Going Dutch
A new arrival on an international travel adventure
Hallo!
It sounds strange to say, considering I’m writing this from Europe, but I never envisioned myself living abroad. That’s not to say I did not enjoy travel, but I always enjoyed my creature comforts in America — a routine, a steady job, family close by.
Yet here I am, one week in, living in the Netherlands with my wife and our two dogs. All the credit goes to her, of course — and I suppose myself for being lucky enough to find her. It’s her career that has brought us overseas for the next three years, during which I’m hoping to soak up as much of Europe as we can. It’s hard to know where to start: the food, the culture, the history, the views — but let’s begin with why I’m writing this.
Having worked as an editor/designer for the past 20 years, I left my job to join my wife on this adventure. Though I’ll be searching for full-time employment, I wanted to get back in touch with my own writing, having worked with the words of others for the past two decades. Going through my childhood home recently after my father’s sudden death, I stumbled across a box of childhood keepsakes, including pages of fiction writing I had done in middle school. Inspired by my love of Tom Clancy, the first “grownup” novels I remember reading, I imagined a world of international intrigue, never thinking that my own life would bring me to another part of the world. Now, with the opportunity to flesh out my thoughts but also explore new cultures, seems like the perfect timing.
Who is this for?
This will not be a self-serving project. I want to bring readers along with me throughout Europe, experiencing my adventures abroad but also exploring different themes not necessarily directly related to travel. Whether it’s new foods, exploring grief, off-the-beaten path discoveries or Jewish history in Europe, this will be a space that has a little bit of everything.
My father loved photography, developing his passion for it after retiring early. He would travel the world always looking for the best photo to display at home or as a gift for others. I inherited his trove of photography equipment, and I’m hoping to put it to good use. I’ll dig deeper into this subject in a future update, but I’d love for other novice photographers to follow along, as well as those more experienced to offer any suggestions.
What’s on the itinerary?
Some of the places we’ll be exploring in future updates:
Paris (November): Hard to think of a better place to spend our anniversary. Unlike my wife I’ve never been, so I’m sure I’ll be dragging her to all the tourist spots. If anyone has any restaurant or activity suggestions, drop a comment below.
Milan (February): Having worked in sports for much of my career, it’s always been a dream of mine to attend the Olympics, and it’s finally happening in 2026. We’ll be heading to Milan for four days of events, including hockey, figure skating and speed skating. Though wearing red, white and blue in the current political climate may get me some sideways looks in Europe, I’m excited to finally get a first-hand look at the Olympic experience — including the obscenely overpriced tickets and lodging.
Zermatt (TBD): Skiing the Alps has been on my bucket list for a while, and it’s finally going to happen — eventually. I’ve long dreamed of owning my own ski chalet, but I’ll happily settle for staying in one for a few days. Why Zermatt? I stumbled across it while researching European ski resorts, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more charming town.
Anywhere and everywhere in the Netherlands: It’s a small country, with just about every town accessible within under a two-hour drive. We’ll try to hit all of them over the next few years, having already been to Leiden and The Hague within our first week. Some of places up next: Amsterdam, Delft, Rotterdam, Haarlem and Giethoorn.
Leiden, Netherlands (Credit: Harrison Goodman)
What you can expect each newsletter
There will be a mix of content in each update, ranging from updates/observations about life in the Netherlands and travel in Europe, to photography/video exploration to long-form writing.
Thanks for following along with me on this adventure.
— Harrison