Interview With an International: Rachel Parker
Originally from the far north of England, Rachel Parker moved to Leiden almost two years ago.
Rachel did her undergraduate MA degree in International Relations and Social Anthropology at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. After obtaining her degree, she found herself living and working in London, and a couple of other parts of the UK, for almost 10 years. Rachel then decided it was time for a change and made the exciting decision to move to Leiden and enrol at the university for her masters in Sociology of Policy in practice, with a focus on students who are the first in their family to go to university.
During our conversation, we discussed why she chose to move to Leiden, how her background in anthropology enhanced her cultural awareness, and how she increased her network by organising a book club.
"I'd been working in the UK for a long time, and I wanted to do something different. And therefore, I made the decision to leave my job in London, which at the time felt quite scary!"
“The idea was that I would study in Leiden for a year and then possibly return to London for another job or explore a different path. But now I'm still here because I managed to end up getting a job in the Netherlands. It was a nice transition from studying to working here as well."
Rachel is currently working in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in financial services, which she is enjoying. "It was nice that I was able to find a job opportunity here that was related to my previous experience and was also a new challenge in an international environment. The masters was complementary to what I do for work."
What drew you to Leiden?
The main reason for moving internationally was because I wanted to study and spend a year living somewhere different. I had some familiarity with the Netherlands because one of my good friends from Scotland had worked here. After visiting a few times, I knew I would enjoy living here for a year.
The size of Leiden attracted me, especially after living and working in London for years. I wanted to have a different experience of living somewhere the size of Leiden, which has a different way of life. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise because it's a university town that is also large enough, offering plenty of activities to do here both within and beyond the university.
What I also love about Leiden is how close it is to other cities. You can get to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Schiphol in half an hour.
Can you share any challenges you faced after moving from abroad, and how you overcame them?
One of biggest challenges I faced was getting used to cycling in Leiden because it is assumed by everybody here that you will ride a bike. Because of this, I have a Swap Fiets and I'm trying to fight the fear of doing it. I’m improving all the time, with some help from my friends!
Another obstacle with cycling is having confidence on the road and, especially coming from the UK, adjusting to biking on the other side of the road was hard and something I needed to be aware of. Before moving here, I used to ride a bike occasionally for fun. I would never use it for practical things such as going to the supermarket or commuting.
I'm pleased with how I've managed my life here, but the cycling culture takes some time to get used to. You can solve this by building a habit and routine of cycling often.
As a student of anthropology, Rachel interprets Dutch culture through a distinctive lens. It was therefore interesting to ask about the significant cultural differences here compared to her home country and how she coped with them.
“Well, there is one thing: I drink tea without milk more often now! It's much more common in the UK to drink tea with milk”
"The terrace culture here is interesting too. Compared to where I lived in England, I feel the Dutch have a slightly slower pace of life sometimes. When you go for a bike ride, halfway through your journey you sit on the terrace, have your coffee, and then you move on again. Another cultural difference I have noticed is that I now have lunch earlier because everybody at work eats around 12."
"I have adapted to these cultural changes because I'm fascinated by small details. From an anthropologist's perspective, it helps you to be observant of your surroundings and to adapt to living in new places as well. It's also part of my current job, making the two closely interlinked."
Can you share any favourite spots or hidden gems in Leiden that you've discovered during your time here?
A café that I am particularly fond of which is very close to Leiden Centraal is Café Tootje because it has cute interiors, great coffee, and the staff there are super friendly. And for activities, Singelloop (running or walking path around the city) is a great recommendation. Besides that, I also enjoy the twice weekly market, the side alleys and hidden spots, particularly around the Pieterskerk area, where you can find many narrow streets with little shops that sell quirky gifts and other interesting items.
Have you found it easy to make friends and build a social circle in Leiden?
Completing my master's here and now working in a welcoming environment with colleagues from both Dutch and international backgrounds has helped me build a social circle more easily.
I've also made several close friends through a community called Leiden Girl Gone International. It's a Facebook group for women and non-binary people who've moved to Leiden from abroad. It's been a great platform for meeting new people, and I've formed some of my closest friendships in Leiden through this. I currently run their regular book club and podcast club as well, which has been essential in helping me create a strong network here. Because of this, I became more settled in Leiden.
We started the book club last year, and we currently have around 20 members a month. It's been amazing to see our community grow through this initiative. I run the book club with another volunteer, and they are nowone of my close friends. For that reason, I suggest everyone to step outside of their comfort zone and take initiative. We see new faces every month, so everybody understands that ‘new person’ feeling!
What resources have you found helpful for meeting other internationals or making connections with Dutch people in Leiden?
I read the Leiden International Centre newsletter, which I find helpful because some of the information is hard to understand when you're new and don't speak the language well. For instance, the newsletter helps me learn more about upcoming events in Leiden and important administrative updates. The community groups on Facebook are also helpful, and there are a few for getting to know people. I often visit the same cafés as well. Through this, you naturally become a regular and strike up conversations with the staff or other individuals.
I also recommend trying to adopt a local lifestyle into your routine, even if you're only here for a short time. It allows you to integrate within society and understand the importance of different aspects of life here.
Looking back on the first months in Leiden, what do you wish you had known or done differently to make the transition smoother?
I wish I had invested more time in learning Dutch differently. Several months before moving here, I started doing Duolingo every day. While it's helpful for picking up vocabulary, it does have its limits.
If you don't use Dutch day-to-day, it helps to absorb the language in different ways as early as possible. It's also useful to know that if you want to learn or improve your Dutch, be aware that people are often going to switch to English. For example, when you're struggling to order in Dutch, mention that you really want to practice; they'll be more understanding and forgiving. And that way you can improve Dutch from different angles.
Looking ahead, what are your future plans for living in Leiden?
I'm eager to continue to establish networks here. I feel grateful that I've found social connections in a relatively short time. At the same time, you can always continue to expand your network and get to know the region more by visiting different places.
As of now, it’s nice to continue life in Leiden, I've been here for almost two years. I initially thought I would stay for only one year, but I still really enjoy living here. The community here really has opened me up to a whole chapter – and adventure - I didn’t know anything about only a few years ago!
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