There is no way to downplay how big of a move it has been to go from Midwest U.S. to the Netherlands.

A move I never thought I would be able to make, but have dreamed of since I was in 2nd grade.

Once my husband and I decided to take the leap, there was no looking back; full steam ahead on our biggest adventure yet.

And afterwards, I realized it was a lot easier than I imagined. 

While it was challenging, the ease came from the learnings from our previous moves we conquered in the last 5 years.

So here we are, a few weeks after the dust has settled and suitcases have finally been unpacked. I am still pinching myself that I am sitting in my living room in the NETHERLANDS sharing our story.

But it is a good time for me to reflect on how fast things can change when I am open to them.

So, how did we get here…literally?

My husband and I met in 2018, living in Austin, TX. One of the first things I brought up – because I played it reeeally chill – was his interest in traveling and possibly moving abroad.

Not only had he never travelled out of the country (non-judgemental gasp!) but he had never even thought about living anywhere but the US!

Luckily, he was eager to travel, and within a year, we were off to Scotland for a cross-country road trip from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye.

From there, it has been a growing dream within him to one day try living overseas. So, a big thank you to the majestic Scottish isle for helping us align on that. :)

Fast forward to 2020, our first idea to move out of Austin came from me feeling like the city had changed so much, and Graham not ever truly feeling it was home for him. From there, we took a page out of the Away We Go screenplay and brainstormed places we could ideally find our landing place based on the following:

1. Be a part of the community.
2. Be kind to ourselves and the environment.
3. Have great food.

I had always wanted to move to Colorado, and a short trip in 2015 only reinforced this goal. I pictured the state as a haven for nature enthusiasts who led active lifestyles and ate healthily.

Graham had also lived there before us dating and had friends and family in the area, so it was an easy choice to head west.

Denver

The Night Before

Our adventure started the night before the move. Thanksgiving, to be exact. And yes, we had friends and family visit because we made a full Thanksgiving dinner.

It was a nice treat to believe we could take turkey naps, but we needed to pack a moving van instead. And that is why we will be forever grateful that our two lovely friends stayed and helped us with packing the last few items and cleaning our apt at the 11th hour.

I swear we are better friends than that usually!

The Drive

I don’t think I was ever more scared than when we drove through freezing high winds through the southwestern plains to get to Colorado. It felt like we were taking the hero’s journey to our new home.

The U-haul rattled against the wind for several fun reasons:

• Our 2-bedroom existence packed up in the back, which was either keeping us on the road or sure to have us topple off of it
• The empty liquor bottles we would later learn were under our seats from the previous U-haul’s renter
• The driver’s door had a kink in the top that wouldn’t allow it to shut fully, but did allow us to enjoy an ear-piercing whistle that competed with our road podcast if we drove over 20mph

The Landing

We landed in Denver and moved everything over the course of 3 days because, of course, we forgot about the impact of the thinner air. By the time we moved the couch in last, we probably slept for about a week.

The Decision to Move

About 2 months into moving, we learned that since weed was legalized, the culture had dramatically changed in the city.

We also learned that our family had plans to move away soon after we arrived, so that was an added bummer in terms of us building community.

The friends we previously had or made through work were not interested in meeting outside of their homes. This made sense as we were only into the COVID quarantine for about a year at this point, so culture was changing fast regarding going out to meet people.

Even still, we had been accommodating to many 1-hour drives into the mountain, but that was not super sustainable, environmentally or cost-wise, so new friendships fizzled out quickly.

Overall, we felt that the community aspect was a major miss. And as the city continued to erode the former charm that drew us there, we set our sights on a city that was sure to provide community: Chicago.

We had family on both sides within a 2-hour radius, more restaurants than ever, and public transportation that could remedy our driving woes.

Chicago

The Night Before

Everyone says winter is not the best time to move, but I would much prefer a cold day to the heat of the summer.

