London with kidshttps://pixabay.com/en/users/annie_bridie-11346/
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Travel Ideas 2019: London with kids

If you have children and love travelling, London is the perfect destination for 2019. In just 3.30h by train or around 40 minutes by plane, you can land in one of the best european cities to visit with kids. Here you have a recap of my family…
living abroad
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14 Ways to Survive the Holidays when you’re Living Abroad

December begins and that means the holiday season arrives. If you’re living abroad, spending Christmas away from your family and friends can be a difficult time. For some people, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and for…
Taalthuis
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Taalthuis open day

Feel more at home in Haarlem with Taalthuis! Are you interested in following a Dutch course? Do you want to learn Dutch in a structured but fun way? On January 10, 2019 Taalthuis organizes an open day soyou can come and see why learning…
travelling alone
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17+ Important Things you need to know when travelling alone.

Wherever you are in the world, some questions always come back: How to meet people? What can I do when I’m alone? What kind of food is common? How can you adjust easily? How can I relax when I’m stressed? The answers are in this post, just…
women
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Haarlem's Among Best Travel Destinations for Women

A picturesque city known for being a market town, Haarlem, Netherlands bustles like a Brueghel masterpiece complete with fresh produce, lots of flowers, cheese, and busy shoppers but the beauty of Grote Markt, the city's centrepiece, is not…
my homehttps://pixabay.com/en/users/Pexels-2286921/
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How I Became My Home

This year marks a decade of me being an expat and I see now that I’ve felt between homes for all this time. Only recently did I realise that this feeling of belonging everywhere and nowhere has created a subtle but constant pressure in my…
Things to do in Haarlem
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Things to do in Haarlem this November

The weather is getting colder but that doesn't mean Haarlem is quiet. From the Comedy Factory night to the arrival of Sinterklaas himself; November is full of activities for the whole family. From Friday 2 November to 4 November Haarlem…
pet
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Leaving your pet behind.

Expats often have to leave pets behind and are then taken by surprise by the depth of their grief or guilt. Though some expats do relocate with their animals, for many it’s just not possible. Excessive transportation costs, lengthy quarantine…
Octoberhttps://pixabay.com/en/users/FrankMagdelyns1-2783371/
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Things to do in Haarlem this October

Wow! It's October already?! One of my personal favourite times of the year, with all the glorious golds, browns and red colours, here are things to do in Haarlem that make this windy and wet month a little cosier. Starting From Friday…
money abroadRachel Smets
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Money money money abroad.

Moving Abroad is exciting and a glamorous dream of many people. However, not everyone is aware of the costs involved. What a wonderful feeling it is when you first arrive in a different country. It’s a new beginning of an exciting journey.…
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Haarlem Talks with Brittany from South Africa.

Summer is gone but autumn is here! Every season has good sides to them and enjoyable moments. This month we would like to introduce Brittany to you who moved here from South Africa, works at Facebook and adores Haarlem.  She enjoys going to…
Haarlem property ladderhttps://pixabay.com/en/users/epicantus-168198/
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Selling Your Home So You Can Move Up The Haarlem Property Ladder

So, you've been living in your Haarlem property for a few years and now want a bigger and grander place to call home. Well, now is the time to make the move as house prices in the Netherlands jumped by 8.8% in quarter two of this year, compared…
apps
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Top Apps For Expats Living In The Netherlands

The Netherlands is considered one of the most wired countries in the world, with 60% of Forbes 2000 companies boasting IT operations in Holland. Netherlands is also known as a 'start-up capital', owing in no small part to the keen love for…
paysliphttps://pixabay.com/en/users/martaposemuckel-17386/
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Decoding your Dutch Payslip.

It's finally payday! You have been working hard all month and your long-awaited payslip has been delivered! But what is this? What does this mean? We decode all those numbers and long Dutch words for you. According to Dutch Review, the…
smart technologyhttps://pixabay.com/en/users/Pixaline-1569622/
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Expat Innovations: Using Smart Technology to Make Your Home More Accessible

So, you have scored housing abroad. Congrats on passing one of the most difficult steps that most expats encounter. Now, you will likely want to ensure that all of your friends and family can visit your new home. You might be stunned to learn…
love expat© https://pixabay.com/en/users/3194556-3194556/
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Love-expat: How far would you go for love?

