Corkonians Abroad: I cried lots for a year, now I’m at home in Amsterdam

How did you end up living in Amsterdam?

I moved to Amsterdam in September, 2021. Like many people in their twenties, I had itchy feet and wanted to experience living in a different country.

It took many years for my fiancé Dan and I to agree on a place we both wanted to live. After we got here, Dan confessed that Amsterdam was actually at the bottom of his list, but he was so sick of trying to find a place we both agreed on that he said, to hell with it. Thankfully, he is now delighted with the decision.

After I witnessed people being stuck in Australia and other continents during Covid, Europe became a lot more attractive to me as a destination, and after that the jobs market was the deciding factor in choosing Amsterdam.

It was between here and Lisbon in the end.

What is life like in your new home?

We love it here. Amsterdam is a great city to be in if you’re looking for something new due to the range of jobs, things to do and large expat community. Like Ireland, it is expensive but I think I can see where my money goes a lot more, if I measure it through quality of life.

Our apartment is right on the canals, and we have been fortunate enough to establish some meaningful friendships. We are both really happy with how our careers are going and living here really suits the stage we’re at in life.

What has been the biggest challenge? And how have you tackled it?

The biggest challenge for me was settling in. I cried a lot the first year. Having never lived away from Ireland, I wasn’t even aware that I was such a home bird.

We arrived here with no jobs, friends or accommodation and it took me around a year to stop toying with the idea of packing everything up and going back to Ireland any time something didn’t go according to plan.

I tackled it by just slowly working it out of my system. Eventually, my life here became just as appealing to me as my life at home, and now I’m able to love both without comparing them all the time.

How might you spend your weekends?

The weekends here come in many shapes and forms. On a typical Saturday, I cycle over to the Lindengracht Markt to get flowers for our apartment. Aalsmeer, just outside Amsterdam, is the flower capital of the world which means they are incredible quality and cheap as chips. Then, I will either get a coffee in Tazzina or else sit outside Café Het Papeneiland with an Aperol Spritz or a biertje. Located at the corner of a bridge between two outdoor markets, this pub is people-watching Mecca.

For a bite to eat, I love to get a focaccia sandwich from Fratellini on Haarlemmerstraat.

In the evening, there will usually be something on with friends, either a party or just a meet up. Generally, we stay in the city at the weekends and our plans will vary based on the time of year, what our friends are doing, or Dan’s sporting commitments (he plays soccer and Gaelic football).

The pace here is fairly chilled out and the atmosphere often feels like people are busy going about their weekend errands; it gives the feeling of being in a village more so than a city.

Tell us a bit about the culture of where you live?

The Netherlands is only an hour or so by plane from Ireland and it is a Westernised society, so there were no drastic culture shocks to speak of.

A key difference between Dutch people and Irish people is that the Dutch are straight-forward and direct to the point of being blunt. If they think something is a bad idea, they won’t be long telling you. I think this works really well in the workplace and gets things moving a lot faster.

I had to wean sarcasm out of my humour as there isn’t any mass on it here, though I can’t tell if that’s down to the language barrier as opposed to a cultural difference. Or maybe I’m just not funny.

A pleasant surprise is that English is widely-spoken in Amsterdam, which eliminated any challenges associated with the language barrier.

Tell us about your line of work?

I work in marketing for an NGO in the education sector. My focus is specifically on branding and communications.

Are there any wider societal issues that you see in Ireland that aren’t a problem in Amsterdam?

Using only the powers of observation, it seems as though elderly people have more of a visible role in Amsterdam society as opposed to Ireland. I see elderly people cycling everywhere, meeting with friends for apple tart and browsing through the markets just as much as I see younger people. In March, my Dutch boss’s elderly mother joined him on a ski trip in the Alps.

My theory is that Amsterdam is a compact and densely populated place, meaning there are many people around, and they are never too far from each other. It is probably easier to meet a friend in the same corner café you have been meeting for 50 years than it is to hop in the car and travel to another town or suburb as is more common in Ireland.

There is a loneliness epidemic in Ireland which elderly people fall victim to in particular. I take inspiration from what I observe in Amsterdam and vow not to underestimate the value of community and being active, now and as I get older.

If you were back in Cork for one day, what would the ideal day be for you?

Being home is all about food, friends and family for me. In the morning, I would lounge at home in my dressing gown with Irish radio blaring and read the dozens of newspaper supplements my parents always seem to have.

After that, I would take a walk locally, going over the hills and breathe in the fresh air. I would then drive in to Cork city with my parents – my mom and I would go shopping together for a while and then we’d all meet for lunch where I would order a toasted special.

I’d end up spending too much money in Boots and running into about three people I know.

After that, I’d head home and pick up my nieces and nephews to go for a 99 and catch up with my brother and his wife.

I would then go into town via the train for a pint of Murphys with my other brother and his girlfriend; we would go to Goldberg’s as it is Dee’s favourite. After that, I would end the night catching up with whoever of my friends are around, eating takeaway (preferably from Denney’s, Glanmire) in one of their houses.

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

The sunshine! During the hot days my friend and I sometimes go for a quick dip before work from one of the city’s diving spots, which feels very central European to me.

I fill the warm evenings hanging out in Westerpark reading or just chilling, and love to go for an ice cream at Monte Pelmo in the Jordaan with Dan or a pal. I feel relaxed and most like myself in a pair of denim shorts without a rigid plan during the summertime.

If anyone is thinking of coming to Amsterdam on a trip, I would recommend summertime ahead of winter. It can be fun to rent a Mokum boat with friends and go along the canals for a few hours at the weekend too.

Is there anything that you especially miss about Cork?

The people. Irish people really are wonderful, warm and genuine.