On 12 August 2022, my wife and I moved from Istanbul to the Netherlands with our poodle, Java. We brought our belongings, left our family behind, and started getting used to life in another country.
People often assume we moved for a better salary. For us, money was one of the least important reasons. We wanted to feel safer in everyday life and worry less about the future.
My wife didn't feel safe travelling on the metro. Traffic took up too much of our time, and the way people sometimes treated each other made ordinary days more tiring. Over time, those things became harder to accept as just part of life.
We started thinking seriously about where we wanted to spend the coming years. Eventually, we chose the Netherlands.
What we left behind
We still love Istanbul. Our whole family is there, and being away from them is the hardest part of living here.
We miss the food, familiar places, and sitting down for a meal with people who know us well. When your family lives nearby, spending time together can be a simple part of the week. From another country, it takes flights, time off, and planning.
Those things mattered when we decided to leave, and they still matter now. There was plenty we loved about our life in Istanbul. We also knew we wanted some things to change.
Settling into life here
We arrived with Java, our poodle. As a Java developer, I realise his name needs very little explanation.
Our furniture and boxes could be moved, but feeling settled took time. There was a different language around us, unfamiliar systems, and everyday things to learn again.
Gradually, we found our routines and built a life we felt happy with. We still missed our family. Some days, we wished they were closer. That feeling has stayed, even as the Netherlands has become home.
Then we became parents
Atlas was born in July 2024. After that, the future we had been thinking about became much more personal.
We began thinking about where he would go to school, how he would grow up, and what opportunities he might have. We feel good about raising him in the Netherlands. His education and future are a big part of why we're happy to be here.
We also want him to know Istanbul and our family there. We want him to spend time with them, enjoy the food, and get to know the city we still love.
Looking back, we're glad we made the move. Being far from family is still difficult, and there are things about Istanbul we'll always miss. But we're happy with our life here, especially when we think about Atlas growing up.