New member here! I'm from Portugal and my SO from the Netherlands!

[SeeRat]

Welcome to LFAD

[Hollandia]

Hi! I feel that too! About the families being very affectionate for their So's! I thought it was just me, but aparentely that must be cultural I agree with you! Luckily for us, we can see each other every month. But I study and work during the weekends so that I can visit him, and he works during the week, which actually leaves no time for visits... But my boss is the best and always gives me a weekend for him to come here and for me to go there. for me it's so hard only seeing him once a month, but I realize we are very lucky, right? And also, just a curiosity question!
I know a lot of people here consider to marry their SO if they want to live in the US together, for example. I do understand why (well in Europe we have the Schengen agreement), but at the same time I don't. What if I just wanted to live in the US and pretend I did not have a partner there? ahah just thinking. I didn't understand this during the "like crazy" film!

I love the Netherlands too! I already know german, which makes it easier to learn dutch. Add knowing english and french and it's even easier!

It is nice when people talk about Portugal such a small country. But it is very cheap compared to the Netherlands and has a lot of beach and sun!
Btw, doesn't your SO complains about how we should not say 'Holland'?

Thank you!

Yes, I was schooled about the term Holland being incorrectly used a while back. My SO does live in Holland so for him he did not mind but I have another buddy over there that lives in Enschede and he was actually a bit tense about it. I try to always use the NL for short or just say The Netherlands....or land of the Dutch. lol.

I feel as if sometime I am living in a Christmas card when we walk through the charming towns where all the couples are hand in hand or arms wrapped around each other. It is just not like that here. His dad makes a point to go to the kitchen and kiss his mom hello everytime I am there and she is preparing dinner when he gets home from work. My SO does the same thing for me when I am cooking and he gets home. I just think that is so sweeet and the Dutch are such easy going and generally GOOD people.

My SO's parents actually vacation in Portugal on the beach and they did tell us how very cheap it is. I really hope to get there this summer with them. If it was just up to me, I would still live here and visit NL often, but it is not in the cards. I shall become an expat in NL until the SO finishes school at least and if we have kids that might just stay as such. There are many worse places to live. I also love exploring the countryside villagse on long bike treks, we made it to 80 KM one day, that is not something I think we be as nice to do over here where I live at. There are little to no bike lines here and the bridges can be quite dangerous. In NL it is like the bikes are as important as the cars. I love that.

[Jess!]

Yes, I was schooled about the term Holland being incorrectly used a while back. My SO does live in Holland so for him he did not mind but I have another buddy over there that lives in Enschede and he was actually a bit tense about it. I try to always use the NL for short or just say The Netherlands....or land of the Dutch. lol.

I feel as if sometime I am living in a Christmas card when we walk through the charming towns where all the couples are hand in hand or arms wrapped around each other. It is just not like that here. His dad makes a point to go to the kitchen and kiss his mom hello everytime I am there and she is preparing dinner when he gets home from work. My SO does the same thing for me when I am cooking and he gets home. I just think that is so sweeet and the Dutch are such easy going and generally GOOD people.

My SO's parents actually vacation in Portugal on the beach and they did tell us how very cheap it is. I really hope to get there this summer with them. If it was just up to me, I would still live here and visit NL often, but it is not in the cards. I shall become an expat in NL until the SO finishes school at least and if we have kids that might just stay as such. There are many worse places to live. I also love exploring the countryside villagse on long bike treks, we made it to 80 KM one day, that is not something I think we be as nice to do over here where I live at. There are little to no bike lines here and the bridges can be quite dangerous. In NL it is like the bikes are as important as the cars. I love that.

That is so nice!!
me being from a southern/latin country I sometimes feel I cannot express my love in public. In portugal it is very normal for people to kiss on the stress, hug, ..! of course sometimes it's ''too much'' here, but I have to be carefull there... That is the only thing I wish I didn't need to "hide". My partner sometimes gets unconfortable, unless when he is here visiting me. Like when we go to beach here people are in bikinis and bathing suits kissing and cuddling and for me it's how it works. I find the dutch very nice people, but they are very distant people compared to the ones in my country. That is a bit hard, but his family luckily finds me "leuk" because they say I am spontaneous and all of that. It's because of my culture!

Today I was seeing the legal stuff I need to prepare. I think it is only a passport, which I already have! God, things are easier here, even if they don't seem to. I will see my partner for just 3 days and it kills me sometimes. People here do not understand the effort it takes and how hard it is... Speaking about cultures again, I often have some breakdowns and I cry and it seems the world is all on my shoulders. Again, partner being from north-europe, he does not feels like me most of the times, meaning the LDR is easier for him...

