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Moving Solo to a New City at 23

Five things I learned by relocating myself to Amsterdam.

Leona Françoise Caanen
7 min readNov 11, 2022
Keizersgracht, Amsterdam. Image credit: Leona Françoise Caanen.

What Amsterdam is like

Living in Amsterdam is quite dreamy. Of course the city has some harsh realities (try finding housing without connections… borderline impossible), but, it truly is a fantastic place to live as someone in their 20s. There’s always something to do for those who are social butterflies, and there’s plenty of quiet and green space for those who prefer to spend time alone. The city is filled with cute cafés, great (vegan) restaurants, and, probably my favourite part, the international community is incredibly welcoming.

Of course Amsterdam, like any other capital city, can be swarmed by tourists who either come for the city’s history or it’s leniency towards different kinds of pleasures and substances. Yet no matter what you come to Amsterdam for, as a tourist, to work, to study, or just because, you’re guaranteed to have a good time — the city has something for everyone.

Why I moved

In February (2022) I decided to alter the course of my life and move to Amsterdam. While my roots are Dutch, which has somewhat facilitated the process of integrating, I haven’t actually lived here since I was 10. As a remote-working 23 year old who had been living with her…

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Leona Françoise Caanen
Leona Françoise Caanen

Written by Leona Françoise Caanen

2x published author. World-traveller. Amsterdam. Passionate about travel, people, nature, reading, & writing.

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