Erin Carney, GC Consultant

I am a business owner! In the Netherlands! What is this life I am leading??

A few weeks ago, at the advice of a friend, I consulted our Dutch tax company to see how best to file taxes with my new US-based job. It was a shock to hear that I had to register myself as a one "man" business in order for the Dutch to get their cut of the taxes. I never dreamed of being a business owner and instantly felt overwhelmed with how to accomplish this. I was told that it was as easy as filling out an online form and making an appointment with the Kamer van Koophandel (Chamber of Commerce). With the help of a Dutch friend and google translate, I completed the online form and made an appointment for this morning with the KvK.

I had a 40 minute visit with a very friendly KvK worker who was as interested in genetics as I was in figuring out how to be a business owner in the Netherlands! I should have charged her as my first client with the advice I gave her about her family history! The most difficult part of the process was figuring out how to "code" my business for their demographics. After consulting with her peers, I was put in the category of "Medische laboratoria, trombosediensten en overig behandelingsondersteunend onderzoek, erfelijkheidsonderzoek." I'll take their word for it!

Now to figure out the tax situation. The Netherlands and the US have some sort of tax treaty that will prevent me from double taxation, but the specifics are very unclear to me. Business owners here are also required to file quarterly VAT (value added tax) statements, but I am hoping to be exempt since my profession is in the medical field.

The genetic counseling end of things is easy. Wish me luck with everything else!

SAIL Amsterdam 2015

On this gorgeous Saturday morning, we went into the city to see the SAIL boats up close and personal. First a bus to Central Station, then a ferry across to Noord and a stroll along the Ij. Just a few tall ships to see and a playground for a pit stop for Jude. I went aboard one ship, from India. Our plans to see SAIL in the morning and be home for nap time were foiled when Jude fell asleep in the stroller well before nap time. Long week for the buggo! So we took the ferry across to Java Island and had a relaxing lunch while he snoozed and then had more time to enjoy the festival and boats before heading home to beat the heat and crowds! 

Noord

Not a bad view from the slide!

Loading up provisions for the return journey

Golden Masts

Jude got his jam on to the huge Dutch choir

You could board almost all vessels, including this submarine, but the lines were too long for us.  

Waiting with a new buddy for our turn on the ferris wheel.

Goofball

Jude's eye view

Boats in, Boats out. What a scene!

Check out my belly button!

Fun games area set up for kids in front of a live orchestra.

Bye, bye SAIL. See you in 5 years??

Changes for the Durneys: I got a Job!

I have done a lot of soul searching in the past year. Maybe that is inevitable when you undergo so many life changes at once. New baby, international move, change of careers (from GC to SAHM). I have spent a lot of time thinking about what is important in life, what the purpose of a job is (other than the obvious) and what is needed to be happy. In case you can't tell from this blog, this has been an incredible year, completely exceptional. Above everything else, I will always be so thankful for the circumstances that allowed me to stay home for a year with Jude, in Amsterdam! Still, I thought often about working, taking time to myself, letting go of Jude (just a little) and how to accomplish all of this. I thought often about how fortunate I was to not miss a moment of Jude's first 16 months, but still had twinges of envy when I heard of friends getting new jobs, getting promotions and having their work recognized. I thought a lot. A lot a lot.

This spring, I decided that I would like to go back to work in the fall. Part time seemed like the best compromise between wanting to be with Jude, but also wanting to accomplish things for myself and help provide for our family. I applied to jobs at Pete's school that I was overqualified for and underwhelmed about, but hopeful just the same that it would work out for the above reasons. I didn't even get an interview. I got excited about a possibility of doing genetic research for a rare disease organization and was disappointed to find out they weren't hiring. I applied to a remote genetic counseling position and even after follow through, never heard anything. I was discouraged, but we were about to spend the entire summer traveling to Italy, the US and Croatia. Thankful to have an entire summer free, I put all job searching on hold.

While in NYC, I met up with my graduate school friend, Heather who shared that she had been working as a part time consultant for a NY-based genetic testing start up company, calling patients to review test results and family histories. Realizing that this could be a good fit for me based on my previous consultant experience, Heather emailed the manager to see if they were hiring any more part time remote genetic counselors. I had a good chat with the manager, who herself took time off with her first son and was offered the job while we were still in the states! Hooray! The time difference was my biggest concern, but we talked through the possible hours I could work to get up to my goal of 20 per week. I had training this past week and will call my first patients on Sunday! I will be working from home, which has pluses and minuses. I won't have a new, local social network, but I can wear what I want and don't have to commute anywhere! Valuable timesavers with a toddler in tow!

