Surviving Winter as a Former Expat in the Netherlands
Living in the Netherlands permanently rewired how I experience winter. Before that chapter of my life, cold, rain, and darkness felt like obstacles to endure until “real life” could resume. But the Dutch don’t wait for good weather. They live anyway. As an expat I quickly had to adapt otherwise I knew I’d start to feel really bogged down by the grey, rainy weather that seems to never go away.
The first lesson is simple and slightly brutal: there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes, a Nordic belief that the Dutch seem to embody as well. In the Netherlands, cycling and walking is the main form of transportation. Which means you need a good windbreaker and rain jacket if you don’t want your life to be indoors 24/7. Pouring rain at 6 a.m. on the way to the gym? Bike. Headed to a party with the wind cutting straight through you? Bike and don’t forget the wine in your covered basket! Snow, sleet, sideways rain? It doesn’t matter. Layer up, zip tighter, throw on a hat and go. Once I accepted that discomfort is temporary and also necessary it became manageable. You start to care less about appearances too because let’s face it, everyone is showing up to the event with hat hair and some sweat from the trek. The sometimes grueling nature of cycling everywhere toughens you up to the elements and your own inner-critic.
The second lesson is the magic of gezelligheid. There’s no perfect English translation, but it’s essentially a word that describes that cozy, warm and comforting feeling you get from the simple things in your environment . Candles, soft lighting, warm drinks, music humming in the background, a pot of tea on the kettle. Winter outside may be dark and wet, but inside becomes a sanctuary. I learned to create comfort rather than wait for it. Same goes for friendship outings. Some of our best memories were spent inside each other’s homes listening to music, conversations over a good bottle of wine and sharing laughs about stories from our summer travels together.
Gezelligheid ultimately leads to the third lesson: camaraderie is essential. The shared experience of trudging through winter builds bonds. Meeting friends for soup, wine, or long conversations is intentional and so so nourishing.
Finally, winter teaches you to be intentional with your pace. In the Netherlands, winter was a season to slow down which often looked like early nights, reflective mornings, and more simple rhythms and routines. Now that I live in North Carolina, I flip that script. Winters are when I speed up professionally and pursue a lot of personal goals, knowing the brutal summer heat will push me toward rest and retreat. Living as a pretend Dutchie for three years taught me to let the seasons guide my expectations and intentions. I know now that when that Carolina heat greets me in May it’s time to plan vacation, reduce my work hours and spend more time at the park under a shade tree or around friends in AIR CONDITIONING lol.
Winter doesn’t have to be something you survive. With the right clothes, cozy spaces, good people, and a sense of rhythm, it can become something you Live fully and well.
XO,
Juliet
