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“When I bought the guide in 2019 at De Wandelwinkel in Deventer and the owner told me he wanted to stop using it, I knew right away: it was something for me. I’ve always walked a lot, but I developed a connective tissue disease that made long hikes difficult. So this opportunity came at the right time. I never wanted to run a shop, but in this special building from 1575, in this place in the beautiful Bergkwartier, in this beautiful city, with this view – it was too much temptation.
“In 2006, I went on a long hike for the first time, three weeks to Santiago de Compostela with my partner at the time. It was a good test because the relationship didn’t last. Two years later I started walking alone for the first time, again to Santiago, along a different route. I found it quite scary, I had never walked alone before, I always get lost even if there are signs. But everything went well.
“I was working at the Defense IT company as a business management consultant at the time. I also worked as an independent supervisor of change processes, also in the police. All together about four days a week. When the credit crunch hit in 2008, the number of assignments in my training office decreased. Then I had a choice: make the purchase or stay for something else. I found the latter an attractive idea, and then I started counting. I eventually sold my house in Rotterdam and bought a dilapidated apartment in The Hague with a loan from my parents to reduce my fixed expenses. It didn’t even have a bathroom! By using as much used materials as possible and buying the materials myself, I was able to keep the repair costs down.
“Meanwhile, I worked longer hours in the Defense Forces and sometimes had longer days off so I could walk more. In 2011, I walked from Würzburg to Rome with my dog Juta. I lent my house to a divorced man who in return created a website for me. I made videos on Facebook along the way so that my parents, who had just entered the nursing home, could enjoy my trip. I stopped at the Austrian-Italian border because I had to return to the Netherlands to earn money again. In 2012 and 2014, I continued traveling to Rome.
Departure arrangements
“After that trip, I got a taste of walking. It made me happier and lighter, and even though I didn’t know where I would sleep at the end of the day and what I would eat, I was less stressed, I could let things go much better than at home. I met many people along the way who wanted something similar, and then I decided to organize retreats for people who cannot or do not want to walk, and for people who have made the pilgrimage and want to integrate that experience into their lives. I became a board member of the Organizational Learning Society and later a paid director and organized retreats and workshops, e.g. In the German working community and Broeders van Huijbergen. It started getting better and better. It didn’t make me rich, but I didn’t need much either because I rented an apartment. I left Defense in 2015, I was even able to pay off my mortgage almost entirely with a severance package. In 2016, I made a trip along the Danube, but then I developed that disease and my dog was also injured.
Shop steward
“I hadn’t been in the store very long when Corona broke out. The store had to be closed, I was cut off from all support systems and the retreats also stopped. So it was a difficult time. I used braces to build a website, expand the store’s selection with walking clothes, and treat this connective tissue disease. I will start the retreats again soon.
“I’ve been managing the store for over five years now. I estimate that I spend about thirty hours a week on it. When I go on a longer walk, I have a group of people who take turns tending to the store. I also wrote a book about my walking trip to Rome. I consider my annual shopping trip – to Ireland, Germany and next year to Scotland – a holiday. Last year I did a writing retreat in Andalusia. I expect to earn a little more than average income this year.
“I feel like I’m kind of a caretaker of this beautiful place. I also hope to still be here in five years. I will also continue to organize retreats and seek collaboration with others in the field of practice and reflection. In ten to twenty years, I want to hand over the business to someone younger. Yes, I consider myself lucky.”