“Somewhere in the city I read the sentence ‘In Rotterdam, you’ll never walk alone’. And it’s true. I haven’t experienced a single moment in Rotterdam where I felt alone,” says Bianca from Romania. “I’ve always felt surrounded by expats. They all came here for opportunities. And if you’re open, people are always willing to help you and let you into their community or create one.”
Bianca came to Rotterdam in 2017 to study. “After high school, I looked at different options like London and Copenhagen. I chose Rotterdam because it had the best options in terms of study and it was English-language and the most affordable. I was also attracted by the fact that Rotterdam is a very international city.”
Between the Maasboulevard and Kralingen
Bianca is happy with her choice. “Rotterdam is a perfect combination of a small and a big city. When I look at the skyline on the Maasboulevard, it feels like a big city with enormous possibilities. Like New York. But when I walk in Kralingen, it feels like a small city, very peaceful.” That is why she advises other newcomers to explore the entire city. “Don’t just limit yourself to the city center or Kralingen.”
Romania vs. Rotterdam
She sees many differences with her hometown. “My city is a bit older. It is becoming more touristy now, but it is still very authentic.” According to Bianca, Romania has a warmer culture. “In Rotterdam, it felt a bit more difficult to find the warmth in people. But the more you get to know people, the more open they become and they welcome you into their home and their culture.” Yet, according to Bianca, they are more open to new things. “I am generalizing now, but in Romania, people are still a bit behind. Most of them are not open to new things. They like to do things the way they are used to. If you have a new idea in Rotterdam, others think about it and maybe even implement it.” Bianca also feels more appreciated in Rotterdam. “If people see potential in you here, they want to help you grow. In Romania, they can make you work (too) hard, while they don’t really appreciate you.”
Only one language
Ultimately, she doesn’t want to go back to Romania. “I love it, it’s a beautiful country, but it doesn’t feel like my place. I don’t feel at home there anymore. I still go there sometimes for my parents. That’s why I was walking down the street there recently. I mainly heard Romanian and a little English and Hungarian. Then I realized that I could never live in a city where I mainly hear only one language. In Rotterdam you hear everything, from Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese to Turkish. That’s what makes the city so unique and special: the people who bring diversity, color and flavor to the city.”
Discovering new cultures
She feels at home in Rotterdam. “Thanks to the openness of people and the opportunities that the city offered, I was able to build a life.” She now works remotely for a company in Brussels. She also has a job at Erasmus University. “I teach there and work on a project that is really close to my heart.” So much so that she even stays in Rotterdam for it, even though she actually wants to go somewhere else. “That’s not because of Rotterdam. I’ve been here for seven years. Now I want to discover new things and cultures in the world. So I want to go somewhere else. But first I want to finish this project.”