Celebrating My 16th Canaversary: A Journey of Change, Creativity, and Reflection
On the good days, I love it here. On the bad days, I sometimes still want to pack my bags and leave. Is the constant striving for fulfillment and happiness a disease of our time?
Today marks a special milestone for me: my 16th anniversary in Canada, or as I like to call it, my "Canaversary." It's been a journey filled with countless lifestyle changes and even a few last-minute “I’m homesick and hate it here” trips back to the Netherlands. Yet, through it all, I’m still happy to call Canada my home. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has made my #Canaversary a moment to remember.
Living by Experience
Someone recently asked me if I’m scattered. The truth is, I do get bored easily, so I enjoy immersing myself in many different things—often simultaneously. As a Dutch guy who relocated to Canada and now lives a creative life around the world, I wear many hats. I’m a travel hacker, a bestselling author, an award-winning fine art photographer, and, above all, a coffee addict. If there’s anything I can support you with, visit my website or, better yet, text me.
Stuck in between
On the good days, I love it here. On the bad days, I sometimes still want to pack my bags and leave.
Moving to a different country “de-roots” you. This is an irreversible process. You’ve cut off your roots forever, and even people who do eventually move back find they end up moving elsewhere again.
It's funny how as part of that process, our hearts can learn to find ‘home’ in different places. When I boarded my flight to Amsterdam last year, I was filled with excitement to return to what felt like ‘home.’ Yes, it was one of my last-minute “I’m homesick” trips. But as I sipped on my pre-departure bubbles when flying back to Canada, I was also bubbling with excitement to go ‘home’ again to Vancouver. This duality of feeling at home in both places is a testament to the rich experiences and connections I've made in Canada over the years.
Embracing Wanderlove
Different is often incorrectly translated as unsafe. When I travel to off-the-beaten-path destinations (like recently to South America), people often think it’s unsafe. Being out of my comfort zone often makes me hyper-aware of my surroundings, which is probably something we should practice more at home too. Every city has “safe” and “unsafe” places, but to label an entire destination as unsafe is (usually) incorrect.1 However, it’s this very difference that has fuelled my adventures and creativity over the years.
Don’t try this at home: Wanderlust can only be cured far out of your comfort zone.
Moving to Canada felt like a one-way ticket to hell at times, but it was also a journey that shaped me into who I am today. Sometimes, I still feel like a tomato in a fruit basket—technically, I belong, but somehow, I still feel out of place.
The Struggle for Meaningful Work
Moving to Canada was supposed to be the start of building the life I always dreamed of, which somehow never fully materialized. While I’ve worked hard and feel blessed with my achievements from an outside perspective, inside, I’ve often felt unfulfilled and unhappy as well. I sometimes wonder if this constant striving for fulfillment and happiness is a disease of our time, bringing about more of the opposite while fueling an industry of gurus and coaches who claim otherwise2.
Reflecting on my now 16 years in Canada, I must admit that while I've enjoyed most of my experiences, there's one aspect I unintentionally overlooked—my apparent inability to find any form of meaningful work here. My Dutch mindset doesn't seem to align so seamlessly with the Canadian corporateness. This has been a significant challenge3, but it has also driven me to explore and expand my creative pursuits, and even making some recent changes that will over time contribute to an overall better experience. Stay tuned…
What if we just focused more on the here and now and truly being present? The being hyper-aware of my surroundings when travelling keeps me safe, but it also fuels my wanderlove. I want to keep going and see more. And that’s exactly the plan for the next decade or so.
Reflecting on My Journey with a Canadian Classic
One of my favorite Canadian movies that I usually watch on this day is “One Week.”
It ends with profound questions that I find myself pondering:
What would you do if you knew you only had one day, one week, or one month to live?
What book would you write?
What exotic locale would you fly to for coffee?
If you feel like sharing your answer(s), please feel free to let me know.
A Call to Connect
So long story short… Over the last 16 years, a lot has changed—different cities, different area codes. If you haven’t already, please click the link to add yourself to my phone so I can text you.
Thank you for being a part of my journey. Here’s to many more years of creativity, adventure, and presence in the moment.
Feel free to text me if there's anything I can support you with or if you just want to chat about life, creativity, or anything in between.
But please do your research and check government travel advisories at least twice: before you book a trip, and again before you travel to your destination.
No offence intended to anyone as I’ve worked with many coaches, but often left with a sense of “now what?”. They tend to teach a system that worked for them, back in the day.
I even wrote a book about the topic: The Freedom Project Happiness. This is really a book about work. Which for a lot of people doesn’t equate to happiness. That’s why this book is an unusual book about work.