Category: Location Independent Lifestyle

  • Awesome Travel Budget Tracker: Trail Wallet

    Awesome Travel Budget Tracker: Trail Wallet

    When I travel, I like to keep track of my budget. It gives me insight and peace of mind, plus I can share some helpful insights later on with fellow travelers who are asking for advice.

    Track your travel budget wisely

    So far, I have always made due with the Notes or Excel app on my iPhone, and recently I checked out the XE Currency Converter app’s add-on for travel expenses.

    What that one offers that Trail Wallet doesn’t, is it automatically calculates the daily exchange rates and incorporates additional costs for your payment methods, such as when your bank charges you to withdraw foreign cash.

    What I love about Trail Wallet

    And the comparison ends there. Trail Wallet, to me, is the perfect app for keeping track of my travel expenses. It’s snappy, it’s easy, and it is beautiful.

    I love anything that makes task management look exciting. I love colorful diagrams automatically generated from my numbers. I love that my budget tracking now results in a cool infographic. No more boring excel sheets or dull notes for me :).

    Trail Wallet is designed to help you stick to your budget. It has categorization built in so you can easily see where your money is flowing. It remembers the settings for your last input so adding a new one is as easy as adding a number and if necessary switching the category.

    Before, I would remember all expenses and add them later in the day. With the app, it is easy to add a payment on the spot.

    Suggestions

    One thing that would come in handy: if the app would cache (remember) notes added to previous payments and automatically suggest them in a new item when typing the same letters.

    And another improvement that would come help those traveling together and sharing expenses: add travel buddies and enable a way to track who paid what.

    For now, you can solve the travel buddy thing by tweaking the existing tags option to show who paid what.

    Calculate the real price

    Helpful tip: if you pay by debit or credit card and your card issuer charges for those payments, or for the cash you withdraw while on your journey, be sure to incorporate those costs in the app’s settings where it prompts you to manually adjust the conversion rate.

    For example, if your bank charges 2% for cash withdrawal (like mine) and you pay mostly in cash (like me) then multiply the app’s suggested exchange rate with 1.02 and save that value in the settings.

    Who is it for?

    The Trail Wallet app comes in handy for people on business trips, digital nomads and backpackers alike. I like it so much that I’ll probably keep using it even when I’m not traveling.

    Free trial & premium version

    It is a premium app. You can install it, try it out for free and add up to 25 payments, giving you plenty of opportunity to see if it works for you. If you make short trips and delete data after each trip, you can even keep using it for free I guess. Otherwise, the $ 4.99 full version is definitely worth it.

    Happy budgeting!

  • Exploring new grounds: Costa Rica (I)

    Exploring new grounds: Costa Rica (I)

    Digital nomading in Costa Rica

    I landed in Costa Rica a few days ago, where I’ll be servicing my clients and creating new ways to make online income, as well as travel, see the country and get to know its people.

    Digital nomading has been my lifestyle for the past couple of years already, but this is the first time I’m going all by myself.

    I have wanted to travel alone since I was in high school. Today, I’m thirty five years old and finally doing it. It feels big and completely natural at the same time.

    Why Costa Rica

    The wonderful journey to Portugal (see all Summer in a VW Camper van posts) only a month or two ago, made me realize how happy and healthy I am when living close to nature. Costa Ricans (who like to call themselves ‘Ticos’) are supposedly masters of this lifestyle.

    La Pura Vida

    Their country is teaming with life, harbouring over 80% of all the world’s species of flora and fauna on its tiny surface.

    The people are among the happiest in the world and the country is one of the global ‘hotspots’ for longevity. That means there are a lot of men and women over a hundred years old here.

    How do they do that..? The answer lies in the country’s motto: La Pura Vida, the pure life. Keep things simple, keep moving, eat healthy foods, connect with others. Here, on the streets, it’s a way to say hi and bye: ‘pura vida!’.

    Are you sure..?

    Since I came here, I have also spoken to people who have a whole different experience with Costa Rica and some of its people.

