While Amber did not initially pick to move to Amsterdam from Australia, as she came due to her husband’s job, ten years later she is still happy to call this city her home. Not only because she can bend things, people, and time to her will 😉 but because she feels like Amsterdam is an easy city to live in. Cars are so 2002, according to Amber, so you will see her on her bakfiets which allows her to bring whoever or whatever with her. As an Amsterdam Mama’s ambassador, her tip to new expats is to join all the Facebook groups you can. She is passionate about her family, indulging in coffee and reading, and her friends.

Paolo initially came to Amsterdam from Wales on a work assignment and planned to stay here for two years.... Some things, however, don’t go as planned and he has now lived amongst us for more than fifteen years! He fell in love with the charming old buildings, sunny terraces, and the Dutch cuisine. His two favorite dutch snacks are Satekroket (peanut sauce croquette) and Erwtensoep (pea soup). His tip for new arrivals in Amsterdam is to utilize Expat Housing Network (just kidding... but you should!) and to make sure that you don’t miss King’s Day or the Gay Pride parade! He is passionate about food, people, and exploring new places and cultures.

Due to low tuition costs and the various courses offered in English, Amsterdam attracts many international students for bachelors and masters programs. Juliet came here from London to successfully pursue a fine arts bachelor degree four years ago and she has since blessed our office with one of her beautiful pieces. She decided to stay because she loves the quality of life here, the easiness of getting around, and the simplistic beauty of the city. Her tip to new expats is to walk around the city as much as possible because that provides more time to explore. She is passionate about travelling, working with her hands, and seeing all the different apartments in Amsterdam.

All that was necessary to keep Alana in Amsterdam was a Hens Do and the love of her life. (Yes, we believe love is a beautiful thing.) After moving here from Ireland, she soon became fully submerged into the Dutch Culture by setting up the popular Facebook groups 'Free stuff Amsterdam' and 'Buy and Sell Amsterdam'. As someone who breathes social media, we were determined to get her onboard at EHN to let her light shine on the company's social media. If you get a witty response from an online message, chances are Alana is behind it.

Originally a California girl with family ties in Germany, Alina ended up moving to Berlin after graduating from University. Although never having considered living in Amsterdam, she realised it would be an unexpected and exciting adventure after her partner received a career opportunity here. She feels the expat community in Amsterdam is very welcoming and loves that it’s easy to be included. Her tip to newcomers is to push yourself to make an effort to meet people and make friends; after that, the rest will come easy. She’s passionate about swimming, baking, and helping people.

The need for change and new opportunities brought Ana to Amsterdam from Romania. After friends who lived in Amsterdam encouraged her to come live with them, she jumped at the chance for a new experience and instantly fell in love with her new city. Before moving here, Ana traveled to many different places but always had a soft spot for Amsterdam because of the mix of cultures and openness that this iconic city provides. Her tip for new expats is to be open minded to try new things, go to new places and to get to know people. Ana is still passionate about traveling as well as spending time outdoors, reading, and animals.

Kimo has caribbean blood in his veins but is the only one of us that actually grew up in the Netherlands. He moved to Amsterdam thirteen years ago to go to university and instantly loved how international this city is. His tip for new Amsterdammers is to go out and meet people as much as possible. People are a big part of what makes a place your home and with that in mind he decided to start helping Expats find a home as well as feel at home. EHN was born shortly thereafter. He is passionate about hats, surfing, this company, his family, and fantasy novels.

Jelena is a firecracker who knows what she wants and how to get it. She and her partner fell in love with Amsterdam and its liberal culture so they decided to call this city their new home. Coming from Croatia with just the bare minimum, they literally set up camp in the city. Jelena has three great loves: photoshop, binging her favourite TV shows and her adorable dog, LilyBear. Her advice to expats is to not get discouraged if things don’t work out the first time around; if there’s a will, there is a way!

Originally from Brussels but also having lived in Paris and the UK, Mary is no stranger to different cultures and is excited to call Amsterdam her new home. When Mary’s partner was offered a job in this lively city, they couldn’t refuse the opportunity. Mary loves to make a house feel like home, so she can fully get behind the concept that encompasses the heart of Dutch culture- “Gezellighied”. The community feel, efficiency and beauty of the city are some of Mary’s favourite aspects of Amsterdam. Her advice to expats is to be open minded and have fun!

Diego originally came from Peru but moved here for his love of the city and to work with us as our web developer, along with his partner. Though his heart belongs to the Peruvian mountains, he loves how calm this city is and how everything runs like clockwork! Efficiency is key to a web developer, of course! Diego is a passionate philosopher, skilled musician and composer, board game player and an avid film fan with infinite respect for Kubrick’s work. What more could you ask for in a developer? His advice to expats is to create a support network and to use it to the fullest!

