Welcome to the New Chapter: Slow Living, Gardening, and Lifelong Travels
Hello, dear readers, old friends, and new friends!
If you have been following my journey over the years, you know this blog has been a living archive of my life since 2004. For nearly two decades, I shared my holidays, adventures, city trips, and road trips across the globe. But in the last few years, the blog went quiet. Life took a beautiful, fast-paced turn, and I needed to step away from the keyboard to fully focus on my corporate career.
Today, I am absolutely thrilled to welcome you to the brand-new, refreshed chapter of the Travel and Lifestyle Diaries!
Finding My Slow Living Rhythm
After spending many years navigating the fast-paced, high-energy tech world, I have hit a wonderful milestone: I am now in my mid-50s and am embracing the luxury of early retirement. My partner, the Dutchman, and I, together with Prins Timo, our beloved tomcat, have officially traded the busy city life for a peaceful, mindful existence in the beautiful countryside of North Brabant.
Moving from the city to the country has completely changed how I view time, productivity, and happiness. I am swapping business targets, endless meetings and tight deadlines for the patient, rewarding rhythms of nature. I am learning to appreciate the joy of a slow morning tea, the rewarding patience of watching things grow and change throughout the seasons, and the deep comfort of making our modern country house and garden a true home.
Exploring Our Three Main Pillars
While my passion for discovering the world hasn’t changed, my daily life has expanded. To reflect this new phase, the blog is now organised into three dedicated diaries:
- Jo Travels:
Don’t worry, my lifelong passion for travel isn’t going anywhere! This section remains the home for all my travel-related diaries, road and city trips, hiking adventures, winter sport and summer holidays, and local or international explorations. We still have so many beautiful corners of the Netherlands, Europe and the world to discover together. - Jo Home & Garden:
This is where I share my brand-new journey into country living, nesting at home, tending the garden and growing select vegetables, and enjoying the simple, everyday rhythms of home life. - Jo Life Musings:
A space for raw reflections on life transitions, the realities of early retirement, leaving the corporate world behind, the art of slow living in the Dutch countryside, and thoughts on navigating life in your 50s.
A Note on Our Archival Treasures: The Migration Journey
Because this blog represents over twenty years of memories, I am currently in the process of migrating all my original posts over from Blogger to this beautiful new home.
I want to make sure these memories fit our new, mindful style perfectly. I am taking my time to thoughtfully polish, curate, and gently weave my classic content before bringing it over. This means you will see a mix of fresh new content alongside updated classics reappearing in our categories over time.
To help you find your way around, I’ve structured the homepage into easy-to-explore sections:
- The Diaries – An invitation to grab a cup of tea and wander through my three primary journals: lifelong travel adventures, rewarding home and kitchen garden projects, and slow-living reflections on the peaceful Dutch countryside.
- Latest Entries from the Diaries – A fresh, chronological feed where you will find my absolute newest entries across all three journals, capturing what is currently inspiring my slow living journey.
- Find Your Vibe! Get Inspired – A cosy corner dedicated to specific seasonal themes. Here, you can immerse yourself in the elements of a slow lifestyle: from kitchen gardening to the magic of secluded cabin stays, crisp skiing days, scenic nature hikes, and festive markets.
- Discover These Destinations – A visual library of our travels organised by continent, allowing you to easily browse our adventures near and far via country dropdown menus.
Thank You for Being Here
Whether you have been clicking through my travel posts since the early Blogspot days or you just stumbled upon this corner of the internet while looking for travel, gardening, and slow living inspiration, thank you. This diary is a collection of my favourite things, and I am so grateful to share it with you.
Come on in, settle in comfortably, and look around. I hope you enjoy your stay!
With love,
Jo