    I’m about to find out for myself and will of course blog about my experiences.

    Get in touch

    Are you a nomad in Costa Rica right now..? Feel free to connect!

  • Emden, Northern Germany (Summer in a VW campervan I)

    Emden, Northern Germany (Summer in a VW campervan I)

    Moin! I’m in Emden, Ost-Friesland, Northern Germany and here, ‘Moin!’ is the way to say hi.

    Update

    Life has been wild and deep and the blog has been silent for the last couple of months. A new love has entered my life and I’ve spent quite some time here in Germany and roaming different places in The Netherlands, looking out for a steady place to live and meanwhile enjoying the location independent lifestyle.

    Nomading

    Sometimes, I really long to live somewhere steady, just to have a ‘basecamp’. However, the apartments I applied for so far have not yet turned out to be a match and although my mind sometimes feels sorry about that, my heart is calm and knows everything is alright and life is providing everything that is needed in just the right time.

    As a direct example, this roaming lifestyle enables me to pay off my debt faster than I could have otherwise and frankly, feeling that weight slowly but steadily being lifted off my shoulders is huge.

    Hit the road again

    After six months of profound work, the hurt of the breakup still being felt, some exciting website jobs, a couple of ceremonial workshops, and five different houses I’ve taken care of or stayed at, the time has come for me to hit the road again.

    Love Jan has bought a Volkswagen T5 van and is turning it into a comfortable campervan. He is a carpenter and works miracles with wood, making everything in here fit the curves of the bus just perfectly.

    Meanwhile, I am working on a brand new look and functionality for this website using the van as my office. We expect to both be ready in a few days.

    judith-jan-campervan-emden

    Volkswagen T5 campervan makeover

    Some highlights of the work he is getting done: a big bed annex chill area, optimal storage space, a multifunctional mini kitchen to be used inside or outside of the vehicle and ‘swivel seats’, meaning we can turn around the driver and passenger seats to create a spacious and comfy home using the full length of the van.

    He is getting all that done AND making us lovely breakfast each morning in his mother’s ‘Cafétje’, too!

    What’s next

    We’re almost done: Jan with the van, and I with the website. I’m totally excited about putting that live and then roadtripping down south, through Belgium, to France, Spain and Portugal. I’ve recently picked up playing guitar and expect to add a few songs to my songbook along the way, visit faraway friends and get some work done in the meantime as well.

    I’m ready to find out what living in a campervan is really like… and will of course keep you posted whenever I can! If you have ever traveled this way, please do share your experience in the comments. Or, if you have questions about the VW campervan makeover, those are welcome as well!

  • How to inspire people into action and start living the life of your dreams

    How to inspire people into action and start living the life of your dreams

    Update 2021: I wrote this post several years ago. By now, I have a much more nuanced view. Then, I was on a Thai island, surrounded with online entrepreneurs, ‘living the life’. I was into traditional online marketing then, and the whole post now sounds a bit grotesque and manipulative to me. Still, there is also a lot of truth to what I wrote: stories do inspire. Your story does matter. And ‘we’ who aim to have a positive, peaceful, wholesome impact, have important stories of transformation to share, especially in this time. So I decided to leave this post up. Take from it what is in line with your deepest intentions and highest aspirations.

    Are you an entrepreneur, or are you thinking of becoming one? Do you want to put your talents to work and make the world a shinier place? Does the PROMISE of your business make you feel energized, light, fulfilled, happy and strong?

    If you’re like many entrepreneurs i know, you may at times feel that the reality of your business is different. It may feel heavier. It is dragging you along, or you are dragging IT along. You’re putting IN more energy than you are getting out of it. You may feel like you’re only working to pay your bills, relieved with any client who says yes…

    If you believe it shouldn’t have to be that way, you are right. Here’s what I have found:
    There is a way to lead a life of inspiration and share it in such a way that people will be ASKING to do business with you. ASKING you to share your ideas on their issues. ASKING you to create a service for their needs that they are willing to pay for.

