About me
In 2024, I left the Netherlands. I sold my house because I wanted a different way of living — one that felt closer to who I am and how I want to live.
I didn’t leave with a fixed plan, but with a clear longing: more simplicity, more freedom, more time outdoors, and a life closer to nature. My dream was to have a piece of land with a caravan or a tiny house.
As a first step, I walked the Camino de Santiago. After that, I travelled through Portugal and southern Spain, spending time in different places to see what might become home. In December 2024, while travelling to Dénia to spend Christmas and New Year with my friend Nicole, I knew as soon as I entered the Costa Blanca that this was the place I wanted to stay.
It took nearly a year to find my place. I knew very clearly that I didn’t want a house or an apartment, but wanted to hold on to my dream of living on a piece of land with a tiny house or a caravan.
Finding The Garden Retreat feels incredibly special. I couldn’t have imagined a better fit. I remember saying to Deborah the first time I visited The Garden Retreat, “This place — the way you live here — this is my dream.” I never imagined that less than a year later, this place would become mine.
I divide my time between different kinds of work that I enjoy doing and believe in. I still work a few hours a week as a virtual assistant for a Dutch company. Alongside that, I love being creative. Together with a friend, I make shell hangers, crocheted lamps, and candle holders made from glass ice-cream cups. Every Saturday, we sell our work at the farmers’ market in Jalón.
I’m so happy that I can now add hosting events at The Garden Retreat to this list. I truly believe in the different healing modalities that are offered here — many of them have supported, and still support, me on my own path. And because I know how lonely and challenging that path can feel, I would like The Garden Retreat to be a place where people don’t just attend workshops, but also meet others and feel a sense of connection.
