Utrecht: toxic ex or relaxing city?

The sunny days have finally arrived in Utrecht, and everybody is chilling. As I was brainstorming the content for this column, I was on a bench by the canal, and every single person I saw was jogging, walking their dog, or simply vibing. I coined a term for it: the sun pass, a mysterious citywide agreement under which, when the sun is shining, people are exempt from work and can chill by the canals. When I described this phenomenon over the phone to my parents, who live and work in Milan, we wondered what the secret is to enjoying such a lifestyle on a Wednesday afternoon (seriously – what is the deal with the sun pass?).

Thinking about the sun pass brought to mind a Forbes Advisor article that ranked Utrecht as the second most relaxing place to live among more than 170 cities worldwide. This makes me wonder…What makes a city the most relaxing city in the world to live in? When I think about my own experience, the city where I lived most of my life is Milan, which, guess what, is the fifth most stressful city on the list. Comparing these two cities in my head resurfaced a question that feels increasingly urgent as my thesis deadline approaches: after I graduate, will I stay in Utrecht or return to Milan?

My life in Milan was so different that comparing it to my life in Utrecht feels like cheating. Here I live on my own, close to the city centre, while in Milan I used to live with my family on the outskirts of the city. Biking along the canal on a sunny day like this seems definitely preferable to a 21-stop metro commute, but would I feel the same if this was one of those days in which I have to bike in the rain with the wind against me? Dutch cities are a bit like a toxic ex: just when you're about to move on, they show up with flowers and make you feel like they totally changed. 

Rankings like Forbes’ stressful city index make it seem like an easy decision, weighing factors like commute time, cost of living, healthcare, crime and pollution. Apparently, these five dimensions can guarantee a relaxing life, but can they also guarantee a happy one? What should we measure to decide where to go after graduation? 

There are countless variables, and for now, I am left with plenty of job applications but no answers. And then there is the relationship dimension: can people around us shape our experience so profoundly that even the least stressful city begins to feel overwhelming? For some of us international students, the clock is ticking even faster, as without a job-sponsored visa, staying isn’t even an option. For now, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and Utrecht feels like the most relaxing city in the world.

On Students' Viewpoint, UU students share their views with the rest of the university community. Chiara, a Master's student in Migration, Ethnic Relations & Multiculturalism, is one of the columnists invited for this space. You can also read the perspectives of staff members on Staff's Viewpoint and click here to check out the columns by students and staff in Dutch.