Let’s get one thing straight: moving countries isn’t new for me. I was born in Amsterdam in the late ’80s (yes, Im ancient, I know), and since then I’ve been a bit of a professional mover. Curacao at 8. Suriname at 9. Rotterdam at 19. A pit stop in Brussels. A quick six months in Singapore (yes, it was as chaotic and humid as you’d imagine). Back to Suriname in 2016. Back to the Netherlands in 2018. And finally, full circle, back to Suriname in 2023.

So yeah, I’ve seen both sides.

The Netherlands: structured, convenient, and new adventures always just a train (or road trip) away

There’s a lot I love about the Netherlands (also a lot that I don’t love but let’s keep it positive ey?). It’s structured. Things work. Want a last-minute weekend trip to Paris or London? Easy. Book a train or organize a road trip without spending your whole salary. Need to run errands solo without having to look around me too much? (Yes, there’s a backstory there -> Trapped in fear ) No problem. The freedom, the shopping, the endless exploring, it was all right there.

And I enjoyed it. Mostly. But comfort isn’t the same as fulfillment.

Suriname: Family, Chaos, and (Yes) Hungry Toads in the Yard

Suriname doesn’t pretend to be perfect. The weather is unpredictable (but thank God, warm and lets be real, so is the weather in the Netherlands) the pace is slower than a Monday morning (the pace on Monday mornings is actually exceptionally high lol), and no, there aren’t frogs chilling in my bathroom, it’s usually huge toads who like to greet me at night because they can’t get enough of the dog food (which, ironically, my dogs can definitely get enough of).

Luckily most of the time the animals aren’t inside, but the minute I step outside, I’m on guard. (If you’ve ever dodged a snake or have been personally attacked by a bat or feel like you’ve been fighting the worlds larges plaktodo (treefrog), cockroach or beetle on your way to anywhere, you know what I mean.)

But here’s the thing: as messy as it gets (mostly due to my own fear of everything 🫠), Suriname has my heart.

• Family over convenience. My mom, my family, the place I knew I wanted to raise my kids
• Community over career. Life here is mostly family-oriented, not as career-obsessed as many western countries. It’s about Sunday swims, Saturday lunches, laughter echoing through the house, and kids running wild with their cousins. (in this case trying to crawl to their cousins)
• Freedom over perfection. Life is less structured, but there’s space. Breathing space. Emotional space. The kind of space that matters more to me. Especially now that I’m a parent.

And don’t get me wrong, just because Suriname isn’t as career-driven as the Netherlands doesn’t mean it’s stagnant. Far from it. I’m enjoying the fact that there are plenty of go-getters here, especially amongst me (go besties go), lots of opportunities, and endless ways to grow professionally. The difference is ambition doesn’t come at the cost of connection.

Choosing Roots Over Flights

Europe offered weekend trips and endless amenities. Suriname offers roots. And when you’ve been everywhere, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, Singapore (okay, not everywhere, but definitely more places than the average Joe), you start to realize roots matter more than having everything at your fingertips just to feed your ego. Suriname may not have all amenities within easy reach but what it does have is soul. And that’s worth more.

According to Mey

So here I am. Trading my sunset view apartment in Amstelveen for a big yard where my girls can run wild in Paramaribo. Trading European weekend trips for family Sundays. Trading polished convenience for warm, family-oriented belonging.

And yes, in the evenings (and some mornings) I still get side-eyed by a XXL frog when I’m walking to or from my car. And especially when we go to one of my fav places (see photo below), alllll the animals give me a mini heart attack every.single.time. But honestly? I’ll take it.
(She says bravely, while also calling her boyfriend/mom/cousins/ uncles/aunts every single time to remove them so she can continue living and breathing in peace. 🥴✨)