The story behind Newcomer Circle NL

Hi, I’m Cindy Colijn. I’ve started over in foreign countries. Each time, I had to learn so much from scratch: a new reality, new language, unfamiliar systems, the unspoken rules of a place, and how to feel like I truly belonged somewhere instead of simply living there.

And now, the Netherlands is the country I can finally call home. I went through the whole integration process myself: learning Dutch, studying for the inburgering exams, sitting them, and passing them. My naturalisation has now been granted, although I still remember exactly what it felt like when everything here was new.

Newcomer Circle NL is built for the version of you who is in that in-between place right now, still learning the rules and still finding your feet. I wanted to create the practical guide and resources I wish someone had handed me on day one, something that could make this stage feel a little clearer, a little warmer, and a lot less lonely.

I hold an MSc in International Development Studies from the University of Amsterdam, where my interests centred on migration and development. But honestly, no degree can teach you what it actually feels like to build a life in a new country. Only living it does. Everything here comes from both sides of that: what I studied and what I lived.

I’m not doing this alone, either. My husband, Kees Colijn, has been part of Newcomer Circle with me from the beginning. He brings the perspective of someone who has always called the Netherlands home, while I bring the experience of learning how to call it home.

So, if you are in the middle of your own version of this journey, welcome. I built this because it is what I wish I had found when I first arrived, and I hope it helps you find your feet a little faster than I found mine.