Moving from The Big Apple to the Netherlands. It is not for many people, but the American Lee J. Kaplan did it. Last year he moved to Utrecht for the love of his life, presenter Sofie van den Enk, and that is not without a struggle. On his TikTok he shares what it is like to live in the Netherlands as a newcomer and thus reaches thousands of viewers.
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The United States
Born in the city of Jacksonville in Florida, then lived for a long time in Manhattan, New York City and now moved to Utrecht. Lee J. Kaplan has already seen a lot of the world. The American had his life in order in The Big Apple and is a real creative person. I am an actor, writer and producer. As long as I can express my artistic creativity. Those are things I really like.”
But then the corona pandemic was there. A difficult period, also for Lee and the art sector in America. “At that time I was in many theater groups, I was on stage a lot and had small film jobs. As icing on the cake, I wrote my own theater show, which I was touring in schools and theaters. But, then the pandemic broke out. Everything came to a standstill.”
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Move
One day Lee woke up. It’s 2019 and he was thinking about his love from ten years ago. The woman we know in the Netherlands as presenter Sofie van den Enk. In all that time he had never forgotten her and he writes her an e-mail. They start talking again and decide to meet again. First in Amsterdam, then in New York.
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The Netherlands
And then Lee ‘suddenly’ lived in the small, flat Netherlands. Together with Sofie and her two children they form a family. A big difference, but luckily he was able to adapt well. “I was welcomed with open arms by Sofie’s family and friends. And suddenly I was a stepfather! In addition, I like the term ‘sociability’. It is a word that means a lot to the people here and cannot be translated. You feel it.”
But of course there are also difficulties in living in a different culture. For example, Lee has to get used to our cycling culture. ,,We do cycle in New York, but oh, man! You cannot be compared to any country. I’m getting better and better. Bigger things are also very difficult. Especially the distance. A good friend of mine was very sick recently. It hurts my heart a lot if you can’t go there just as easily. You miss that.”
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TikTok
It is sometimes difficult to deal with this bad feeling, but one thing works very well for Lee: being creative. Writing, editing videos as a freelancer and making TikToks. “I’ve been thinking about uploading to TikTok for a long time. I love the app and often laugh at the videos. But what am I supposed to do there? Suddenly I knew and thought, “Why not?”
In March of this year, Lee uploaded his first video, which now has almost 350,000 views. “What I make on TikTok is creative content about life as a newcomer in the Netherlands and what it’s like to be a stepfather. I give tips, tell special moments and above all share many funny videos. Like when I was cycling with my stepchild yesterday. We saw a mother goose with little ones and I really had to get off to film it.”
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Create Community
Leaving the people you love is never fun, not even for Lee. Social media helps to make up for this lack. He would like to start a community on his TikTok where people can come together. “I am a stepfather and an expat. I want to provide a safe place for people seeking a community, especially stepparents and expats.”
Every day is a challenge for Lee. Living in a country where you don’t speak the language, don’t know the culture and have to start all over again. Get on it. ,,What I really want to emphasize in my content is that taking a big step when it comes with ups and downs. Not every day is fun or positive, but every day is a day to grow.”
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This article was produced in collaboration with The Best Social Media.
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