Leaving the City — What Happens When You Actually Make the Move
From Amsterdam apartment to countryside — the before, the during, and the after.
Everyone who lives in a city has thought about it. Fewer people do it. Willem did — left Amsterdam after years of urban life and moved to the countryside with his family. These posts document the thinking before, the experience during, and what changed after. For anyone still on the fence: this is what it's actually like.
The Decision
Moving to the countryside is the centrepiece — written not as a celebration or a complaint, but as an honest account of what the transition actually involves. What you gain: space, silence, nature, a different pace. What you lose: walkability, spontaneity, the energy of a city that never sleeps. And what surprises you: the things you thought you'd miss but don't, and the things you didn't expect to miss but do.
The Preparation
The move didn't happen overnight. Years of posts trace the gradual loosening of city ties. The day I sold my car seems like the opposite of countryside preparation — but it was actually the beginning of rethinking how you move through life. The commuting by bike posts document the Amsterdam years: what the city gave, and what it took.
The New Life
After the move, the blog itself changed. More nature posts, more writing about space and quiet, a different relationship with technology. The cargo bike that carried kids through Amsterdam streets now navigates country roads. The server that ran from an Amsterdam apartment now runs from a rural connection. Everything adapted.
Also explore
Amsterdam stories · fatherhood · life without a car · digital minimalism
For Those Still Thinking About It
If you're reading this from a city apartment, wondering whether you could actually do it — these posts are for you. Willem isn't evangelical about countryside living. He's honest about the trade-offs. But the writing makes one thing clear: the fear of the move is always bigger than the move itself.
