings when I quit smoking
I quit smoking in November 2021, after a ten-year stint. I was a pack-a-day’er of the shag variant, and I smoked like my life…
Modern Dutch heroes: Boyan Slat
What did you want to do when you were a teenager? What did you want to do in the future? If you were like…
Breaking down expat loneliness
It is nothing new to say that the expat life can be a lonely one. But what exactly is expat loneliness? Is it run…
Modern Dutch Heroes: Queen Máxima
Her Royal Highness Máxima recently celebrated her 50th, birthday along with the country of which she is queen. Dutch TV broadcast various specials, interviews…
How to handle the holiday blues (& other variations)
I would venture to guess that while most of us who grew up celebrating Christmas have heard that it’s the most wonderful time of…
Modern Dutch heroes: Sifan Hassan
Every country has its heroes – people who have made such an impact on the country that their influence and legacy go beyond themselves….
New Plans for Noordwijk Landmarks (hopefully!)
A couple of times last year (2020) I wrote about Ronnie van de Putte, the notorious ‘slum lord of the Netherlands’. The real estate…
Loeki de Leeuw is back!
The lovable stop-motion character from the 1970s and 80s is back! Who is Loeki de Leeuw? Loeki the Lion is the mascot created by…
How to run an environmentally friendly small business
This summer has brought the harsh realities of climate change to light like never before. Wildfires across Greece and Turkey, flooding in Germany, Belgium…
The best time on the beach
The best time on the beach is right now – right after a storm has just passed. Sure, being on the beach during the…
The best business books of the summer
If you’re a time-stretched entrepreneur, reading is an opportunity to tick off multiple boxes at once. I know, I know – not all downtime…
Quality of Life
There are many things to love about the Netherlands and one for me is how most things work towards having a nice quality of…
The rise of the self-proclaimed expert
There comes a time in every business owner’s life where it’s easier to outsource certain tasks to an expert. Whether you have a full…
Larger cities to ban foreign real estate purchasing
There have been many initiatives recently to address the real estate shortage and high house prices in the Netherlands. The most recent initiative, by…
The ‘samenleving’
A word you hear quite often in the Netherlands is ‘samenleving’. Especially in the time of corona, this word comes up often. The English…
How to stay creative during high-stress times
We’re told that 90% of startups fail within the first 5 years, but what can we do to increase our chances of success? If…
Finding an Apartment – Take 2
As I’m writing this, I am celebrating my two-year anniversary of arriving in Europe – I spent the first week in Germany before heading…
A year in … how to improve your work from home life
It’s been over a year since we entered our first lockdown here in The Netherlands, and most of us are still working from home….
Entrepreneurs and self care: keeping burnout at bay
Burnout is the buzzword of the moment. It’s unfortunately a common phenomenon at the best of times, but the entrepreneurial community is even more…
Indulge me for a moment …
First, I watch a lot of Dutch TV to learn the language. I find it a really entertaining way to learn colloquial Dutch. If…
5 alternatives to New Year resolutions
Somehow, the new year is (luckily) just around the corner. After a completely bizarre and unexpected 2020, most of us are happy to welcome…
The slum lord of the Netherlands
A few months ago I wrote about the notorious ‘slum lord of the Netherlands’, Ronnie van de Putte. The real estate businessman and his…
Without your family: interview with a French expat
As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and its enormous fallout, expats experience an added layer of difficulty, living away from their home…