    The way, put very simply, is this: be authentic, unapologetic and compassionate. Act from your deepest values, and share you story.

    Imagine what your world will look like if you live your life and run your business like this!

    You will be living consciously, following your purpose.
    People will want to learn from you, because we naturally get drawn to those who live authentic lives.
    Your sales conversations will be informal, effortless and fun.
    You will be doing business touching lives,
    and you will be doing so with ease and in flow.

    In this blogpost, I will explain one way to make this happen.

    It takes courage, but I know from experience that if you apply this, it will TRANSFORM your business, your life and the way you feel about yourself and your work. It will impact how you walk this Earth, what you bring into it and how others will benefit. It’s true, because it’s TRUE.

    Let me tell you a personal story:

    Six years ago, I was going through a really rough time. I was working as a consultant for a well-known training company and although there were many parts of the work that I loved, I remember crying every morning in the car on my way to work. Until one day, I cracked. I panicked at work and went in fright mode. Heart racing, cold sweat, nausea, mind in overdrive, unstoppable tears. Exhausted.

    While I was at home, unable to go back to the work place, I slowly started doing things that I loved: cooking, writing, sharing recipes. I read many blogs and… started my own. I taught myself how to work with WordPress.

    I was thrilled by how fun and easy it was to create WordPress websites and by the time I had regained the energy and confidence to get back to work, I knew I wanted to start a business to show people how easily they could make themselves heard and seen online.

    My hardship had given me a tremendous present: a new skill I could use to help people shine.

    I brought a new concept into the market, launching peoples’ website within one intense day of 1-on-1 coaching and instruction. It was unique in its approach and soon it got copied by fellow website creators.

    In those five years I have worked with over 200 entrepreneurs.
    I invited clients to ask their questions freely and I would answer them on my blog, for everybody to benefit. This hugely improved the conversion of my sales conversations: people who called were already enthusiastic. They already knew me and knew what to expect from me.

    There are MANY website creators around, some working at ridiculously low rates, and in this very competitive market, I have built the business of my own dreams: a location independent business which enables me to work whenever, wherever.

    I have traveled all over Europe and to Malaysia, India, Thailand enjoying this life of freedom. I have found inspiration everywhere and have shared all about it on my blogs.
    Wherever I go, many people end up checking out my blog and magically… I get daily REQUESTS from people to work with THEM.

    Why am I telling you all this? To show you a few things. I’m sure you have seen them in your life already:

    1. Any life experience is an invitation for you to learn.
    You may resolve old patterns and make space for the lighter, healthier, more open and powerful you.
    2. Anything you have learned, any process you have lived through, can be of benefit to others.
    You can draw countless advices from your own experiences!

    And now here’s a big one which may really shift your mindset:
    3. Anything which is of benefit to others, has a value which can be expressed in money.

    You may share you life’s transformations and turn them into a mini-course, either in a video or a blog post or a worksheet or an ebook…
    You could then share it for money or in exchange for people’s email address, for example, so you can build a personal relationship. But I am jumping ahead of myself.

    Today I want to share with you one way of attracting the business and clients that are perfect for you, right now:

    Inspire people into action by sharing your story

    INSPIRE people into ACTION. Live by example and empower people to step into their own strength.

    How to do that?

    One thing that inspires people, is when you SHARE your STORY. People have been telling each other stories for ages. We all understand the concept of a journey. We are all the hero in our own story, or we want to be. We have all faced obstacles and overcome them. Stories are elegant ways of conveying a message.

    This is one super strong way in which you can inspire people: by sharing your story of personal transformation and growth.

    But don’t let it end there! Your next step is… to help people take the next step!
    You want to inspire people INTO ACTION. You can help people see that this change can happen for them, too. Paint the picture of where they are now and where they will be when they take the action you propose.

