9 REASONS I LOVE LIVING IN AMSTERDAM | American expat life in the Netherlands

I moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2014 with my husband, so over 6 years later, I'm sharing exactly why I love living in Amsterdam and why it's an amazing city for expats.
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💬 We're Sean and Jessica from the USA and are now expats living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 2014. We travel all around Europe to discover new places, good food, and memorable experiences. You'll also find a bunch of Amsterdam content because we love our new home city! Follow our European travel adventures for food and fun 😄
#livinginamsterdam #americaninamsterdam #expatlife

[@aWanderlustForLife]

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[@softlightlaboratory]

Thx

[@novanikolas4491]

you all prolly dont give a damn but does someone know a method to get back into an instagram account? I stupidly lost my account password. I appreciate any tips you can give me!

[@marleycolin2394]

@Nova Nikolas Instablaster =)

[@novanikolas4491]

@Marley Colin i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im trying it out atm. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@novanikolas4491]

@Marley Colin It worked and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thank you so much, you really help me out :D

[@expatfamilylive9041]

We are absolutely in love with Amsterdam! It is such a vibrant city!

[@aWanderlustForLife]

That is so true!

[@petertraudes106]

Can you explain the difference between an expat and an immigrant?

[@aWanderlustForLife]

@@petertraudes106 I use them interchangeably, but on KZbinI use expat due to people using this term to search for videos like this. However, I'll go into more detail in an upcoming video on common questions I get.

[@petertraudes106]

@@aWanderlustForLife I dont want to tease you but it is remarkable that only anglo saxon people use the term expat, and sometimes non anglo saxon people when they live abroad for professional reasons only with a definit return to their home country on their agenda', I remember a you tube video about British pensionados living in a closed exclusively British community at the Spanish Costa del Sol. They called themselves expats but had no intention of ever going back to Great Brittain. Asked for their reason to live permantly in Spain the answer was the weather (ofcourse) but also the presence of so many foreigners in Great Britain. In their case the use of the word expat certainly rings a bell of long gone imperial superiority. By the way your video was excellent. Amsterdam is indeed a very pleasant and cosmopolitan city. It is a shame however that finding living accomodation has become so expensive.

[@yvonnebirch6026]

As a born Amsterdam it warms my heart to hear this ! Thank you !

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Thank you for saying that! With so much negativity from Amsterdammers, I truly appreciate your comment 😊

[@dianaquezadatorres4541]

I really miss Amsterdam! I want to come back as soon as possible. Such an amazing city...so many reason to live there...that's why I miss it! Great video

[@fravolousfilm]

Lovely facts about Amsterdam! I have never been but now I really would like to visit! :) I loved when you said how it is a capital city but still has a village vibe!

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Yesssss! It's the best thing!

[@kevbarron6501]

Cool video. I've been only once and I loved the place. I describe it as a city sized village. The museums had some amazing pieces and the architecture of the city is phenomenal (look up). Obviously I enjoy the coffee shop circuit but there's so much more to do than get stoned. Cant wait to return, I just hope this pandemic goes away so I can plan my next visit. Respect to you from Scotland. 👍😁

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Thank you! And that is a great way to describe it--a city-sized village.

[@scottman895]

I agree with you with the safety in Amsterdam. Although I was only there for a day and a night, I felt perfectly safe walking around the city after dark. When the sun is out, it makes all the beautiful architecture along the canals really stand out! After watching your previous video and then watching this one, I can say the pros outweigh the cons by a longshot! Great video!

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Thanks so much! I completely agree, the pros outweigh the downsides. 😊

[@Erik-fx9ld]

Having watched multiple videos like these, as a Dutch man, made me realise feeling this safe is unusual to a lot of Americans. Having a lot of guns, low wages, expensive health care, etc etc gives people a lot of tension. The American general attitude seems to be that something bad can happen to you at anytime. Of course bad thing happen in The Netherlands too, but fear is not a thing in our society. Makes me appreciate living here even more.

[@JeanAlb]

Nice video!! I live in Groningen also a very populair city for expats. Loving it here ♡

[@aWanderlustForLife]

That's so wonderful! I love when people find places they ❤

[@Nebukadnezzer]

I love these videos. I'll be moving back to Amsterdam on Friday after having lived in a small town in Groningen for 1,5 years!

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Thank you! Groningen is very nice, too. But I do love Amsterdam 🥰 Welcome back!

[@Nebukadnezzer]

@@aWanderlustForLife Thanks, it's great to be back!

[@reneharkamp4309]

YOU MADE MY DAY😘

[@Ard-mhacha-abu]

Love the Netherlands 🇳🇱🙂 great video. Thanks from Ireland

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Thank you! We'll be headed to Ireland in 2022 and can't wait!

[@Ard-mhacha-abu]

@@aWanderlustForLife Awesome 😎 hope you have a great time

[@cvb6089]

🤔 Welkom, nice to hear you like it here...Positive minds are always welcome ( Welkom) in our Kikkerlandje ( frog country) ... 😁

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Dank je wel!

[@reneharkamp4309]

ONE OF OUR METRO-TRAINS HAS A PIECE OF ART INSIDE NAMING AMOUNT AND NATIONALITY'S REGISTERED IN AMSTERDAM SO COSMOPOLITAN SUCH A SATISFIED FEELING......

[@GerbenDub]

A bike tire popped?

[@rolandboerhof9391]

Hearing about suburbs in the US that don"t want public transport because it might attract people that "don't belong here" is really saddening.

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Agreed

[@isaacstevens1912]

Hence why I'm working on moving to the Netherlands 👍

[@LK-pc4sq]

Vancouver BC has twice as many busses as Seattle and during peak times the same bus number stops every five minutes.