Even if colder weather was preferred, we watched the news to make sure the roads would be clear for another cross-country haul of our whole lives + our new 3yo cat, Roux! Packing was easier than the original unloading, and all signs were a go for storm-free weather.

Then, like a scene out of a movie, I went to shut the back of the moving truck, and a single snowflake landed on my hand.

Not the best omen for a cross-country move, but we had been through worse.

The Drive

Super Bowl Weekend 2024 came with a snowstorm that covered the roads overnight and froze the hitch that would carry our car to Illinois. What would have been an easy 16-hour drive turned into a 24-hour safety-first-slow-poke-wide-eyed peruse via I-80 E.

Think Ice Road Truckers, but for hauling used Ikea furniture.

The Landing

We made it through the storm safely and just in time for our next challenge – driving a big ‘ole moving truck through the tiny streets of downtown Chicago.

Once again, we worked to avoid this, but Google Maps had other plans, so I white-knuckled it the last few miles to our new home.

And not only did the journey lead us to our new apartment, but I was surprised with a marriage proposal!

Best.Move.EVER <3

The Decision to Move

Once again, our mission was simple: Be a part of the community, be kind to ourselves and the environment, and eat great food. And none of those should have been a tall order for the Windy City^TM.

The start to Chicago – and to be honest, the full 13-month stint there – was some of the rockiest of our lives. After thinking our housing was set, we learned 3 weeks before moving that we would need to scramble for an apartment, which was not ideal in such a popular city.

We ended up finding a place, but that was not without conceding on almost every amenity – including limited access to public transportation – which made a huge impact on our experience overall.

But if I am being honest, I was already looking to the next move, whether it was a tiny home on some Americana prairie, or seeing what another country had to offer.

The Netherlands

The Weeks Before

At this point, we were very accustomed to chaotic moves, so you best believe I had plans on plans to make sure nothing went wrong and more plans in case they did:

• ✅Renewed Passports
• ✅All documents copied, filed, digitized, and laminated if applicable
• ✅Budgets for moving costs, settling costs, and 3 budget scenarios for the first 24 months
• ✅Meal plans for the last 6 weeks to ensure food didn’t go to waste
• A list of every single item and what bag everything was in in case we were stopped by customs. Okay, this one did not get done, but this was on my to-do list and I am still sorta upset I didn’t do it just for the ‘fun’ of it.

The Departure

Once again, our day began on a rainy day in a stuffy hotel room, packing our boxes and suitcases for the 7th time.

But the weather was the only gloomy part of the day. We arrived at the airport a casual 5 hours early, which proved to be good since the power went out later that day, which delayed check-ins.

We got to experience the Delta lounge one last time and made our final calls to family. Roux even got the princess experience by getting her own seat on the flight!

The Landing

The 7-hour flight was so smooth I almost forgot I had changed my whole life overnight.

Luckily, our easy streak continued from customs to driving to our new apartment in Utrecht. The next week was full of learning curves, and once again, driving a decent-sized van throughout the country to start setting up our new home.

Even though it certainly is taking a while to get set up, all of the work has been worth it.

See more about our first days in the Netherlands HERE.

The Journey So Far

With just a few weeks of living on this side of the Atlantic under our belts, we feel all three of our needs can be fulfilled as long as we put in the work. We have already made friends, started learning the language, and found some excellent Pho in town.

I know it is ultimately and always has been up to us to have these needs met. There is also something to be said about feeling comfortable in the environment enough to want to give everything you have to make it work.

And as much as I enjoyed our life in these previous cities, I don’t think I would have ever felt complete until I gave living abroad a shot.

While I hope we do not have to take on another major move in the near future, reflecting on the growth, skills, and mishaps over the last five years makes our latest big idea seem not so daunting.

And if you haven’t guessed from everything mentioned above, I am the rare type that gets so much joy out of planning the whole thing. I hope some of my tips can help anyone on their next big adventure, whether it is a life-changing move or taking a smaller leap toward a big ‘ole goal.

And if you are looking for more helpful information for your move abroad, check out these helpful guides or schedule a free call!