From Morocco to the Netherlands to Germany: Little Origin
Published 2018-02-26 11:17:27
My name is Essma, I was born in Morocco, moved with my family to The Netherlands in ’85 and in 2014 I moved with my husband and daughter to Germany where we still live. Our son is born here and made our family complete! 1. Why did you move abroad?
We’ve moved to Frankfurt because my husband was offered a job here.
2. How do you make a living?
I used to be a primary school teacher in my native country (The Netherlands). Here in Frankfurt it is very heard to continue my work in the same way as I did. The reason for this was that my level of speech has to be C2 and since it’s quite challenging to achieve that, I was forced to find another job to keep myself busy. Now I work as a Dutch Trainer on a freelance base and next to that I work on my blog and love photography.
3. How often do you communicate with home and how?
Almost every day through WhatsApp or by calling each other.
4. What's your favorite thing about being an expat in Germany?
The city we are living is very international and that makes it very easy and accessible to learn about different cultures without even going on vacation ;-) For example Thai Food in Frankfurt is the best! Quality of living is also one of the things which attracts!
5. What’s the worst thing about being an expat in Germany?
The worst thing for me is probably that I do not have a clear view of the future. Whether to stay here or move back to The Netherlands. Sometimes it feels like I got stuck in the middle of both and end up indecisive. Because my husband is happy in his work and also offers us lots of benefits, we automatically adjust to this ‘certainty’. On the other hand I miss my family a lot, so that’s also what makes it difficult.
6. What do you miss most?
Family and the fact that I can’t express my thought or feelings easily the way I used to.
7. What did you do to meet people and integrate in your new home?
I followed a German course, went to the gym, did yoga and met with other moms from kindergarten and school.
8. What custom/ habits do you find most strange about your adopted culture?
Really, I don’t understand why all stores are closed on Sundays! For us this is something really strange coming from a country where everything is ‘alive’ 24/7.
9. What is a myth about your adopted country?
That German people are closed and formal and that they don’t have a sense of humor! We have really funny and openminded neighbors though..haha!
10. Is the cost of living higher or lower than the last country you lived in and how has that made a difference in your life?
The rent of our house is more expensive than we used to. On the other hand cars, groceries and baby supplies are much cheaper.
11. What advice would you give other expats?
Make a plan of how long you intend to stay somewhere, save money and stick to it. If you for example just visited your family, it might be a good idea to make a new plan immediately so you both have something to look forward to.
12. When and why did you start your blog? It started my blog in 2016 when I was pregnant with my son. I had the need to write my adventures somewhere and share them. I’m still happy that I took that step, because I got to inspire so many readers and help others. I even build up new friendships through my blog!
Essma's blog, Little Origin
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Author: texkourganPart of the EasyExpat.com adventure since 2008. Drink, Travel, Write
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