She moved in 2003 and immediately fell in love with the city. “I love the diversity of the city. People of many different nationalities work in our office, which is great fun. Rotterdam has attracted many people from other countries in recent years. That’s good for the economy. We need diversity. I think it’s important to celebrate that, like with the summer carnival.”
Cycling from old to new
In addition to the diversity and festivals, Kate also loves the city’s appearance. “It has modern architecture, such as high-rise buildings. I like the combination of that with the old parts of the city. And then there’s the water… There is a lot of energy in the city. That’s different from other cities in Europe. But at the same time, Rotterdam is smaller than big cities like London; you can cycle from one side to the other, which is not possible in other cities.”
She was also drawn to Rotterdam’s culture. “People say what they want, they’re not soft. They’re positive, they want to do something and get things done. That’s also nice in the work culture.” She has now adopted that mentality herself. “Yes, people at work now say that I’ve become more direct,” laughs Kate.
Friends and language
Despite her enthusiasm, it took Kate a while to feel at home in the city. “I found it really difficult to learn Dutch, I’m not very good at languages. I did start learning so that I could do the little things in Dutch, like shopping. Then I stopped for fifteen years because it was too difficult with my job.” But she has picked it up again in recent years. “I really enjoy it. Now I’m trying to do better. But it’s difficult because only English is spoken at my work.”
In addition to the language, it was also difficult to meet people and make friends. “But I met my current Dutch husband at a social gathering. Through him, the golf club, and the gym, I met more people.”
Sports and water
They bought a house together in Kralingen. This is also where her favorite place in the city is located: the Kralingse Plas. “There’s a lovely forest there and a beautiful view of the city. And people go running there every Saturday morning, which is also really nice.” It was in Rotterdam that she ran her first marathon. “I’ve done 10 kilometers three or four times. People are cheering along the route, you can hear music… It’s really fun. Sports are also important for the community and for meeting people.”
But the best thing about Rotterdam for Kate is definitely the water. “I love looking at it from the Willemsbrug or the Erasmusbrug. As long as it’s by the water. Because I miss the sea, and not the North Sea, that’s not the ocean. My husband says I’m always most peaceful when I’m in the Bahamas.”
Celebrating the end of life
She always carries the culture of the Bahamas with her. “It’s laid back. And it’s a community culture.“ It’s not only reflected in her whole life, but also when lives end. ”A funeral there is more of a celebration than it is here. People walk through the city instead of being sad. I might want that for my funeral too,“ she laughs. ”I think it’s better for people to celebrate their lives than to be sad.”
Kate plans to celebrate her life in Rotterdam. She came here for work, stayed for her husband, but now she’s staying for the city. “It’s a perfect place to live. It’s not too big, not too small, you can cycle everywhere, but you can also take the train or car to Amsterdam, Germany, or Amsterdam. You can do everything here. What more could you need?”