Originally Brazilian, Diovana is no stranger to the Netherlands as she has lived in three of its beautiful cities over the last 11 years. Diovana is passionate about her family, language and culture, which is one of the reasons why she loves this job so much. Managing the Eindhoven office together with Yesim, she does not let a day go by without learning something new about somebody or their culture. Diovana appreciates and respects everybody and their differences, and is very happy to be able to share her experience as an expat. Her advice to other expats is to give yourself some time to adjust, keep positive thoughts and enjoy this beautiful and crazy experience.

Jess is originally from Sydney, and her and her husband decided they needed an adventure. Where better to come than Amsterdam? Jess is a woman of many talents, as she moonlights as a graphic designer and also has a background in architecture. Both of which stemmed her interest in the housing market in Amsterdam! There are many aspects of this beautiful city that Jess loves, its cosy feeling, convenience and its distinct character are just some of them. Her favourite part of Amsterdam though, is the social impact that riding a bike has! When out with your friends it’s just so easy to be able to hop on your bike and move onto the next “kroeg”- anytime and anywhere! Jess’s advice for expats moving to Amsterdam is to learn even a small amount of Dutch, as this made her feel fully integrated in her new city. Oh- and always remember to lock your bike!!

Xaviera is no stranger to Amsterdam, as she has lived in this lovely city for twelve years! Her studies in art history and cultural heritage led her to move to New York for a year, where she worked in an art gallery. Although she loved New York, her heart brought her back to Amsterdam. Xaviera loves the vibrant cosmopolitan convenience of the city, while maintaining a cosy and relaxed lifestyle. Her advice to expats? Get to know your locals! The knowledge of where your neighbours shop for goods and groceries can make you feel like a true Amsterdammer!

Originally from Croatia, and in search of new adventure and opportunity, Sven decided to call Amsterdam his new home! He is passionate about gaming, extreme sports, and music. His love of music heavily influenced his decision with Amsterdam, due to its vibrant music scene! The tolerance, open mindedness, and friendliness of Amsterdammers are just a few more reasons why he loves this city. Sven’s advice to other expats is to not quit when the going gets tough. Moving to a new city is a huge adjustment and working through the challenges is part of the adventure!

With Turkish origin, Yesim has lived in many cities including, San Francisco, London, Istanbul, and now Eindhoven, and is no stranger to life as an expat! She moved to Eindhoven in 2016 with her husband, son, and two cats. Yesim loves the simplistic and relaxed atmosphere of Eindhoven, as well as its incredibly friendly residents. Yesim is passionate about fine art, interior design, and online shopping. Being very organised, she uses spreadsheets to track all her online shopping. Yesim’s advice to other expats is to allow yourself an adjustment period to your new lifestyle, while not letting past relocations influence new adventures.

As with most of the EHN team, Emma moved over to Amsterdam for love! Emma grew up in Canada, but then decided to explore the world, and has since lived in France, China and the Czech Republic, where she met her Dutch partner. Emma is passionate about meeting new people and learning new languages, specifically those of the countries she has lived in, and is currently learning Dutch. The qualities of Amsterdam that sets this city apart for Emma is the liveliness, ever changing atmosphere, and the ease of living here. Emma’s advice to other expats is to get to know the locals, step out of your comfort zone and join a few social groups! There are plenty of groups for all interests.

Mary is originally from Galway, but has lived in Dublin, Munich, New York and Austria, before joining us in Amsterdam at Expat Housing Network with our team of developers. As with most of the team, Mary moved over for love when her partner was offered a job in this city. Their plans were originally to stay here for a couple of years, but since falling in love with the city, they have now lived here for over five years! Mary’s favourite thing about Amsterdam is the cycling culture, and the ease that it brings to live here. Her advice to expats? If you’re going to be staying in Amsterdam for any length of time, learn some Dutch! It’s a good way you can get involved with the community, and feel like a local.

Karen is originally from California, but always had a desire to move to Europe. She has previously lived in Vienna, Venice and Florence, and although loved these cities, she didn’t feel connected enough to call any of them home. Eventually she decided to move to Amsterdam, because it seemed like the least intimidating city, due to the ease of living, the size of the city, and the amount of people here from every walk of life! It’s almost impossible to feel out of place. These aspects of the city still are what keeps Karen here. Karen’s advice to other expats is to act like the Dutch: don’t be shy and be direct!