I begin to feel seasick, so I make my way down to the ships’ toilet. The boat is making its final approach to Vlieland. The sea is seldomly quiet on this part of the North Sea. Swell and currents run between the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling here, making for a bumpy ride. It must have been the year 2012 or so when this first trip to Vlieland had me feeling nauseous. It was the start of something beautiful though: my love for this small island in the cold North Sea.

Surfana had just started a surfschool on the island and a year later I decided to come back to teach surflessons during the summer season. I remember feeling home sick in the last week, as life on the island began to feel pretty isolated.

But as the mainland got more and more crowded with people, Vlieland started to attract more and more tourists, including friends. It slowly started to feel like a home to me. And so I started to feel homesick again, but this time whenever I was away from my island.

But what makes Vlieland such a nice island? There are endless reasons for me, but I’ll name a few. Lots of nature. Surf. Empty beaches. Cranberries. A simple life with less distractions.

And so I started dreaming of a fulltime life on the island. What will it be like in winter time? Will I get bored? Will I find peace?

It’s time to find out. I have the opportunity to work as the General Manager at Surfana Vlieland, allowing me to live on the island permanently. A new chapter, a new adventure.

As I’m writing this, I have a view of snow-capped mountains from the window to my left. I crossed paths with a woman in Portugal, who I felt connected to from the start. She was born and raised in the mountains of Vallées in Switzerland. Glacier blue eyes and always smiling. Easy to love.

Times will be tough when we part ways in a few weeks. But my new job allows me a lot of free time in winter, when we’ll be exploring some more of the world together.

Cheers to life and following your heart. Enjoy your week.

Here are some of my favorite shots of the island to finish of this story (click on the right image to see more):