Where are you from?

We are from The Netherlands.

When did you start your interest in exploration?

Eef started at age of 7, when she moved to Switzerland for her father's job. She skied international races at the time and spent most of her winters travelling and exploring different mountains throughout Europe. This is where the adventure started. Stef was a bit late to the party, his first big trip was to New Zealand to visit relatives in his teens. We have both loved exploring and had this itch for adventure that never left us. Eef lived in Barcelona and California for her studies and spent every holiday travelling to different countries, back-country camping on the weekends and going outside into nature. 

What is a brief understanding of your background story up until you started seeking adventure?

We both had corporate jobs, university degrees, we owned a house,  lots of friends, we had it all according to our societies standards, but we never felt fully satisfied. We both had to deal with (mental) health issues and at one point we were both laying on the floor, exhausted, burnt out and unhappy. What are we doing? This isn't the life we want for ourselves. We wanted time, energy and more connection to nature. So we sold it all, said goodbye to our corporate jobs, bought a camper, made it into our little home and set off on an adventure with our 2 adventure cats who LOVE this life. Now the world is our home and our backyard changes  wherever we go. 

What special skills do you have to help with your explorations?

Eef is the travel planner, organizer, survival queen and chef;) Stef is the designated driver, head of logistics, and makes sure we are safe in whatever way we need. Eef is  a photographer and loves capturing the beauty of the world.  We love learning new things, what plants we can eat in nature, how the stars tell stories, and coming back to nature.  

Where have you explored so far?

Separately: USA, Asia, Costa Rica, New Zealand. 

Together: Iceland, our all time favourite, Greece, Dominican Republic and since we started this vanlife journey we have been to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Sardinia, Sicily. 

What is a brief understanding of your adventures so far?

We left on this adventure to build a different kind of life for ourselves. Where time, health, connection and freedom are leading.  We love waking up in the middle of nature, hearing nothing but the sounds of the earth around us. Your view changes whenever you want and you always have the comfort and safety of your own home with you. It's been a ride of exploring different countries, hiking mountains, adventuring,  getting out of our comfort zone, slowing down and finding what truly brings us joy. It really is the little things. Building a bonfire and staring at the stars, dolphin watching with our cats at the beach in Portugal, northern lights in Norway, the incredible wildlife encounters, meeting new like minded people and talking about life. Our daily hikes with the cats and just being mesmerised by how beautiful the world actually is and how there are so many good people out there. Most people are so helpful, curious and  it has restored our faith in humanity to be honest. 

What are the top three destinations you hope to explore next, and why?

We would LOVE to go skiing on mount Etna,  a childhood dream to ski on an active volcano overlooking the sea. Seems so magical to have that fire and ice combo. 

Seeing the wild bears in Romania would be a dream come true for Eef and maybe back to Norway, that place stole our hearts and we still have so much exploring to do. Europe is stunning, you really don't need to fly all the way to the other side of the world. 

Where would you recommend others visit?

If you are starting out on this vanlife adventure, go to Spain. It's such a warm and easy country to get used to this lifestyle and so diverse. Incredible nature and yummy food too. The country is in general very welcoming to motorhomes and it's very easy to fill up water and do your household. If you are up for a bigger adventure go to Norway! Expect jaw drops around every corner. Nature lovers will LOVE it. And if you are secretly a mermaid, Sardinia (but only off season) has crystal clear waters, dolphins, delicious Italian food and very warm locals. 

How do you primarily travel on your adventures today?

We have a Fiat ducato Motorhome. Model: Carado T135, she is called Emotion. The model of the camper really is called this, and it fits perfectly. She is from 2018 and absolutely not what we had in mind when starting our search, but this was the first one that felt like home. We have a disco ball for some extra magic vibes,  hanging macrame fruit hammock and lamp and our fun self made curtains for more personality. 

What are five pieces of equipment that you always travel with?

