Expat and Emigration Interviews: How Bella discovered Europe and eventually made Scotland her home

Who is Bella?

I’m a Dutch woman who has spent half my life living in other countries. I currently live in Scotland, but I didn’t move here directly from the Netherlands. In many ways, I feel more European than Dutch. From that perspective, I haven’t really emigrated, because I still live in Europe!

Motivation and experiences

What motivated you to move abroad, and what has your overall experience been?

We came to Scotland because my boyfriend’s father passed away and we wanted to be a bit closer to the family. It felt like a fairly small step; I’ve changed countries so many times by now. The biggest problem was finding a veterinarian who could stamp my cat’s passport on the day of the boat trip. The plan was to stay for a year, but it ended up being a bit longer (I’ve been here for 10 years now) because I landed a really great job. My contract runs until the end of 2029, and who knows—by then Brexit might have been reversed and we might move to another country. 

Culture and social interactions

What is communication like in Scotland, and how do you experience the culture?

Well, we’re naturally familiar with British culture from TV and such. I hadn’t expected Scotland to have such a strong distinct culture or for the political climate to be so socialist. It really feels different from England. Of course, I speak English well, but there is a big difference in communication style between the UK and the Netherlands. 

The Netherlands is a country with what’s known as low-context language. What people say is what they mean, and the meaning of a sentence often changes little across different situations. Scotland, on the other hand, has high-context language. What people say is usually not what they actually mean. You have to know the context and understand the exact meaning of the sentence in that specific situation. In a different situation, it can mean something completely different. Very tricky.
 

Challenges and growth

What are the challenges, and has living in Scotland changed you? 

It’s an island. You always have to take a boat, fly, or go through the Channel Tunnel to travel to another country. Of course, we’re not used to that in the Netherlands. I do miss not living a bit more in the heart of Europe. I also miss my family, of course, especially my twin sister, and my friends in the Netherlands. I think I’ve changed over the years, because you do try to adapt. Here, people still tell me I’m so Dutch, but meanwhile, people in the Netherlands say I’m starting to become Scottish too.

Practical tips and advice

Do you have any practical tips and advice for others?

Luckily, I entered the country just before Brexit. Now it’s much harder to come live here as an EU citizen. You have to find a job that can “sponsor” you—meaning it has the right to bring you to Scotland as a foreigner—and that pays at least £40,000 a year. That’s difficult, because there aren’t that many of those jobs, and they’re very competitive. It’s also hard to find a place to live, so start looking early!

We also like to highlight great organizations abroad. Is there a charity you’d like to promote?

Through my work, I often come into contact with organizations that support refugees. The Scottish Refugee Council does fantastic work, and I’m also a big fan of Refuweegee (they put together welcome kits with everything you need for your first week, plus a letter from local residents).