A significant majority of the expat population is the ‘love-expats’ – those who became expats because they chose to follow their partners. It is common to use terms like ‘expat partner’, ‘trailing spouse’, or ‘accompanying partner’…
novels
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3 novels from around the world.

When I moved to Haarlem in 2013, one of my biggest goals was to make local friends. I wanted my life to be Dutch and for a period I avoided things I considered not to be Dutch enough like meeting with expats or watching tv in English or Spanish.…
taalthuis
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Taalthuis - Learn Dutch in Haarlem

At Taalthuis you can follow Dutch Language courses at different levels. Their aim is to make learning a fun experience! Founded in 2006 Taalthuis now is a well-known language institute in the Netherlands for higher educated students. With lesson…
padel club
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Haarlem Talks with Marc from Barcelona.

Meet Marc from Barcelona, Spain. He is half Dutch so he already feels at home in the Netherlands. He enjoys cycling and playing padel, he owns his own Padel Club. He loves to cycle to Aerdenhout from Haarlem, his advice for new expats is to…
birth
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My story of my second birth in a Dutch Hospital.

It is approximately 22:30 hours and I am shifting and turning and nursing painful cramps. I am 9 months pregnant. It is the 7th of July 2014. Is it labour pains already!? His due date (uitgerekend) is 16th July but the planned c-section (keizersnede)…
travel
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How travelling helped me to settle.

We speak to culture/travel blogger Tea Gudek Šnajdar, who talks about the special role that travel has played in her expat experience. Exploring her new country and taking advantage of the many opportunities available to travel outside of it…
30% ruling
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Dutch Government is Hurting Expat Families and Losing Their Trust

The story I am about to tell you probably sounds familiar. After all, this is the story that so many people in the Netherlands are currently sharing – the story of how the proposed changes to the term limit of the 30% tax rule for current…
Haarlem
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Things to do in Haarlem this August

Whew, what a summer! And it's still going! Here are a few events in Haarlem that may peak your interest. From Thursday 2 to  Sunday 5 August, the main square is turned into a foodie heaven. It's Haarlem Culinair! At the same time…
expats
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Challenges of Expats – Summer Interview with Jessica Stazzone Manazza

While supporting ambitious professionals who recently moved abroad, I publish these interviews, revealing personal stories, tips and advice. Arriving in a new country is such a change, and how to feel ‘’at Home’’ can be a challenge. …
Haarlem talks
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Haarlem Talks with Lauren.

July is an awesome summer month and we are featuring an amazing American woman who has been living in Haarlem for the past 5 years! Please welcome Lauren from the United States! She moved to Haarlem with her husband in 2013, she is the…
dutch school
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Are you looking for a school for your children?

Are you looking for a school for your children? A Dutch public school may be the answer. When moving to The Netherlands with children, your first plan might be to send your kids to an international school. The curricula are of high quality…
international school haarlem
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The International School Haarlem is opening their secondary school in 2018.

The International School Haarlem (ISH) is opening their secondary school department in September 2018. The demand for international education is greater than the municipality and school boards of IRIS and Solomon originally anticipated. For…
novels
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Novels to better understand the Dutch

Getting to know a new culture can be difficult, especially when there is a language barrier. I moved to Holland five years ago and even if I have taken lessons and try my best to speak Dutch on every available occasion, my Dutch is still not…
road trip
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3 road trips with kids to make from the netherlands part 3 Germany

Its summer and you're probably thinking about taking the family out for a road trip! In this final instalment, we look at Germany. Part one of this series is in France and part two of this series is in Belgium.  Road trips from the…
friends
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6 tips on how to make friends

Leaving your friends and support network behind can be one of the greatest challenges of an international relocation. But, as every expat knows, it also creates space for new friendships and the opportunity to engage with people you might not…