    How to inspire people into action

    1. Share your story in a lively way
    2. Distill your method
    3. Tell people their action
    4. Show them their transformation (use all of the senses)

    1. Share your story

    Old situation – something happened – new situation

    In colorful details, using all of the senses, describe where you were at the beginning of your story. Then, shortly describe what happened that made the difference. And finally, describe your transformation. Try to answer these questions:

    What were the results?
    How did you feel?
    What went differently from then on?

    2. Distill your method

    Take your “something happened” and distill it into actionable steps. Tell them that in a simplified way, this is what you did.

    3. Tell people their action

    Make it simple. Tell them: if you are in this situation, you need to take THESE STEPS.

    4. Show them their transformation

    Show exactly how happy, relieved, fulfilled, open, energized and/or grounded you felt having lived this transformation. Really bring it to life! And help them imagine how they would feel in your shoes.

    Bring it to life in a way that people get to see the real you. Use informal language. Imagine you are talking to your best friend or your family. Use the words you would be using with them. This way, you connect with people on a personal level.

    You will open people up to the possibility that they can have the same result as you… and they can! Have you ever seen the light that shines in people’s eyes when they feel inspired? This is the light that shines in each of us.

    It can be anything

    Now – you may feel you don’t have a lot to share. But remember that you can literally take the smallest successes in your life and draw from ANY life experience. There is always someone with the same problem.

    Search for the smallest bits of experience that you can find. When i work with clients, we use a structured process to find how THEY can inspire people into action and trust me, the options are countless.

    Over to you

    Want to share your story in the comments? Please do! Don’t forget to mention the transformation you saw in your life and which your clients may see in theirs. I’m looking forward!

  • Limiting money beliefs

    Limiting money beliefs

    In my previous post, i wrote how working in countries like Thailand may inspire an even better work life balance for digital nomads. I spend lots of time behind the computer and love to counter that with lots of time playing around, swimming and dancing and practicing yoga. That’s one of the reasons for moving to a tropical island. Here’s another one, and it’s a biggie: finances.

    Financial balance
    A big motivator for being in Thailand, is money. I have some serious debts to deal with and living in and working from Thailand (waaaaay cheaper than Holland) is helping me clean my old mess and maintain a healthy balance, also financially.

    Money is energy
    In fact, I have only quite recently come to the realization that money in itself is just innocent energy and it is ME who has been putting all kinds of labels on it such as ‘bad’, ‘dirty’, ‘guilty’, ‘difficult’, you name them, and i’ve been getting myself into trouble because of these convictions about money. I have behaved with money as i perceived the very thing i was dealing with.

    Who would you be without your story?

    The Work of Byron Katie is a way of identifying and questioning the thoughts that cause all the anger, fear, depression, addiction, and violence in the world. Experience the happiness of undoing those thoughts through The Work, and allow your mind to return to its true, awakened, peaceful, creative nature.

    Everything you need in order to do The Work is available free on the website >.

    Real problem?
    To be honest, this is the one thing that i actually perceive as a real problem sometimes. The mechanism used to be, to turn away from it. Don’t want to see the bills, don’t want to face myself hiding them. Now, it is my practice to calm my mind which is until then full of fear and feel the love and lightness that are also present. And then i open the envelope and deal with whatever is inside.

    Opening envelopes connecting to love and lightness inside? This may sound weird to you if you have no problem dealing with money (or avoiding to do so). Or it may sound wishy-washy if you’re not into the whole spiritual thing. But truly, it is my experience that wherever i created trouble in my life, the cause was in a false conviction, held by me, about the thing i was dealing with. As soon as i willfully (and, more and more, automatically) stop believing my thoughts, i become more open, more relaxed, and more prone to taking the right action.

    The Work
    What is helping me loads is The Work by Byron Katie. I’ll probably post more on her later. For now, i’ll just say that her sequence of questions and especially the final turnaround helps me see how by holding these beliefs about money i was (and truthfully, often still am) actually limiting myself bigtime.

