Thank you Tasha, for accepting our invitation to answer some questions as an international woman of our network! To start with, tell us a little about yourself, the work you do, your hobbies, the most remarkable place you have visited abroad, things like that.
I am British and moved to Amsterdam from London 4.5 years ago (time flies!). I work as a communication consultant for a global consultancy – I mainly communicate change so I work on projects for large multinational clients. I’m in my early 40s and have managed to travel to most continents – I do have two (South America and the Antarctic!) left to try to visit at some point! My brother and I are both keen travelers and as a result now both live outside of the UK – he lives in New Zealand and works for an airline there. I think having travelled so much from a young age we both see the world as a ‘small’ globe to explore rather than to stay living in our hometown or country forever.
Where do you come from and why did you choose Amsterdam as your new home?
I’m from a small town in the South East of England but lived in London for a long time before I decided I wanted to live in a different city in Europe and escape the fast pace of London. I moved to Amsterdam without a job, anywhere to live, and without knowing anyone here! I chose Amsterdam for many reasons including the fact that I would likely find a decent job here, for a higher quality of life compared to London/the UK, and the ability to cycle everywhere 😊.
For how long have you been living here and how is it going with adapting to the multicultural Amsterdam style? Do you see any differences between here and your hometown?
I think the main differences between living in the Netherlands compared to the UK is tighter family connections (I read that this is due to the small size of the country, it’s easy for family members to regularly see each other) and the more direct approach of many Dutch people – which I like. Also, I like the fact that people can dress casually/comfortably to go out or make more of an effort if they want to – in London I think there is more pressure to wear the latest styles or big brands.
Socially: Is your social life here multi-culturally oriented?
I mainly hang out with other internationals/expats – there are lots of Americans and Brits here in Amsterdam but I do have Dutch friends too of course.
How did you get to know the Amsterdam International Women and how has been your experience with the network so far?
I discovered the Amsterdam International Women network quite early on and started attending the brunch and other events. I actually met most of my good friends through these events so I definitely recommend the network to anyone new in Amsterdam or anyone looking to build their social or professional network. I often support Paula at the brunch and have hosted my own events in the past. I hosted a series of online events for the network called Money Matters as I am keen to encourage women to take an interest in their personal finances as typically we are behind men in this area… I am looking to schedule a new series of these events so if anyone has some topics to suggest I’m keen to hear them!