There are a lot of obvious things that people tell you about living in Amsterdam as an American. Words to know in the Dutch language, how to ride the tram, that the bike path isn’t a sidewalk. But as an expat, there are a lot of little things that you have to learn on your own. Things like:
How to turn left at an intersection on your bike – In the states, when you ride your bike and need to turn left, you just join in with the cars and turn through the middle of the intersection. Here in Amsterdam, you have to follow the bike path straight across and then at the corner you can turn and follow that path across. Essentially, you cross the same way as a pedestrian, but in the bike lane. Except no one tells you this, so there was a lot of anxiety when it was my first time biking here, and I needed to make a left-hand turn
The coffee is STRONG – If you order a regular coffee here, it’s actually an americano, meaning a shot of espresso with water. It tastes like regular coffee but a lot stronger. If you’re really craving a plain old cup of joe, some places will do “filter coffee”
A debit card is essential – A lot of places won’t let you pay cash or with a credit card. I can’t tell you how many times Jon and I went to buy something at the grocery only to realize it was a pin card-only location. It’s totally embarrassing to have to go put everything in your basket back on the shelves! Unfortunately, getting a Dutch debit card requires a BSN number, which requires an immigration appointment. Needless to say, the first month or so, we didn’t feel like real people since we could only pay cash
Bikes coming in from the right don’t yield – Unless they have shark teeth painted on the bike path, bikes coming in from the right don’t have to yield. Bikes in the path do. So it’s important to keep one eye on the right-hand side. Even when bikes have the teeth, they tend to come right on in anyway. Super important to be aware at all times, especially if you’re American and used to people from the right having to yield
The Starbucks app doesn’t work here – My aunt sent me a Starbucks giftcard after learning there was a location near our apartment. Since the market is so small in the Netherlands, they don’t have the capability to scan the app or digital giftcards. That means I’ll be buying A LOT of Starbucks when I’m home over the holidays
Dayquil is not a thing – I got a nasty cold about a month ago and went to Etos, the pharmacist, to pick up some cold medicine. First off, it’s really hard to figure out what cold medicine is when it’s all in Dutch. Secondly, when you do figure it out, there isn’t any of the good, strong stuff from the states. People here tend to take Parcetamol for everything and rest. Instead of taking a bunch of drugs and continuing to work, they take the day off and sleep in order to kick it. Nothing wrong with that, although I did ask Jon to bring back a bunch of Dayquil from the states recently since I hate having a stuffy head
Tortilla chips are hard to come by – It’s sort of a given, but when you’re so used to picking up certain things at the store, you don’t even think twice about whether the store will even have them. Jon and I went out for Mexican at Los Feliz the other night. While it’s pretty decent for Dutch Mexican, the guac doesn’t quite satiate us. We decided we would make our own guacamole at home, purchased all the ingredients, and realized the store didn’t have chips! Jon was willing to try guac with Doritos, but that sounded horrible to me. We managed to find some at another store, but it’s a lesson in thinking twice about whether the store will even have what you’re looking for
Of course there are so many things to learn about living in Amsterdam, but overall, it’s a fairly easy city to live in. As an American expat, I really couldn’t be more at home here. Not to mention, getting out of my comfort zone and being forced to question why things are the way they are is a great life lesson. If you’ve enjoyed reading about the things people don’t tell you about living in Amsterdam, check out my other post about my first month in the Dam and stay tuned for more posts about life here.
Xx, Kelsey
