I feel at home already!

Yes, it is true that there are a lot of bicycles!

I arrived in the Netherlands on the 30th of July, not knowing how the public transport system works and not being used to an efficient postal service. Driving from the airport, the first thing that caught my eye was how green, abundant and clean the country is.

Arriving at my hotel in Houten, I very quickly noticed the sense of peace and safety that surrounded me. To my surprise I received my first bit of post on Monday morning, the efficiency of the postal service caught me off guard.

The ease of travel and the public transport system is vastly different to things back home. Monday morning, with my OV chipkaart in hand, it was time for me to figure out how the trains work to make it to my appointment at Utrecht Gemeente on time. The efficiency of the Gemeente blew me away! I was helped by a very friendly lady at the Gemeente, who apologised for a “long” wait of 20 minutes for me to receive my BSN. I was able to collect my residence permit, complete my registration and receive my BSN within an hour.

Overall, my first two weeks in the Netherlands have been great. I have been able to easily hop on a train to Utrecht and Amsterdam to explore the cities and experience the culture. I feel at home already!

- Thurston Stadler, Automation Consultant