Leon Wensveen | Zeeuws-Vlaanderen offers me exactly what I was looking for
From Gelderland to the Zeeuws-Vlaanderen coast. For love and for new opportunities!
Zeeuws-Vlaanderen offers Leon exactly what he was looking for: peace, space, and opportunities in the tourism sector.
Leon Wensveen's Story
My name is Leon Wensveen. I originally come from Haaften, a small village in Gelderland. After finishing high school, I actually didn't really know what I wanted to do. I had already resigned myself to taking a gap year, until my mother came across the Leidinggevende Travel & Hospitality program online. This course is mainly focused on hospitality and working in the tourism sector. Traveling had always appealed to me and I saw this as a great opportunity to combine studying and traveling. So I enrolled! At that moment, I had no idea how many wonderful experiences this decision would bring me.
Best friends
During the program, I met my three best friends: Mick, Moos, and Lennox. Together we made so many wonderful memories. In the first year, we went on an internship to Bali for 4.5 months, where we worked in a hotel. That period is still among the best months of my life.
In the second year, I did an internship in Italy at camping Village Mar Y Sierra. There, too, I made new friends, and from the start I had a really good connection with Ydeine. We spent more and more time together. The more time we spent together, the clearer it became that something special was growing between us. Eventually, we started a relationship.
Gelderland and Zeeland
As I mentioned, I lived in Gelderland and Ydeine was from Zeeland. After our internship, we both still had a few months of school left. At the start of our relationship, we saw each other quite often. We were able to combine this well with our school schedules. Later, we only saw each other on weekends. Every Friday, I drove to Zeeland by car and on Sunday morning I drove back.
I also traveled by public transport a few times, but that didn’t go smoothly. I regularly had delays or just missed my connection. Because of the long travel time, the high costs, and the fact that we sometimes had little time together, I found this situation increasingly inconvenient. At the same time, I had just finished my studies and wanted to start working in hospitality and the tourism sector. I saw many opportunities for that in Zeeland.
Moving to Zeeland
Eventually, we decided that as soon as I finished my last exam, I would move to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen to work there. My friends thought I was crazy to move so far for a girl. I was allowed to live with my girlfriend and her parents.
After searching for a while, I found a job at De Fonteyn in Groede, a cozy coffee shop. I applied there and immediately noticed it was a pleasant and friendly working environment. I got the job and to this day, I still really enjoy working there.
Leon: "I'm in the right place here to gain experience and continue to grow. My big dream is to one day start my own hospitality business, and here I feel like I can work towards that step by step."
Peace, space and opportunities in the tourism sector
What struck me most when I came to live here is the peace and quiet. At first, it took some getting used to, because I come from a more central part of the Netherlands. But now I really appreciate that peace. In my free time, I love going to the coast, for example to Cadzand or Nieuwvliet-Bad, to relax for a while.
Zeeuws-Vlaanderen offers me exactly what I was looking for: peace, space, and opportunities in the tourism sector. I'm in the right place here to gain experience and continue to grow. My big dream is to one day start my own hospitality business, and here I feel like I can work towards that step by step.
By now, I feel completely at home in Zeeland. What started with a spontaneous study choice and internships all over the world has ultimately brought me here. And that turns out to be exactly the right choice for me. I never expected that such a quick decision would eventually give my life such a wonderful twist.
Leon’s tips
Of course, I recommend everyone to stop by De Fonteyn in Groede. You can enjoy a delicious cup of coffee, a drink, or an ice cream on the sunny terrace. And of course, I am happy to provide everyone with great service. I also love going to the coast. To Cadzand-Bad or Nieuwvliet-Bad.