[@Anonymous-sb9rr]

Amsterdam feels like a village, I've heard that one before, but I don't get it, It's an overwhelmingly crowded place, how is that like a village?

[@aWanderlustForLife]

I understand whay you mean but for me, it's about it being a relatively small city, great small shops, quaint streets, nice markets...and running into people you know randomly. And it's not overwhelmingly crowded in the majority of the city.

[@tjcomedy]

How is your health coverage free there? Another video stated an entirely different amount. (as an expat)

[@aWanderlustForLife]

It's not free, but going to the GP is. There's no co-pay for that, specifically. I go into more detail in other videos but here's a link for insurance comparison www.independer.nl Also, there is no difference for insurance as an expat.

[@nispen]

in your video about why you HATE living in Amsterdam, your nr 1 reason was that the weather "always" sucks. Always. That was not quite true now, was it?

[@Joey-ct8bm]

I miss the festivals. Nooooooo!!

[@aWanderlustForLife]

They'll be back soon, I hope!

[@Zoza15]

The cherry blossoms in The Netherlands are becoming way more apparent, especially in the village were i live.

[@johnbartholf777]

Good video overall, but healthcare isn't "free." If you live in the NL, you must have health insurance and it's usually provided by your employer, just like in the U.S., but if it's not, then you have to purchase it. Just like in the U.S. No difference.

[@aWanderlustForLife]

No, it's not free and I'm pretty sure I didn't say that. I pay less, overall for healthcare in NL due to perscriptions being cheaper, no charge to see a GP, and much lower deductible.

[@sipjedekat8525]

No, it's not like in the US at all. Not by a longshot. You don't get bankrupted by having a heart attack, or god forbid you have a baby. Out of pocket expenses are minimal, and networks don't exist. Basically, you pay a modest premium, and that's it. In the states it's common to be insured and still have to pay thousands of dollars for procedures because not everything is covered or you were sent to the wrong hospital. There are no copays and drugs are only prescribed when necessary, and are priced reasonably.

[@aWanderlustForLife]

I'm not saying it's like the US, at all.

[@sipjedekat8525]

@@aWanderlustForLife I know, I was replying to the original commenter. :)

[@uhuburu4515]

Yeah, Amsterdam is great.....when you can afford it. The festivals are great but just cost a lot of money. Houses or apartments cost you triple the rent compared to the south west of the netherlands. Owning a car in Amsterdam is just not doable either. No space and way too expensive when for parking. Oh and a mortgage on a house in Amsterdam??.....Then you better have a very good job. Houses in my region are now € 180.000,- to € 220.000,- for 3 bedrooms, nice living, 2 bathrooms, a garden and a garage. Try finding that in Amsterdam....it'll cost you at least € 400.000,-

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Yes, obviously this is from my perspective and what it means to be in a city. Prices are going to be different and salaries are likely to be different as well. It's all personal depending on what you want/need, and what you have. I like not having a car and having the amenities of the city. Also, remember not all of Amsterdam is the same. Living in Noord, we have parking, front and back garden, 2 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, and a storage space, and didn't pay nearly 400,000.

[@asphalthedgehog6580]

Amsterdam might be great, but many young families leave because it's just too expensive to buy anything else than a small appartement. For me: way too busy. Can't park the cars, and when it is allowed again: crowded with visitors and foreign bikers that just can't bike.

[@Man-in-the-green]

Uhu, dat is in iedere grote stad. Zoek een hobby en val ons, die wel genieten van Amsterdam, niet lastig met feitjes die verder niets bijdragen. Fijne dag.

[@uhuburu4515]

@@Man-in-the-green Op je bolle jan teentjes getrapt zeker?

[@Fiyaaaahh]

"It has village vibes" wait wut lol. I've lived in a village my entire live and Amsterdam for sure has big city vibes. Maybe not compared to New York of whatever, but it's definitely not a village.

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Compared to many other big cities that I've been to (and it's a lot!) it has more of a village vibe. You see people you know, each neighborhood is like a little village, too. Is a city of 800k-900k a village? Of course not, but it still feels pretty cozy to me and I'm not even from a big city. But I understand that this can sound incredibly weird for someone coming from a Dutch village.

[@berthamoen4488]

You missed the one about the (lack of) need to learn Dutch?

[@owenvandeusen5202]

No masks in amsterdam atm?

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Indoors, yes. I always wear it in outdoor crowded areas, as well.

[@LK-pc4sq]

Wonderlust I sent you a email

[@guidocyliax551]

Amsterdam is the safest city in Europe!

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Certainly feels like it!

[@Ned-nw6ge]

Damn, that says a lot about how unsafe the rest of Europe must be.

[@Airbiscuitmaker]

No, it most certainly is NOT!

[@satish8299]

Do you have bekini footage or swimming footage. A person like me, single is totally distracted by your dress and things if you understand what i mean.

[@ronaldboonstra4834]

One of the worst ....Amsterdam. Even if you pay me money to live there....no way.

[@aWanderlustForLife]

Obviously you can feel differently. This is my video and my experience.

[@ronaldboonstra4834]

@@aWanderlustForLife true it is. But again step out of Amsterdam....you will be suprised.

[@Man-in-the-green]

Op dit soort video’s komen altijd van die bekrompen provincialen zeuren dat de mensen maar buiten Amsterdam moeten gaan om mooie dingen te zien. Blablabla…. Schrijf liever over je eigen dorp dat het weer gezellig was bij koersbal. Val ons niet lastig ouwe!