A turbulent year

December, 2015

On the 3rd of December, I arrived in Pedreguer, Costa Blanca, Spain for a house and dogsit of around 5 weeks. I was here also in February, 2015 and I looked forward to see the dogs and the Dutch house owner again, with whom I became friends over the last year. Due to a pretty slow internet in this part of Spain, I am unable to upload photographs from my computer to my WordPress blog. I even went with the computer to some cafe’s in the surroundings, but also there no luck. That means that I have to wait, until I am back in the Netherlands on the 6th, with publishing the blog stories about Spain.

In the meantime, I look back on a very turbulent year again. For two years in a row, my life is a roller coaster, with many good memories regarding the countries, where I had the opportunity to stay and look after the properties and animals of the owners. I feel privileged, that all my housesit owners asked me back.

I met wonderful people during my travels and it was a great experience to travel on my own. At times I felt lonely and yes, even a little depressed. During the last year, I had to close not only doors, but also windows and I know they never will open again.

On the other hand I realize, that other doors and other windows will open up and I am looking forward for these new opportunities, in a better environment of love and appreciation.

Life is all about making choices and to be able to make a good choice, you need to be in a peaceful environment, where you feel safe and surrounded by people, who are loving and caring.

I still haven’t found that environment yet, although I did find the loving and caring people……..

So I will keep on travelling for a while in 2016, spending my time in between rentals and house sits, starting in the Netherlands in January and February, with a big ? for March and April and in May, I will return to the country, where my children grew up and where I felt so happy;  Greece…….

I will stay for around a month at the Peloponessos, in the house of my best friends from Greece, celebrating the Greek Eastern together and looking after their property, while they are going on a holiday. I am looking forward to finally seeing them again after many years.

Although my house sits were all great, there are of course some highlights. For sure that was beautiful Canmore, in the Rocky Mountains, Canada. The overwhelming beauty of the Rockies, spending quality time with my son and his girlfriend and looking after the adorable dog Sage, are experiences I will never forget.

Mexico, with its diversity of people, landscapes, climate and culture, took also my heart.

Portugal, where I fell in love with Cacela Velha, the market places, the kindness of the people and the coastline of the West.

So many memories to look back on and so many photographs, which tell me again and again how fortunate I was to be able to travel so much, not only over the last two years, but during the (nearly) 60 years of my life.

I even discovered my home country again; places I never visited before, like Amerongen, Wijk bij Duurstede and the impressive Canadian Cemetery of the 2nd World War in Holten, with the 1.394 graves, from which 1.355 of Canadian soldiers……

 

I must admit that I miss “my Cuba”, where I travelled for over 30 times, partly doing my “housing projects” and meeting so many grateful, wonderful people with always a smile on their face.

That door always stays open, as there I felt happy and alive!

Let’s take a deep breath and plunge into 2016!