Stephanie Dijkstra is a Third Culture Kid in every possible way. Raised in four countries on five languages by Dutch/American parents, both of whom also grew up in several countries, and having visited more than 30 countries before she reached the age of 18, the world is her home. Having spent her childhood explaining each parent’s culture to the other and translating the multilingual gibberish that she was used to for the benefit of non-family members, she is very pleased that these two survival tools have turned out to be something with which she can earn a living. In an attempt to become mainstream, she got a Master’s degree in Law followed by an MBA, but soon owned up to her thorough disinterest in a commercial career and, the minute the opportunity arose, pursued her true passion: anything to do with words and people.
Stephanie is Editor-in-Chief of The XPat Journal
For those seeking an English-language study program, the Netherlands is one of the most accessible countries to explore, for a variety of reasons. For starters, over 2,100 courses are on offer here in English, constituting 23% of the bachelor’s degrees…
There is nothing like seeing a country through the eyes of another person – and this becomes even more exceptional when you get to see it through the eyes of a photographer. On June 1 of this year, an…
“Though there was a war, these were also some of the most valuable months of my life; what I saw, showed me how kind and compassionate people are – everyone shared whatever they could and they would never let us…
Museum Voorlinden, which opened in 2016, was created by Joop van Caldenborgh, a businessman and art collector who wanted to share his collection with the world. It houses both temporary collections, as well as (semi-permanent) pieces – such as the…
There are cities that come to life in spring, but become drab, unimaginative blocks of building materials in the winter. However, one city that becomes part of a fairytale in the winter is Gouda. The highlight of this fairytale, this…
One of the most important issues involved with buying a house – in fact without these you could not buy one – is finances. You either have to be able to rent a home, buy it, or finance it and…
In the Autumn 2019 issue of The XPat Journal, you can read our interview with National Geographic photographer Frans Lemmens. Frans’s books on the Netherlands include The Netherlands at Its Best, which brings you not only aerial views of villages,…
It is often said that asking a person to describe their own culture is like asking fish to describe water. How do you describe something that you have been surrounded by all your life, without being aware of the fact…
The special theme of this issues is careers, and sometimes you come across someone who has followed a truly unconventional and adventurous path that makes you realize that there is more to a career than climbing the corporate ladder. In…
As Far as a Cannonball Would Travel Ask anyone if they know of a big park in the Netherlands, and they are sure to come up with De Hoge Veluwe National Park. However, another park that is at least…
Ask the question, What is the national flower of the Netherlands? and people will answer: the tulip. However, as many of you might already know, the tulip did not originate here. It arrived here in a rather roundabout way. Popular…
“Within a few weeks, I already knew that I had been granted refugee status. That was very good news. It was a feeling of complete awe. I was now a resident of a new country and I took it upon…
