OUR JOURNEY
Our journey from travelling the world to creating a life that feels truly our own
A life shaped by curiosity, freedom and the places we have called home
Our journey didn't begin with a grand plan to see the world. It started with a feeling that there had to be more ways to live than simply following the path that was laid out for us. Over the years, that feeling led us further from home, to new places, new experiences and eventually to a life where travel became much more than something we did during our holidays.
We have lived abroad, travelled slowly together with our 5 pets, worked while travelling and explored more than 75 countries. Along the way, we have learned to feel at home in places very different from where we started. This is how we got here.
It All Started With a Love for Travelling the World
Long before we lived abroad or travelled for months at a time, there was travel. From the outside, we had an ordinary life with jobs, a home and the usual plans for the future. Yet deep down, we felt that the standard path wasn't quite the life we were looking for.
So we started travelling whenever we could, often five times a year. We explored vibrant cities, ancient villages, towering mountains, dense jungles, vast deserts and endless beaches. Along the way, we experienced different cultures, met people from all walks of life and discovered ways of living that were very different from our own. Every place showed us something new and opened our eyes to the incredible diversity of the world.
One trip became another, one country became many, and eventually we had travelled to more than 75 countries. Every journey changed us as a person, challenged our perspective and taught us to look at the world with a much broader view. The more we travelled, the more we began to question the life we had always assumed we were supposed to live.
Living Abroad: Our Island Life
Living abroad had always been a dream, but dreams don't simply happen. Sometimes you have to recognise an opportunity, take a leap and accept that the road towards something you've always wanted won't always be easy. Then, suddenly, the opportunity to move to Bonaire came our way. It was the beginning of the COVID crisis, making the move far from easy, but we decided to take the leap.
For three and a half years, Bonaire became our home. We lived the island life, surrounded by turquoise waters, nature, sunshine and a slower pace of living. Our two cats and our dog came with us, and along the way, two more dogs joined our family. Our little pack was complete.
Life on Bonaire taught us to slow down, be present and appreciate the simple things. There was less rush, less noise and less of the constant pressure to always be doing more. Island life showed us that life doesn't have to move at the same speed as the world around us. We learned to enjoy the moment, to let go of the need to control everything and to appreciate a simpler way of living.
But eventually, we felt the pull to keep moving. There were still so many places to discover and adventures waiting for us, and we knew they couldn't all be reached from Bonaire. Leaving was one of the hardest decisions we had made. We had built a life we loved, surrounded by people, nature and memories that had become deeply meaningful to us.
Yet staying would have meant putting our curiosity and desire for adventure on hold. We had learned that sometimes moving forward means leaving something beautiful behind. Chasing your dreams comes with sacrifices, but for us, staying curious and continuing to explore was worth it.
So we said goodbye to Bonaire and took another leap into the unknown.
Slow travel, working remotely and exploring the world together with all our animals.
Leaving Bonaire meant returning to the Netherlands, but we knew we weren't ready to settle back into the life we had left behind. We had no home of our own and, since we could both work online, we decided to embrace life as digital nomads. As long as we had good WiFi, we could work from almost anywhere.
After a short period in the Netherlands, we packed up again and moved to Carinthia, Austria, taking all five of our animals with us. For four months, we lived in a tiny village next to a farmer, surrounded by mountains and a way of life that felt like stepping back in time. We enjoyed the Austrian mountains, the food, the peace and the simplicity of everyday life, all while continuing to work remotely.
Then we packed the car again and drove south, with all five animals, towards Spain. For four months, we lived high in the Spanish mountains near Málaga, surrounded by breathtaking views with the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. It was the kind of place often described in retirement dreams. Except we weren't waiting until retirement to live it.
We found ourselves in a small, authentic Spanish village where life was still simple. The older Spanish men gathered in the village, people took their time and there was little of the rush and pressure we had once considered normal.
Once again, it reminded us that there is no single way to build a life. You don't have to follow the standard path or wait until retirement to experience the things you dream about. But being fully nomadic also came with its practical challenges. Not having a permanent address made everyday life increasingly complicated. So we decided to buy a home in the Netherlands, giving us a place to return to and a practical basecamp between our adventures.
Today, we still spend several months at a time in Europe, working remotely from wherever we choose to stay. But this time, it feels different. We are no longer living as digital nomads. We have a home base to return to, while choosing to travel more slowly and stay longer in the places we love. This is our version of slow travel. Less about constantly moving, and more about staying long enough to experience a place, work from there, live like a local and truly enjoy the rhythm of everyday life.
And when we are back in the Netherlands, we haven't lost our love for short trips either. We still escape for holidays, exploring new places whenever we can. Because whether it's a few days away or several months abroad, travel will always be part of our journey.