The Millennial has a 4 day work week in the Netherlands instead of 6 days in Texas

For Smith, 33, and his wife, Tressley, the move to Europe was an opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of corporate American life, cut costs like rent and travel more lightly.

Although they considered France and Spain, Smith said the Netherlands offers an attractive visa for highly skilled migrants. workers like him, called the “kennismigrant” visa, which translates to “knowledge migrant.”

Smith and his wife moved in October 2023 to Bodegraven, a small town about an hour south of Amsterdam by train. They like life in the Netherlands and now Smith has more control over his schedule, often working four days a week.

Plus, Smith said his rent is cheaper than it was in Texas, and the food is less expensive and healthier. Plus, he sold his car when he left Texas and didn’t need one in the Netherlands, reducing his car insurance and gas costs while increasing his own. regular cycling.

Smith and his wife are among Americans moving abroad to seek new job opportunities, cut costs and experience a different pace of life.

According to the Federal Voting Assistance Program, which helps overseas citizens vote in US elections, about 1,168,505 US citizens lived in Europe in 2022, a 47% increase from 10 years earlier.

Looking for a better work-life balance meant moving abroad

Smith was born in California and raised in Florida before starting his professional career in Texas.

Smith graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in biomedical sciences and received his chiropractic degree from Parker University in Dallas in 2017.

He spent three years working at a clinic at Medical City Hospital in Dallas before taking a job at a chiropractic office treating personal injury patients.

Smith said he loved his work, but it took a toll on his mental and physical health. He said he doesn’t have enough time with his wife and is worried about developing his career in a stressful environment.

When a previous mentor contacted him about working as a chiropractor in the Netherlands, Smith became intrigued.

He is learning Dutch and traveling more in his new home

Smith works as a chiropractor at a Dutch practice but aspires to one day open his own practice in the Netherlands.

He earns around $72,000 (€65,000) annually in the Netherlands, which is less than six figures. he did in texas. However, since his cost of living has come down, he said he feels more financially stable.

In addition, said that in his year abroad, he feels more in control of his career than he did in Texas.

However, Smith said the language barrier is a transition. Before moving to the Netherlands, Smith said she studied and practiced Dutch — part of his job requirements included a certain level of proficiency in the Dutch language, such as knowledge of medical terminology.

He said one of the best aspects of working in the Netherlands is the more relaxed approach to work-life balance.

“The states are really about convenience, everyone works 24/7, everything is at your fingertips,” Smith said. “Here in the Netherlands, everything is at a slower pace. Everything is more relaxed and chilled.”

Beyond work, Smith said he feels healthier in Holland than in Texas.

In Bodegraven, he pays about $1,100 a month in rent, less than half of what he paid in Grand Prairie, he said. He also said his grocery costs in the Netherlands are about half of those in Texas.

Additionally, he said he and his wife feel safer in the Netherlands than in Texas, and as they consider starting a family, they feel comforted by the Netherlands’ strict gun laws .

Smith said he can travel all over Europe now that his work schedule has relaxed and he is on the continent. His favorite countries to visit were the Czech Republic and Spain.

“I’m at a shorter distance to travel to other countries to experience more than just a theme park or a state attraction, but I get to experience an entire culture and be exposed to more languages ​​than English,” Smith said.

He said his family is excited to visit him in Europe, and his grandparents plan to visit Holland in a few weeks. He is excited to show them his new life abroad, he said.

Are you an American who moved abroad for a job opportunity? This reporter wants to hear your story. Please contact at [email protected].