For those interested, I am working for a company called Recombine. They offer a genetic carrier screening test to couples would like to become pregnant or are already pregnant. A regular OB office will test a pregnant woman for around 3 genetic conditions depending on her ethnicity. Recombine's CarrierMap tests for 253 (and counting) conditions! As most people are found to be carriers for something, they also offer free genetic counseling to anyone who orders the test so that they can be informed about the implications of the results. I am passionate about carrier screening and the potential to spare parents the anguish of an untreatable illness in their children. I counseled too many of these families with beautiful children with heartbreaking conditions. Click the link if you want to check it out. I am excited!

SAIL-In Parade

I realize that it has been quiet on the blog front this month. That's because we have been very busy with changes and transitions over here. I'll have more to share about that early next week. One of those not wanting to jinx things before they happen situations! 

In the meantime, SAIL Amsterdam is taking place! It happens once every 5 years and kicked off yesterday with the SAIL-in parade. The boats, which were docked at the entrance to the North Sea, headed down the North Sea Canal and docked in Amsterdam over the course of the day. Knowing that the city would be mobbed, I followed the advice of one of my trusty local blogs and took off in the car to a small town, Ruigoord, from where I could apparently walk along quays to see the boats. So I arrive in Ruigoord and immediately feel uneasy. It is a community of artist squatters who I am sure would do me no harm, but I felt very strange wandering aimlessly around there looking for tall ships! So I hopped back in the car and followed the canals until I came across a boatload (pun intended) or cars and figured I must be at a good spot to watch the parade. Bingo. Lots of people along the banks of the water and bumper to bumper camper vans parked along the street.

Getting closer!

I was expecting to see lots of tall ships, but didn't realize how many other boats would be partaking in the parade. There was a serious traffic jam brewing! It was cool to see the boats go by, but a bit boring as you might imagine. So we all appreciated when the boats would sound their horns in call and response and when the adorable boat with the older gentlemen singing Dutch songs cruised by!

We plan to brave the crowds this weekend to see the boats more up close and personal in the city. Will report more if we see it!

Cory and Mike's Visit!

After returning from Croatia, we had a very busy week involved in the thing that I can't talk about for 6 months. As fun as that was, I was so excited when it wrapped because my college friend Cory and her boyfriend, Mike arrived the next day! Normally, I spend weeks anticipating and getting excited for visitors, but there wasn't a second to think about it in the last few weeks. So the excitement hit me Friday night and they were there the next day!

They arrived by train from Paris where they had spent the week with Mike's ex-pat brother who lives outside the city. Jude took an instant liking to Mike, which was so sweet to see! He's got a number of nieces and nephews and is a total natural.

We drove to Oudekerk ann de Amstel and ran into 2 different sets of friends there! Amsterdam is a really small place. 

Over the Amstel River

We had a big day out in Amsterdam, where I failed to take any pictures :( We went to Dam square and attempted to take Jude to a new man-made beach/park while Cory and Mike toured the Royal Palace and Nieuwe Kerk, but Jude fell asleep! We ate lunch in the Joordan and walked to Vondelpark. 

The next day we road tripped to Rotterdam, the Netherland's "second city" as it is called. We had yet to go and were excited to check it out. Don't expect pictures of cutesy canals and buildings below. After the city was bombed flat in WWII, they decided to rebuild in a totally modern way. The city is known for its unique architecture. It also boasts the country's tallest building. 

We aren't in (insert cutesy Dutch town name here) anymore.

Oude Haven (Old Port) 

I could not wrap my head around how people lived in these cube apartments. When you look in the windows, all of the furniture appears to be slanted! Crazy town! 

New Market Hall. Ground floor is food vendors and the surrounding "rainbow" is apartments. Projected on the ceiling is really graphic, bold flower and food prints. 

Cory and Mike with some of the unique buildings behind.

I was really excited the see Hotel New York. This was the place where all of the Dutch immigrants left from to head to New York. And the rest is history. The city that we love was founded by the Dutch. From New Amsterdam to Old Amsterdam. Full circle!

The Netherland's Tallest Buidling. The Mast Building, home to Deloitte apparently!

Ok, so as it turns out, Rotterdam does have (at least) one section of cutesy canals and buildings, in Delfthaven, a village within the city. I was glad Cory and Mike got to see some of the old with the new.

Back home, we all went out to our local restaurant in a windmill. It was our first time eating in their outside courtyard so you could look up and see the windmill. Not our best meal food-wise there, but excellent company and an awesome setting :)

Cory and I went to a cheese tasting at Reypenaer in the center of Amsterdam. Unlimited cheese paired with wine. Yes, please! 

Before their departure to the airport, we visited the pancake house in the bos. We had to force at least one of the Dutch local treats on them :)