Hi – I’m Cath Gardner – a Brit currently living in The Hague, Netherlands, with my husband and teenage daughter.
I have lived abroad previously, when I was a student of modern languages, but life as an expat is quite a different experience! We have been in ‘Den Haag’ a year now and are due to stay for at least one more. My husband was offered the opportunity to work here and so we decided that it would be a great experience for us all.
Initially we were concerned that this was a ‘big ask’ for our daughter, having grown up in a small market town in Herefordshire and then moving to an international city. Our fears were soon allayed, as she settled and made friends quicker than we anticipated.
The Hague is a vibrant, friendly, multicultural city and we are taking advantage of the variety of cultural, historical and culinary experiences on offer! I have a voluntary position with The Expatriate Archive Centre and am taking a course in puppetry at the local theatre. I have also taken a beginners’ Dutch language course and a storytelling workshop.
During my week as curator, I aim to include some interesting photos and tweets on visits to Amsterdam and Leiden as well as on the lovely area where I live.