I don't understand why Dutch leave their home country. It seems so idyllic from the outside! What's San Mateo got that Utrecht doesn't? :-)
House prices are also a common and global problem. At least in urban areas around the world.
The lack of mountains is objectively true.
The lack of nature is subjective. If only you dare go outside of the Randstad. I originally lived in Limburg and I now live in Zandvoort. Both have plenty of non-farmland nature.
With regards to the bad weather: it only rains for 10% of the time in The Netherlands, so it's not that bad.
We have more of them than others. It's very noticeable when you come back from Italy, France or even Germany how the mentality in the Netherlands is Different. After a week in Italy I have seen 0 people not complying to COVID rules. I'm in the airplane back to NL and immediately I'm greeted with hordes of people wearing chin diapers (and giving you a big mouth if you say something about it).
> With regards to the bad weather: it only rains for 10% of the time in The Netherlands
It's more the cloudedness. Gloomy days just like this whole week. May not always count as rain, but when it's dark and gray all day, all life is sucked out of me anyway.
A full-spectrum light does wonders, though we had to leave ours behind in the US (120V only).
- Amsterdam thinks the rest of the Netherlands is just greater Amsterdam
- the rest of North Holland disagrees
- the rest of the Netherlands also disagrees, but thinks the province of North Holland is greater Amsterdam
I'm oversimplifying for the sake of a joke of course, but like every good joke there's also a kernel of truth in it.
The weather isn't. (I don't think it's the main reason for people to leave though)