A Dutch Person Who Used to Live in Texas
About Anne-Aimee Bun
If you ever need Anne-Aimee Bun, just look for a museum about science, dinosaurs, open theaters or state parks with alligators. You’ll either find her eating some slightly spicy food or just enjoying the peacefulness of her surroundings. Even though Anne-Aimee is Dutch, living in Texas has definitely helped shape her identity.
What are your favourite memories from your time in Texas?
“What I enjoy is like a memory from living in Texas, that I was indeed able to completely build up a whole new life again, with just new habits, new friends, things like that.“
“Going on trips to state parks. There were alligators and, very, very nice, places with nature.”
What do you miss from Texas when you moved back to Holland?
“Quite a lot. I like the food there because it was slightly spicy and it's all different.” “Portions were very, very big, but not always but anyway, it's very normal there to take leftovers home. ''They have a really big park called Hermann park. And you could say there was an outdoor theater but they had a hill that would overlook the theater. So you could either pay for tickets to have a nice seat in the front row. Yeah. Or you could bring a picnic blanket and sit on the hill. And still, watch the opera or play or some music because real performances were played there.”
So has your time in Texas given you a different point of view on politics or the world?
“I find that that's a really hard question. Maybe not on politics, but I think I got a bit more understanding of or maybe sympathy for people who have it difficult. Financially and how they're struggling. And because you know the United States, when you have it good, you have good. If you have it bad, you have it bad. And I have seen people struggling and that I don't think it's a nice side of America. So I have come to appreciate the Netherlands in that because there is much more of a social fallback. I mean, there, there is still, you can complain a lot still. But in comparison to the United States, I think we're doing pretty well. We don't have to complain that much.”
“I always had a big wish of working abroad at some point to learn a bit about, well, who am I?”
-Anne-Aimee Bun
When you first moved to Texas were there any habits that you couldn’t do anymore because Texas is different compared to Holland?
“Texas is really big. I couldn't bike anywhere either. I couldn't walk anywhere either, even groceries, shopping for the nearest, for the nearest groceries, you still had to take the car because it was too far. Yeah, that, that was, that was the thing. And still well now being back in Holland, I walk everywhere. I take the bike. You can't do that in Texas.” “And also it's really because the whole city was built for cars.”
So did you ever have a privilege in Texas because of your nationality or just your identity?
“I think the main difference is, or what causes you to either do well or not do well in Texas is how well you are paid in your job. I can't remember anything of me being privileged because of being Dutch. I did get the sense that I might have a bit more privilege because of the color of my skin. That is still an issue in the United States, even though they claim it isn't.”
“This may be silly, but just expect that the weather in Texas is very damp and hot. Don't let that limit you.”
