H E L L O
&
Welcome
I’ve been thinking about writing this for a while, mainly because it’s something I would really have appreciated reading four years ago.
I regularly post stuff on my Instagram about the city I currently live in; Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Looking at these images, It’s generally a pretty picture along with a positive caption.
Judging by just that, you probably would never be able to tell that I absolutely despised this town for at least half of the time I’ve lived here. I still have my issues with living here today, but it’s definitely gotten much better.
I wanted to write this post for anyone feeling the same way about the city or town they live in, and how I dealt and still deal with that feeling today.
Allow me to explain, before anyone from Utrecht is going to attack me.
I don’t have any connection to this town whatsoever.
I didn’t grow up here.
My family doesn’t live here.
My heritage is nowhere near Utrecht.
I ended up here by complete accident and out of convenience.
I live here because I study here and I study here because my nationality is Dutch.
That is all.
Also, Amsterdam is too damn expensive
I have a long list of reasons why I didn’t and for the most part still don’t like Utrecht very much. I know for a fact that in five years’ time I will be long gone and I’ll never come back to live here again.
For now, this is where I live. I have a nice place to myself, I work and I have two years left at this University.
I do apologize if you looove Utrecht. Don’t take it personally.
We are all different and like different things and places.
On to the main reasons why I don’t like it here, and how I’ve learned to deal with it.
1.I don’t feel at home.
This one is probably a familiar feeling for fellow students out there.
Maybe you moved away from home and are living in a city that is completely foreign to you. You don’t feel a connection with the place and feel like an outsider when it comes to mixing with the locals.
I feel you.
This one is tough, but I’ve dealt with it in two separate ways.
First off, I stay in touch with people I care about from ‘home’.
Whatever that means to you.
To me, that means family. I’m also lucky enough that I keep in touch with a few of my closest friends from high school and elementary school.
Second, I stopped trying to pretend that I was a local. I tried very hard my first two years here to fit in and I made myself into something that I wasn’t. I started doing things I wasn’t interested in and it backfired completely. People could tell I was pretending and I wasn’t being genuine. Stay true to yourself, even if that means being the odd one in the bunch. In the long run, it’s better for your own sanity.
You’ll find your people eventually, stop forcing it.
Those who are meant to stay will stay.
2. It’s too small here.
Utrecht is like a community. Stay here long enough and you’ll recognize everyone at some point. Most of my friends and people I know from here are really into that, but I’m not. I love big cities and lots of people where you can see and experience something new and exciting every day.
Utrecht doesn’t really have a sizzling nightlife in my opinion, so whenever I’m craving to be around more people I hop on the train to Amsterdam. It’s the nearest big city and I get to be away from the village vibes for a while.
Try going to another city for a day, maybe it helps you to appreciate the town a little more when you return.
3.There’s no nature around
Slight contradiction, I know.
Still a huge issue for me. I grew up in the mountains of Italy and I miss that place all the time, but I’d never go back to live there permanently. What I miss is the scenery, walking around barefoot and my love for summer.
Since moving here, I don’t really like the summertime anymore. It’s still a time of year that makes me a little sad and nostalgic.
Either book a long vacation to a sunny place during the summer, or find a summer job to keep you busy and productive. I also moved slightly out of the inner city centre, so I’m now a lot closer to a local park.
see image above
It’s not the kind of summer that I’m used to, but things change. Going to another city for a day or two also helps. Take a day trip to a local beach or try to go to a park you haven’t been to before. Appreciate what you do have, so many people are content with much less.
4.No prospects
This is my final one.
Before I moved here I knew for a fact I would not want to work in this city and settle down to start a family here. I couldn’t imagine finding a job that would fulfil me and fit my personality in a city like Utrecht. I’m still convinced that’s true, but as much as some would love to believe, I’m not bitter about living here either.
I play the hand I’ve been dealt.
I accept that this is where I live, so I use what I do have to my advantage. Stop looking at what your city can’t offer you; start looking at what it does have or what you could give it in return.
Say you want to work in the fashion industry, entertainment industry or music industry; it’s frustrating when you are living in a city that doesn’t have many jobs that suit your needs. Upside is you’ll get to work somewhere where the bar is set much lower, and you’ll probably get to do and experience more in that field. In a larger city, you’re just one of the thousands of other people who want the exact same thing.
Also, yes I do realize Utrecht is a beautiful city.
I love taking pictures here.
There is, however, a huge difference between taking a couple of pretty pictures and actually building a life somewhere.
I’d like to end on this quote:
I love reading this whenever I get a feeling that I’m stuck.
If you really believe that you have achieved everything you could in this city, maybe it is time to pack up and go.
Make sure you are not leaving behind anything unfinished, or running away from your responsibilities.
I hope you could appreciate this little post.
Yes I’m still interested in fashion and styling, but these are things I like writing about as well.
Amsterdam canals
See you soon 😉
Lots of love,
Lizz
Little throwback pic to one of my first days living in Utrecht
Xo
