Story 24 of 52 /// Look Jana, a German car!

I moved to the Netherlands for university, and have stayed ever since.

I speak the language fluently, and my appearance does not make me stand out from locals. Some people still recognize my accent though. And of course, my friends all know of my German descent. In their eyes, I’m German.

The other day at a gas station, they pointed out a car that had German license plates. “Look Jana, a German car!” It’s sweet, but confusing at the same time. I’m not entirely sure what they want from me, what I’m supposed to do with that observation..?

When I’m in Germany, similar things happen. I can literally imagine a situation in which one of my German family members will point out a Dutch car to me, when I’m visiting my home town. To them, I’m not entirely German anymore either.

So what am I? German when in the Netherlands, and Dutch when in Germany? What does that make of me? Where do I belong?

About this Series

This story is part of our 52 Stories initiative: a collection of real, lived experiences from global families and international children navigating life across borders. Every story in this series is based on true events, highlighting both the beautiful breakthroughs and the complex, often hidden challenges of the relocation journey.

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