All You Need Is Love

After the Second World War, many people wanted to start a new life on the other side of the ocean. The war had destroyed much of the European economy, and instead of waiting years for it to recover people opted to move abroad. Canada, Australia and the United States were among some of the most popular destinations for Dutch emigrants. For them, their transatlantic move was literally a one-way ticket by boat. Making the move would take everything they had left, and if it didn’t work out there was no way back. Staying in touch with family and friends left behind was difficult. Until later in the fifties, there was no transatlantic telephone service, so the only option was to write and wait for the mail to arrive. It would take weeks if not months to hear back, as long as the mail didn’t get lost somewhere along the way.

Love On Christmas Eve

Staying in touch with family abroad has become a lot easier. Today, I can even watch some Dutch television shows on my Canadian flat screen. Through …