Exploring life's passions

Month: June 2015

Slower than comfortable

After many years of fast travel, I now try to embrace the charm of taking it slow(er), even though it has its challenges on its own.

Do you even need a home?

It’s been a strange couple of weeks for me. I’ve been in four very different countries over the past four weeks. That’s not really strange. What is strange is how familiar they all felt.

Home everywhere, but still feeling displaced

For a long time already, I decided to stick with the idea that home is the place where I stay and sleep. But even so, it still makes me wonder, what is home for me, and for all those others who live away from their home country or town?

My difficult relationship with Scotland

I used to hate the idea of going to Scotland. In the last couple of years though, I’ve really enjoyed my visits, and I wonder whether it’s the country that has changed or is it me.

The myth of the advantages of being on your own (while you have a partner)

Sometimes you take things so much for granted that you might forget how valuable they are.

When is a thought just a thought?

Whenever I’m in a remote or particularly spectacular place in the world, one strange thought always appears in my mind.

Look on the bright side

For months, Sandra, Annelies, and I have been looking forward to our trek in Peru, we carefully prepared and trained, knowing it would be physically demanding. And even though our trip turned out quite different to how we expected, we almost loved every moment of it. At least in retrospect.

What to pack or not to pack. Part 2 – Jim’s story

Leonie thinks I pack too quickly, that I don’t give it enough thought or take enough care. The opposite is true; I take a lot longer than she does.

What to pack or not to pack? Part 1

Packing for a journey has always been a challenge for me. At the beginning, I feel the excitement, but when the moment of packing comes, the challenge begins.