Marjolein | Back to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, with all the space to grow!
Sometimes life brings you right back to where you once began — or actually: just two houses down.
Exactly a year ago, I called my uncle Frank to ask if we could buy his house. That house is on the street where I was born. A street full of childhood memories, the street of my home.
For years, my husband Luuk and I wondered: what will we do with our lives once we finish our studies in Nijmegen?
We met there while studying dentistry. Luuk is a dentist, I am an orthodontist. With those professions, we have the luxury of being able to live almost anywhere. But that actually makes choosing more difficult. Where do you want to live? Where do you want your children to grow up? Where do you see yourself still coming home thirty years from now?
That phone call to my uncle Frank set everything in motion. The kitchen table talks suddenly became concrete. It was no longer just an abstract idea. There was a house. On my street. In my Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
In the end, it was Luuk who made the decision and said: “We’re moving to Hulst.” I’ve always had a soft spot for Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Even though I left here when I was ten and lived in several places in the Netherlands after that, this has always remained home for me. Apparently, some places settle in your system forever.
"Apparently, some places settle in your system forever."
Being able to live again on the street where I grew up feels special. Much is familiar, but at the same time, there is also a lot that’s new. I’m rediscovering the region — and Luuk is discovering everything for the first time. That’s what makes it so much fun: we’re discovering together.
Luuk loves to go “in the lycra,” as we call it at home. Cycling, in other words. Something people do fanatically in Nijmegen, but maybe even more so here. His favorite route now runs over the Notendijk, Havendijk, Margretsedijk, and the Hengstdijkse Keiweg — winding dikes, wide-open views, and always a headwind, no matter the direction. During one of those rides, he came home with the enthusiasm of someone who had found a hidden treasure. “I’ve discovered the place,” he said. He had stopped at ‘t Schor, intending just to get a coffee, but the staff convinced him otherwise. Not much later, Luuk — still fully in cycling gear — was sitting on a terrace overlooking the Westerschelde, with a plate of steaming shrimp croquettes, lemon on the side, and a soft drink. Since then, our running joke is that he didn’t move to Hulst for me, but for the shrimp croquettes.
Fast forward to now: we enjoy the little things. Our family, the greenery around us, and having family close by. I’ve even been able to rekindle old friendships and new ones are forming (naturally).
At the same time, we are both fully committed to our careers. After choosing the location — and the house — came the opportunity to take over Ortho Hulst. My own business in my hometown, and the chance to work for a while with the previous owner: a world-renowned orthodontist who provided many beautiful smiles here for 36 years. I find it incredibly rewarding to build on that solid foundation of quality and trust, while also modernizing the practice and adding my own touches.
For Luuk, born and raised in Limburg, there was fortunately also plenty of work as a dentist. He enjoys working at several dental practices in the region and also helps out in my business. The great thing about such social professions is that you quickly get to know people — and that makes putting down roots somewhere new much easier. And to be honest: those Zeeland coffee cakes more than make up for the absence of Limburg vlaai.
Our tip in the region? A good cappuccino at De Beleving in Hulst, a walk along the city ramparts, and then a Burgundian stop at the Markt. That’s where you’ll taste exactly what makes this area so special: the unique mix of Zeeland tranquility and Flemish conviviality that makes Zeeuws-Vlaanderen so boundless.