    Step back and See
    Finally lifting the veil of false convictions and unlearning them, makes available all the space and strength and resources we need to deal with anything. True freedom and the power to make miracles happen, reside in every vessel of us. Surrender to this truth and you will be alive like never before.

    Surrendering to a truth? What does that MEAN?! Why don’t i just say: ‘understand this, and…’, or ‘agree with this, and…’? I’ll explain soon, the article is in the making. One hint: it has to do with letting go of mind-made beliefs.

    What comes from this? For me: the courage to face up to my own shit, determination to keep on calling and writing letters where needed, the good sense to call my bookkeeper and ask friends for support in getting everything sorted, the inspired productivity to develop and sell awesome, meaningful products and services and pay what needs to be paid.

    That’s in my case, until now. Your case and the solutions you come up with, may be different. Also, let me tell you: creating new patterns requires effort and loving dedication. I still need help and friendly reminders to stay on track.

    One more perk
    What also comes from lifting the veil and opening up to all possibilities? That i get to write this confession to you from Thailand, where i spend my days in joyous love with my dearest: Marco.* He supports me and has supported me through many years of intense pleasure, times of hardship and neverending connectedness. Together we came here not just because this is paradise, but also because being in paradise helps us to deal with our shit. I feel eternally grateful to have Marco as a buddy and a lover to share ideas with, moments of inspiration as well as despair, and i just know we’ll make it. Bigtime.

    Have a lovely day, y’all <3

    Image & quote gracefully provided by Maya Miriam: http://mayamiriam.wordpress.com/

    * Update: things change and Judith and Marco are no longer together as a couple. We are still close friends.

  • Digital nomads & work life balance

    Digital nomads & work life balance

    Update: life goes on, things change and Judith and Marco are no longer together as a couple. We are still close friends but we both went our separate ways.

    We’re in Thailand, carrying backpacks and traveling low-budget. Apparently, the Thai use a special term for our kind: stinky foreigners. Ha!

    Truth is, we have showered every day or even twice since we came here (because it’s HOT!) and opted for an airconditioned room in Bangkok’s Thara hotel (recommended), near Khaosan Road, the city’s most attractive tourist area.

    Is your work location-independent or could you move your business to another country? Do you fancy (temporarily) living in a tropical area with more focus on health and adventure? Do you like meeting travelers? Read on!

    Why Thailand?
    There’s a few reasons we chose Thailand:

    • the country’s rich nature
    • the wise buddhist culture
    • the friendly people
    • the low prices
    • the great digital nomad climate: wifi everywhere

    So a few days ago, we made our way south to the beautiful island of Koh Pha Ngan to do all that.

    Also, by what we heard from friends, it just seems to be effortless here to integrate wholesome good stuffs such as yoga, dance and a diet of fruits and veggies into our daily lives of working behind a digital device.

    Digital nomads & work life balance
    I mean, i don’t know about you, but i often feel i need to ‘create space’ in my busy western life to do my meditation practice or play around. And then sometimes i just don’t… And that’s kinda crazy, because every time i DO create that space to dance freely or cook up something creative or follow a design tutorial of sorts, there’s an immediate awesome effect where not only do i come up with better ideas, but also problems which i thought were there before, melt like clouds before the sun and magic signs start popping up everywhere: you’re on the right track! Keep going!

    3 reasons to become a digital nomad in South East Asia:

    • A healthy way of living naturally inspires to make more healthy choices.
    • The low prices make things like foot massages or daily yoga classes so much more accessible.
    • Meeting like-minded people really creates a ‘new normal’ of living a life of joy and abundance, spiritually, physically and economically.

    Beach office
    In a few days, we hope to be living in our ‘own’ bungalow for the coming months. Until then, we’re in a beach resort. The wifi at the restaurant is fine and we made a nice office for ourselves facing the gently rolling waves of the Gulf of Thailand. We pay 600 baht (about 14 euros) per night for a small 1-room bungalow with private hot shower and a veranda with hammock. It’s really lovely.