I love that an international relationship is an opportunity to meet a new culture. I love it! The flight there takes 2h30 but it is so different! I understand what you say about the bikes and I love it but I am a small person and I would need a children's bike! :P
(for us stuff is expensive here because our salary and so on, but my SO friends were always showing it off to me when they were on holdiays here. It's good for them, at least^^).

[LadyDaemon]

Very unseful advice, Ladydaemon!! Thank you!

I meant ''usefull"!!

Lol you're quite welcome. I wish I could help you on the language front but as it turns out I'm a lame American

[JoeyBug]

Hi Jess and welcome to LFAD

[Tooki]

They are indeed!
My SO once told me he wanted to offer me a visit to go and meet my friend. It was the most romantic thing he could ever do... He said he wanted it to be a surprise, but at the sime he couldn't hide it, ahah.

But all I can say in estonian is Tere!

Teretere! You should go back and visit, it's a gorgeous part of the world! Your SO's offer is indeed very romantic!

I also know what you mean about the cultural differences. I am often too outgoing for my girlfriend and I appear too 'full-on' at times. Her friends also struggle to understand me .

I do think that you only need a passport as well.

[MissButterfly]

*raises hand* I'm Dutch!
Welcome to the forum, there's actually about 6 Dutchies that I know of around here, and then of course Hollandia with a Dutch SO. So cool that you're moving here, I live in The Hague Would be great if we could meet up with all the lovely Dutch people some time, because everyone is so great and it's a tiny country anyway
Well everyone has already given you pretty decent advice on how to go about your daily forum visits, I mostly just use it to procrastinate and talk to all my friends because I closed the distance last August.

[dukes2011]

Hello and welcome to LFAD! I visited Portugal when I was studying abroad in Spain, but I only made it to Lisbon. My aunt went to Porto when she studied in Spain and she loved it there!

[Jess!]

*raises hand* I'm Dutch!
Welcome to the forum, there's actually about 6 Dutchies that I know of around here, and then of course Hollandia with a Dutch SO. So cool that you're moving here, I live in The Hague Would be great if we could meet up with all the lovely Dutch people some time, because everyone is so great and it's a tiny country anyway
Well everyone has already given you pretty decent advice on how to go about your daily forum visits, I mostly just use it to procrastinate and talk to all my friends because I closed the distance last August.

Awww! How cute!! I think we forum people could organize some ''meet up"! When I live there I would love to do something like that. Thank you!! I love the Netherlands, but I still don't know where Im going to live. It depends if I am accepted in the Uni I applied to! But you guys have a lot of holidays this month and this is difficulting stuff

I really hope you and your SO live happily together!

[Jess!]

Teretere! You should go back and visit, it's a gorgeous part of the world! Your SO's offer is indeed very romantic!

I also know what you mean about the cultural differences. I am often too outgoing for my girlfriend and I appear too 'full-on' at times. Her friends also struggle to understand me .

I do think that you only need a passport as well.

Yes! I checked that, thank you.
I've never been there, but I think I will go someday soon. I really like cultural differences and how different cultures 'read' other cultures!

[Karura]

Welcome to the forum! =D

While I'm not from Portugal (I'm from Macau) I'm actually living there so it's nice to see another fellow Portuguese around here. ;P I'm in Coimbra, by the way. It is indeed a small country but it's a nice place nevertheless.I've been studying here for many years now.
I enjoy coming here everyday to see the new topics and read from other people's experiences even if I don't get to post. Sometimes I start threads myself to get some advice. =) This place has been wonderful and such a big help for my relationship with my SO.

Hope to see you around often!

[Jess!]

Welcome to the forum! =D

While I'm not from Portugal (I'm from Macau) I'm actually living there so it's nice to see another fellow Portuguese around here. ;P I'm in Coimbra, by the way. It is indeed a small country but it's a nice place nevertheless.I've been studying here for many years now.
I enjoy coming here everyday to see the new topics and read from other people's experiences even if I don't get to post. Sometimes I start threads myself to get some advice. =) This place has been wonderful and such a big help for my relationship with my SO.

Hope to see you around often!

Hej! How nice! Coimbra is lovely.So you speak portuguese? That is nice maybe I will do some posts, although I am still not ure how that works, ahah.
I'm feeling that too and I hope I continue to come here often!
Good luck with you and your partner!
Thanks!