5 Things I Miss about Living in the Netherlands

   The other day, my boyfriend and I were talking, and I said how much I miss the fact that the bar in Holland my friends and I were usually going to have a place to hang your jackets under the table. Here in the UK, I haven’t seen such a thing and it’s so inconvenient trying to find a place for your winter coat or jacket. So, I was thinking what other things I miss and I've managed to narrow the list to only 5 things I miss about living in the Netherlands.

​1.    Cycling
I can’t believe that I am saying that, but I miss cycling and my bike. Before going to the Netherlands, I didn’t enjoy cycling at all. I was afraid to even to cycle, as in Bulgaria and in the UK,  there are a hardly any cycle lanes. I knew that in Holland I have to get a bike and to cycle everywhere. Now, I miss going to the store with my bike and putting all my shopping in the bike bags. I miss cycling places, especially when it’s raining outside, and I have to walk somewhere.
2.    The farmer’s markets
Another great thing about living in Tilburg was the Saturday farmer’s market. In Bulgaria, we have a farmer’s market in my hometown and it is on a Saturday as well. Growing up, we would either grow our own vegetables or buy some from the market in my hometown. So, I was quite used to going to the market as opposed to shopping in a supermarket. When I found out that in Tilburg there is a market I was super happy. The food was fresher and twice as much cheaper as the one in stores.
3.    Having an OV-chip card
The OV-chip card is the transport card in the Netherlands which can be used on the train, the bus, trams and for renting bikes from train stations all around the country. It so convenient to have one card for using public transport and this card to work in the whole country. I wish they could make it like this everywhere, so you don’t have to buy different cards for the bus, the subway and the train.
4.    Riding the train
I have always loved trains. In the Netherlands, I loved that all the cities were connected with trains. Yes, sometimes, there were delays and trains got cancelled. But I still loved getting the train to travel around Holland.
5.    Hanging out with my friends
I think the best thing about being a student is meeting new people. In the past year, I made friends from all over the world – Vietnam, China, Korea, Colombia, Brazil, Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, Romania, Greece, Germany, Bulgaria and of course the Netherlands. I was lucky to have amazing colleagues at the university and the best flatmates. We were eating lunch and dinner almost every day together in our flat. I miss having international dinners, parties or just getting together for a beer.  I was really lucky to meet people who I hope will be friends for life. 

The Netherlands will always have a special place in my heart.How about you? What are your 5 things you miss about living in another country? 

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