    Day at the office: swim, work, drink coconut, repeat
    We spend a lot of time taking care of business from our beach office, and whenever we feel like it, we dive in the water for a cooling and refreshing swim. I drink juice from coconuts all day, using a spoon afterwards to scrape the fresh white flesh from the shell. It really fills you up and replenishes the body for quite a while.

    Television
    One downside i find here at the beach resort and in many other places we visited until now, is the television that is constantly producing sounds. My love remarked how serene this place would be if it weren’t for the television. Sports commentary, commercials, action hero movie gunfire. I trust that at least in the yoga schools, the tv will finally be turned off ;).

    Prices
    Here are a few first observations:

    • One coconut costs 30 baht (about 70 eurocents) if you buy it in the street. I swear i could live on coconuts alone, they’re sooo delicious and nutricious.
    • Dinners at any restaurant or resort can be something like a green or cream curry or a fresh and spicy vegetable soup with rice and costs around 100-150 baht for a meal, that’s 2,5 – 4 euros.
    • Streetfood, if prepared right in front of you, is delicious and can be safely eaten. Buy a pad thai, that’s your choice of noodles with veggies and some protein such as egg, tofu, chicken or shrimp) for no more than 40 baht (not even 1 euro).
    Speciality: edible bugs
    In Bangkok, i was checking out a food stand selling fried scorpios and beatles and many kinds of worms. A tourist lady offered me a taste from her freshly bought batch. So that was my moment. I ate a deep fried silk worm. It was crunchy, and its inside was rather dry, like liver. I don’t like eating meat and so when the remains of the little fellow got stuck in my teeth, i was rather grossed out. I’m sure same goes for you now. You’re welcome ;).

    Here’s my #1 tip on creating the life of your dreams
    Here’s a great and possibly life changing advice: be mindful of the people you hang out with. Connect with people already living your dream. Science shows us that your social circle greatly influences your choices in life. Do your friends watch television all day? Probably so will you. Do they work late hours? You may want to meet their dedication. Do they drink lots of alcohol? It’ll be easy for you to join them.

    Do your friends do awesome stuff like mountain climbing, scuba diving and learning how to dance the tango, earning a living following their dreams? It’ll come natural to you to do the same and the resources you need will be available everywhere for you.*

    Today we’re going to check out a few bars/venues where supposedly our peers hang out. We found a nice website & Facebook group (Conscious Phangan) with people sharing events for kindred souls who like dance, yoga, drumming, etc. Can’t wait to meet all those people in real life.

    Next post…
    Soon i’ll share more about life in paradise. First, in my next post, i’ll lift the veil on one of the last remaining ‘problems’ in my life. It’s about money. Stay tuned.

    Awesome photo by Marco Reeuwijk

    * Is it your dream to have a happy family and a safe, predictable rhythm in your days? Same goes there: surround yourself with people already living your dream.

  • Location Independent Offices

    Every time i work somewhere new, i try to make a nice picture. Here’s an impression of the many views from my ‘offices’. Will be updated regularly with new vistas.

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  • We booked our dream!

    We booked our dream!

    YAAAY we just booked our next adventure!! THAILAND here we come <3.

    Sun and sand

    From November 2014 till January 2015, Marco’s photography business and Juuth’s website business will be brought to you from sunny verandas and sandy beaches.

    Thailand wedding photography

    Marco will be available for destination weddings in the South East Asia region at special discount fee this winter, so now’s definitely the time to propose and fly your loved one to the sun.

    Business ‘as usual’

    My website business will be running as usual. Wifi connections are plenty and Skype runs smooth from where we are.

    Blessings

    Already for years, my love* and i have been dreaming about traveling the world, living a location independent lifestyle. Many variations of (business) plans were created and let go of.

    Meanwhile, almost silently, our businesses and lives just grew in such a way that now enables us to work from anywhere.

    We have both traveled a lot already, but now it does feel a bit different for we are going together. It’s a dream coming true and i can not tell you how blessed i feel every day that this is my life.

