Sitting on the terrace of Haagen Dazs overlooking the harbour of Toulon, I’m getting emotional and happy at the same time. I see the two boats of Corsica Ferries which remind me that I took the boat in the summer of 2010 with Christophe to Corsica, our first holiday together.

Yes, I am back on the road, and it feels so good. The vibes, the freedom and driving my camper Einstein I have really missed it the past months.

On Thursday, I will turn 45 years old.

A time to celebrate life… but honestly I prefer to avoid this day and be far away from anyone, and spend it somewhere alone. I have never been a fan of my birthday, it never meant much for me. But this year it’s different. Feeling like I have a rope around my neck.

What a year! It’s amazing what all can happen in just 365 days.

It’s been a life changing year, on all levels of my life. I have taken myself out of my comfort zone and started a new chapter as a nomad, and the first full year as a widow.

Sitting in Tirana on a terrace watching people. Such a fascinating city on all levels. The history of the country, the ongoing developments (many constructions) in the city, the vibes, lots of young people, and the beautiful mix between east and west, you find it here.

The fog in my head is slowly fading away. Feeling the pain in your stomach when you’re laughing is so intense that you almost have to go to the toilet (piss in your paints let me be Dutch), nothing more in life can make you happy. Finding the real joy in life again is a beauty, a treasure.

And apparently beautiful Montenegro was for me the right destination to find the turning point in my life.

Starting my journey in Montenegro in lovely Budva in a luxury 5 star hotel and having a bath, what an awesome start. I thought that I started with the top just the opposite is true.

Montenegro is breathtaking, that’s the word I have been searching for. The landscape is so divers that driving for just one hour is everything but boring, it’s suprising. I can say that I have visited a few countries in my life but Montenegro suprised me on all levels. I have seen just a very small part of it, my journey has just started….

Slomadism means slow down Mariska.

Never a dull moment in my life…

Visiting a hospital in Croatia was not part of my to do list, now I can tip if off my list. Aplogizes but no super exciting story here… I wish ;-) I felt my foot was slipping away and heard it cracking and knew directly, this is not good.

Read how the story continues and what Slomadism really means

How does my van life look like?

A question I receive a lot!

Every day is different and I don’t have any routine! A simple conclusion. Of course there are things I want to accomplish like going 2 times a week for a run, doing yoga but these are not obliged. Oh yeah, cleaning the toilet of Loekie everyday! All the rest is fluid, and varies everyday, a reflection of my entire life. Read my latest blogpost with all the adventures from Split, Croatia.

A summary of one week stay in Ljubljana in Slovenia.

You are a source of inspiration. Queen of the industry . Just to mention a few highlights of the past week.

And the biggest question do I have after one week; who is the mysterious person behind the package that I found on my chair in front of my camper?

Yes, I am on the road again…

And what a start.

My first journey started perfect, the second has already unexpected twists.

It remind me, never a dull moment in my life!

Only a few days left and I will continue my journey with my camper and cat through Europe. This time my first destination will be Ljubljana (Slovenia) where I will speak at the Future Leaders Forum. To share my story, travelling and working remotely and the reason why I took this decision to shift my life completely.