This is
My Story
Born and raised in Holland, but currently in the process of immigrating to Johannesburg, South Africa. Together with my wife Maggie, our great dog Eddie (Named after Eddie Vedder) and our 1981 T25 Volkswagen Camper Van we are living our best lives exploring South Africa. What brought me here? How long will we stay here? And what is next? It's all told in 'my story'.
a few words
tell a story
Born in Papendrecht (08-01-1988) I grew up in a house of 5. Just before my 3rd birthday we moved to Gorinchem, where I lived until moving to Amsterdam in 2006. Encouraged to be outside, I spend most of my time on skates, playing football or on the athletics track.
I moved to Amsterdam to pursue my goals in Track & Field. For 10 years I was a fulltime athlete in Hurdles and Long Jump, winning multiple Dutch championships and competing internationally. Also in 2006 I had my first competition on another continent (China/Asia) and since then athletics brought me all over the world.
After finishing my Bachelor in Business Economics & Marketing in 2013 and some long lasting injuries in my athletics career, I decided that it’s time to start a new chapter. Working my way up the business ladder in marketing roles, I was lucky enough to always keep traveling for both work and holidays. A whole new experience, as there was more time to learn about other cultures and enjoy the tourist hotspots!
After spending a few months in South Africa in 2013/2014, I decided that I would love to live ‘here’ for a couple of years. The outdoor lifestyle, endless mountain bike trials and the cultural diversity attracted me and when I got a job offered in Middle East and Africa (Based from Johannesburg) I decided to go for it!
Now I’m in the middle of the long process to get a residence permit and working visa. There is ever more urgency to get it done quickly, as I met my lovely wife Maggie in 2019 and in 2020 we got married! Unfortunately it’s not easy to immigrate to South Africa (more info here), but we keep optimistic!