    If only i could talk to the 15 year old Judith and tell her exactly how wonderful everything will be… wow.

    Location independent living

    So now, let’s see what this ‘location independent’ hype is all about, right? In this blog i’ll keep you updated on our findings and adventures, so stay tuned!

    Links

    World wide wedding photography: http://2rings.nl
    Website creation & more: In1DagOnline.nl

     

    Thanks to Jackson Cam for being so open to share (through Creative Commons license) his beautiful photo of the island we’ll be staying at.

    * Update: things change and now years later, Judith and Marco are no longer together as a couple. We are still close friends.

  • Winter in the tropics – your advice please!

    Winter in the tropics – your advice please!

    My love and i are planning to stay the winter overseas, where Christmas is sunny and where New Year’s Eve is celebrated in bikini, with sandy toes.

    I feel so deeply happy and grateful to be able to do this… aaaaahhhh. Yay!

    We’ll be working from there (as well as doing yoga courses, jungle trekkings and whatnot) and so we’re looking for the perfect places for digital nomads like us to connect to local people and nature as well as… well, wifi.

    We’re thinking Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia. Maybe Bali. We heard good things about Chiang Mai (Thailand) and Ho Chi Minh City (‘Saigon’, Vietnam). Marco will be starting an online photography business, i will continue the website and catering businesses that i love as well as develop exciting new business ideas AND of course sharing our adventures with you…

    We’re also open to all opportunities you may think or hear of :).

    So, dear friends, we’re calling on you! Please let us know in the comments:

    • Have you lived a location independent/digital nomad lifestyle abroad?
    • How’s your experience?
    • Where should we go?
    • Do you know people we should connect with?

    I can’t wait to hear from you! Thanks a lot.

    With love and sunny kisses,

    Marco & Judith

    Update! We’ve booked our flight to Bangkok even before this blogpost went live on the webz. Still very curious for your tips & tricks, so do let us know your experience! Love, Judith

  • A wonderful year

    A wonderful year

    The past year has been wonderful – literally full of wonders.

    Until the summer, i struggled a lot with work, often feeling behind schedule and not living up to my own standards. Still, inside, i could feel this brimming of energy and creativity, ideas forming about how to live more open and fully. My beloved Marco said it just right: “It’s time to fly”.

    During the summer holiday we were at SUN Festival with many lovely friends from all over the world and i worked my ass off in a falafel place and felt so fulfilled (dancing, frying balls, cutting onions tearing up and joking around). Marco and i hitchhiked from Budapest to Milan and from there… things just turned around. I started living the life i envisioned for myself and amazingly… everything started falling into place. I created a new website for my business (http://in1dagonline.nl/), sharing knowledge for free and empowering entrepreneurs even before selling my own services. And within a few weeks, new jobs came flowing in. I found partners to work with and in the meantime, started ‘planning’ my own first trip to India.

    Sometimes, my mind still takes the upper hand and i worry and create tension. It’s a pattern i’ve lived in for years and it takes loving effort to turn it around. When i worry, hard things happen. When i relax and trust, magical things happen. At times it has seemed hard to find the ‘relax button’, but there’s one training i did which really helps me to deal with anything in my life: Persoonlijk Leiderschap by Amethist Developing People (http://amethisttrainingcoaching.nl/particulieren/trainingen/persoonlijk-leiderschap/). It’s in Dutch and until now i know of no English equivalent, unfortunately. If you speak Dutch, be sure to check it out.

    This next year will (hopefully) be as much about freedom, travel, wisdom, surprise and loving relationships as the past few months. First there’s India, then my sister has a little baby coming (yaaaay! i’ll be an aunt!) and.. well, let’s see what comes next. I hope to share all these beautiful life adventures with Marco, my beloved rock & bouncing ball and with all of YOU. You truly enrich my life. Thank you for your support, encouragement, your likes and jokes and honest criticism every now and then.