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6 Ways To Move Abroad: Tips to live overseas

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Over the years, many people have approached me saying, “I wish I could live overseas!” or “how amazing would it be to move abroad and live in Amsterdam” or “I am so jealous of your life living in a foreign city!”? It is possible. I didn’t say it would be easy, but it is possible.

When I first moved to the Netherlands, my company hired me as an intern and then later extended my contract as a highly skilled migrant work. Once I decided to work for myself, my then partner and I had a samenleving (living together) permit. Because I have my own business registered in the Netherlands, I could have stayed on the Dutch American Friendship Treaty. To help provide some ideas on how to move overseas, I’ve outlined a few options in the following blog post. Read on!

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What’s So Special About February 14, 2016?

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Today, on Sunday, February 14, 2016, Jessica Lipowski raises a glass to honor three special milestones: Valentine’s Day and love, her five-year anniversary of living in the Netherlands, and sending out Beta copies of her book “Flavors of Life” to Beta readers. Read about her experiences, and toast with her to the past, present, and future.

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Culture With Travel: Interview With #CultureTrav Founder Nicolette Orlemans

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You may know her already, perhaps by her Twitter handle @Nicolette_O, but I would like to take a moment to formally introduce the founder of #CultureTrav and my amazing co-host Nicolette Orlemans.

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Expat Life: Tips to Integrate in a New Culture

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Moving to a new country can surface a range of emotions: the bubbling excitement in the wake of a new adventure; the five senses acutely stimulated, anxiously ready to explore the new environment; the anticipation of new experiences and meeting new friends. Relocating can also instill fear or dread, walking into the unknown and unsure of what to expect. It can be daunting to start over from scratch, having to relearn even the simplest of things like the location of the nearest grocery store. Expat life has so many complex facets.

Last week’s #CultureTrav topic with founder Nicolette and our guest host Cherrie led me to reflect on my own life as an expat. In February 2011, I moved to the Netherlands and have been living in the country ever since. We lived in Utrecht for a year and in Amsterdam now for three. Over the last four years, I’ve experienced a range of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade my time abroad for anything. This Blog outlines three tips I’ve learned along the way to help expats integrate into a new culture.

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Four Years in The Netherlands

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Four years. That is precisely how long I have been living in the Netherlands. My days are pretty routine, just like any other day in any other country. I wake up, spend majority of the day working, exercise, eat and sleep. Sometimes I mix in social engagements or other leisure activities. Every so often it feels as if I’m in this dream-like state, where any moment I’m going to wake up in my childhood bed in Detroit. I’m not where I grew up, though. I am not in the United States. I am in Holland.

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