- Keiland Smith moved to the Netherlands last October in search of a better work-life balance.
- Smith works as a chiropractor and is on a visa for high-skilled workers.
- He earns less than he did in Texas but feels happier.
Keiland Smith loved his job as the director of a chiropractic practice, but he felt exhausted by the 6-day workweek.
After working for a decade in Grand Prairie, Texas — a city part of the Dallas-Fort Worth area — Smith knew he needed a change of pace and wanted to grow his career in a more sustainable way.
"I love my job, I love taking care of people, I just wasn't loving what it was doing to me," Smith said. "I needed to find a good balance where I could still do my job but still have that me time."
For Smith, 33, and his wife, Tressley, moving to Europe presented an opportunity to escape the hustle of American corporate life, lower costs like rent, and travel more easily.
While they considered France and Spain, Smith said the Netherlands offers an attractive visa for high-skilled migrant workers like himself, called the "kennismigrant" visa, which translates to "knowledge migrant."
Smith and his wife moved in October 2023 to Bodegraven, a small city about an hour south of Amsterdam by train. They love life in the Netherlands and now Smith has more control over his schedule, often working four days a week.
Additionally, Smith said his rent is cheaper than it was in Texas, and the groceries are less expensive and healthier. What's more, he sold his car when he left Texas and hasn't needed one in the Netherlands, cutting down on auto insurance and gas costs, while increasing his regular biking.
Smith and his wife are among Americans moving abroad to seek new job opportunities, cut costs, and experience a different pace of life.
According to the Federal Voting Assistance Program, which helps overseas citizens vote in US elections, about 1,168,505 US citizens were living in Europe in 2022, a 47% increase from 10 years earlier.
Searching for better work-life balance meant moving abroad
Smith was born in California and grew up in Florida before beginning his professional career in Texas.
Smith graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in biomedical science and received his chiropractic degree from Parker University in Dallas in 2017.
He spent three years working at a clinic at the Medical City Hospital in Dallas before taking a job at a chiropractic practice treating patients from personal injury claims.
Smith said he loved his work, but it was taking a toll on his mental and physical health. He said he did not have enough time with his wife and was concerned about growing his career in a high-stress environment.
When a previous mentor contacted him about working as a chiropractor in the Netherlands, Smith became intrigued.
Learning Dutch and traveling more in his new home
Smith works as a chiropractor at a Dutch practice, but aspires to open his own practice in the Netherlands someday.
He earns about $72,000 (€65,000) annually in the Netherlands, which is less than the six figures he made in Texas. Yet, since his cost of living has decreased, he said he feels more financially stable.
Furthermore, he said in the year he's been abroad, he feels more in control of his career than he did in Texas.
However, Smith said the language barrier is a transition. Before moving to the Netherlands, Smith said he studied and practiced Dutch — part of his work requirements included a certain level of proficiency in Dutch, such as knowing medical terminology.
He said one of the best aspects of working in the Netherlands is the more relaxed approach to work-life balance.
"The States is really about convenience, everybody is working 24/7, everything's at your fingertips," Smith said. "Here in the Netherlands, everything is at a slower pace. Everything is more relaxed and chill."
Beyond work, Smith said he feels healthier in the Netherlands than he did in Texas.
In Bodegraven, he pays about $1,100 a month in rent, which is less than half what he paid in Grand Prairie, he said. He also said his grocery costs in the Netherlands are about half of what they were in Texas.
Additionally, he said he and his wife feel safer in the Netherlands than they did in Texas, and as they consider raising a family, they feel comforted by the Netherlands' strict gun laws.
Smith said he's able to travel throughout Europe now that his work schedule has relaxed and he's on the continent. His favorite countries that he's visited have been the Czech Republic and Spain.
"I am a shorter distance to travel to other countries to experience more than just a theme park or some state attraction, but I can experience an entire culture as well as be exposed to more languages than just English," Smith said.
He said his family is excited to visit him in Europe, and his grandparents plan to visit the Netherlands in a few weeks. He's excited to show them his new life abroad, he said.
Are you an American who moved abroad for a job opportunity? This reporter wants to hear your story. Please reach out at [email protected].