Our cats of course;)  Power charging station, Scruba washbag, Axe & fire starter, noise cancelling headset (to create some me time wherever you are) and the camera (obviously can't leave this one behind if its my job) 

What inspires you to explore more?

The world is just so beautiful and so much to see. I think it's like a muscle the more you train (travel) the more it needs to grow and be satisfied. It's the magic in the little things, natural wonders, nature, wildlife, feeling alive, a stranger's smile, we are all connected and the more you explore the more you realize this. 

How do you engage with others?

We always approach people with warmth and smiles, we are genuinely curious to hear other people's stories and learn their traditions. Eef speaks 5 languages which is very helpful to connect with the locals and we always learn at least the basics of the country we are visiting. Most people love when you try and are willing to help you out. The cats are a great ice breaker and conversation starter, people are very curious about them and want to know all about them when they see them roaming freely around our van. 

The vanlife community is a great place to make new friends. We love connecting with others via instagram for meetups along the road and to hear all about their stories and travels. 

Why is it important to embrace global cultures?

It's enriching. It helps you grow as a person and so valuable to become more empathic and flexible towards life itself.  We learn things in a certain way based on the community and country we grow up in. Although many things are the same, it's so interesting to see and learn how others grew up and do things. No right or wrong, open minds and curiosity. What we see on the news or hear from others isn't always the whole truth, meeting and embracing global cultures and hearing stories creates compassion and respect. 

What are your goals when you explore?

To live, to soak it all in, to grow,  to be present and to inspire others to get out there and live their lives now. This is it, it could all be over tomorrow, explore now and don't wait for later. 

What are some challenges you have experienced?

You bring yourself a long haha. Which means the problems you have at home, come with you too. There is no way around, except right through. We unfortunately had to abort our plans and return back to the Netherlands twice for family emergencies. Both times were very traumatic, stressful and exhausting. We also got into a biking accident, Stef was completely fine, Eef unfortunately had head trauma and then the van is pretty small;) It's not an ideal healing environment. 

This lifestyle is AMAZING when things are going good, but once you are running on empty,  it's very hard work and exhausting to be travelling all the time. There are so many decisions to make. Don't get me wrong, we feel extremely grateful we get to experience this and have created this life. But, it's not all rainbows and butterflies all the time. It can be exhausting and a lot. We travel way slower now and love staying in the same place for a longer time. 

What has been your most meaningful moment so far?

Watching the sunset at the beach in Portugal with our cats as dolphins swam by <3 

How has exploration changed you?

We have become more grounded and live more in the moment. It's brought things into perspective of what actually matters most and how we want to spend our days. I think we have become way more flexible and adaptive too and way better communicators. Our intuition has grown significantly and Eef has become even more sensitive to "noise". I was back in the Netherlands last week and constantly overstimulated by all the lights, noise and business going on around me. 

What is the number one lesson that you have learnt through your exploration?

Nothing goes as planned, control is an illusion. Surrender and flow along. The richest and most beautiful memories and moments are always unplanned anyways. 

How do you explore locally?

We love hiking in nature, so discovering new trails and Stef loves to bike so he enjoys exploring places on his ride. 

What does the explmore mantra mean to you?

Without rationally knowing, it's been our way of life over the past years. It's been enriching. With an open heart and curious mind everything is a win when you just explore, experience and try.  We love that this community shows us how many other people are out there chasing their hearts, doing things " differently" and how being rich has nothing to do with money. But, everything with time, little moments, experiences and memories that sets souls on fire. Thanks for inspiring us and connecting us with like minded explorers <3 

What advice would you give to others who are seeking life changing adventure?

Go for it. Your heart knows the way.  There are always going to be 100 reasons why you shouldn't do it, but if there is only one reason in your heart that wants it, go for it. You will learn, grow and get ready along the way. Worst case scenario? you can always go back to the life you have now... 

And if you need some extra motivation, our DM is always open, we will gladly send you some digital courage :)