“In Bratislava, it’s much less open,” says Marianna from Slovakia. “Here, it doesn’t matter where you come from. Everyone lives together. And I’ve never felt like an outsider.” She lived in the capital of Slovakia before she was offered a job in Amsterdam over the phone. “I had never set foot in the Netherlands before, but I still said yes to the job. I’m an adventurer. And I could work in my native language there. When an opportunity like that comes along, you just have to grab it.” She only knew the Netherlands from stories. “I had friends in Amsterdam who loved it here, which gave me confidence. So I decided: why not?”
From a temporary solution to a new home
Her Dutch adventure began in Amsterdam and ended in Rotterdam via Assen and The Hague. At least, for now. “I thought it would be temporary. But now I’ve been living here for three years. The city really grew on me.”
What started as a stopgap solution—a place to live in Rotterdam because Amsterdam was too expensive or full—became a new home. “The people, the atmosphere, the ease with which I found my place here… I felt welcome. And I haven’t experienced that everywhere.”
Christmas cookies and Dutch directness
Despite her new life in the Netherlands, Marianna remains faithful to certain traditions from her native country. “We eat two hot meals a day – bread for lunch is still strange to me. And at Christmas, I bake Slovak cookies together with the Czech-Slovak community here. Then my house smells of cinnamon and cloves. Just like it used to.”
At the same time, she also embraces Dutch customs. “I love the markets here—every Saturday I go to the Binnenrotteplein. And I appreciate Dutch honesty. People here just say what they mean. I’ve really adopted that.”
Making friends
Still, not everything has come naturally. “The Dutch are nice, but their groups of friends are often closed. Friends from school, from the sports club, from work – all separate circles. It’s difficult to break into them as a newcomer.”
Her advice to other newcomers? “Be visible. Go to events, talk to people. There is so much to do in Rotterdam. The more you do, the faster you will feel at home.”
My city
Will she stay in Rotterdam? Marianna laughs. “That’s the big question. I’ve bought an apartment, I feel comfortable here, I have a network. But somewhere inside me, I’m still an adventurer. So who knows… maybe a new country is waiting for me. Or maybe I’ll just stay here. Rotterdam feels more and more like my city.”