Blog: Daan Molenaar
From living under the flight path of Schiphol to a unique home in a Zeeuws-Vlaanderen hamlet
Winter camping in Nieuwvliet as a child and now a homeowner in Absdale! Daan and his wife fell (again) in love with Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and are swapping the Randstad for Zeeuws-Vlaanderen!
Zeeuws-Vlaanderen was never really gone
My wife was born and raised in Terneuzen, but moved to the Randstad for work. I myself grew up in the outskirts of Amsterdam. We met each other in the travel industry and have since lived in various places, such as Haarlem and the Groene Hart.
Yet Zeeuws-Vlaanderen never really disappeared from view. For my wife, it feels like home, with her family still in the region. For me, it's more about memories, but the feeling is ultimately the same.
As a child, I used to come here often. Every winter we went camping in Nieuwvliet. Yes, even when there was snow. Cold mornings, long walks on the beach, and then we would go exploring the region, to places like Sluis, Terneuzen, and Hulst.
Without realizing it at the time, something started there. A sense of peace, space, and freedom that has always stayed with me.
From idea to decision
In recent years, the subject kept coming up more and more: moving to Zeeland someday. Not right away, but as something for later. Until suddenly an opportunity came along. I was working as an online marketer in the Groene Hart, but I started to feel the itch. I wanted to see if there were opportunities in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen as well. Eventually, I ended up at Get a Grip in Terneuzen. Now I work there with great pleasure for both local businesses and international players. You get to know the region in a completely different way. You see what’s happening, who’s active, and how involved people are here.
From that moment, the plan suddenly became concrete. We had talked about it so many times at the kitchen table. And when this opportunity came along, it actually felt very logical to take it.
"Here you hear the wind, nature, or sometimes just absolutely nothing. And it’s precisely that silence that makes it so special. That’s something you only truly appreciate once you’ve experienced the difference."
Here you just have a chat
What struck me immediately when we started coming here more often is how people interact with each other. In the Randstad, everyone tends to live more alongside each other. Here, you just have a chat. On the street, in the shop, at the bakery. That creates a completely different feeling of life. It feels more personal and calmer here.
The search for a home also became something special. We really drove around a lot, from village to village, to look around, soak up the atmosphere, and feel what suited us. In the end, we found a house online where everything just clicked. That became Absdale. That house immediately felt right. Characteristic, quietly located, and with an atmosphere you just don’t find in the Randstad. It was actually clear right away: this is it.
From hustle and bustle to silence
Perhaps the biggest difference lies in something you don’t see, but hear… or actually don’t hear. We currently live directly under the flight path of Schiphol. Every few minutes, a plane passes overhead. You get used to it, but it’s never really quiet.
In Absdale, that will be completely different. There you’ll soon hear the wind, nature, or sometimes just absolutely nothing. And it’s precisely that silence that makes it so special. That’s something you only truly appreciate once you’ve experienced the difference.
A new phase
At the moment, we’re still partly living apart. During the week I stay with my in-laws, while my wife still works in The Hague and lives in the Groene Hart. That’s temporary, because fortunately that will soon change. She’ll soon be able to transfer within her current employer. Then we can really settle here together and life in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen will truly begin.
Starting over
We’re at the start of a new phase and are busy discovering what Zeeuws-Vlaanderen has to offer. For me, it’s really in the simple things. Getting some fresh air on the beach, the space around you, the peace in your mind. No rush, just living at a different pace.
What once started as an idea for the future has now become reality. And honestly? It feels like we’ve landed in exactly the right place!