Trip cancelled, back to the Netherlands

And then came that one phone call that suddenly changed everything. We were still driving somewhere between forests and lakes when the bus fell silent. The world outside continued as usual, but inside, something shifted. Without many words, we knew enough. The plans we had, the route we still had, gave way to a single goal: back to the Netherlands.

Ochtend in Zweden

Let's get straight to the point: the call was about my father. We heard he wasn't doing well. He hadn't eaten or drunk anything for three weeks and wouldn't get out of bed. So, every reason to accelerate and rush back to the Netherlands. We were almost at the end of our trip, so this wasn't so bad. We arrived in the Netherlands two weeks earlier than planned.

To assist

When we arrived at my father's home, we saw him deteriorating further each day. We were so grateful that we arrived so quickly, that we could support him, and also provide some relief for my sister. She had already provided so much care these past few months.

Perfect timing

It's fair to say that my father has perfect timing for us. If we had received this phone call while we were in Morocco or just on our way to the North Cape, things would have been very different. We were already planning to stay in the Netherlands from mid-November to mid-January. That fits the rule that you must stay in the Netherlands for four months a year, otherwise you have to deregister.

"The journey doesn't stop when you return. It simply changes direction."

Comfortable

The most important thing now is to make my father as comfortable as possible. Someone is with him almost 24 hours a day, he receives pain medication, and he is well cared for.

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Planning

Our plans to leave again in mid-January will likely be postponed a bit. No problem, of course. We have time to ourselves, no rush, and even for these kinds of moments, you have to take your time.

Perhaps this is precisely what traveling is all about: being able to turn around when life demands it.

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