The Family
Tijn, Suzan, Fedde en Doutzen
How it all started
It’s February 2020. We’ve entered a new world—everything has been turned upside down. Schools, work, and most daily routines have come to a halt. Fortunately, we live close to nature, on a houseboat. Without fully realizing it at the time, we were stepping into a new phase of our lives. Suus is a holistic veterinarian, Tijn a coach and trainer with his own business, Fedde is in his first year of gymnasium, and Doutzen is in group 7.
Everything came to a standstill, except for online schooling. That’s when we decided to do what we do best: create something beautiful. We bought an old camper—the Boss Boss—built in 1986. Completely rundown, it arrived at just the right time, giving us weeks of joy as we restored it together. A long-desired sabbatical was suddenly handed to us, inviting us to embrace this unexpected pause in life.
The Boss Boss project sparked deep reflection for Suus and Tijn. Their experience with online education revealed that the current school system didn’t align well, particularly for their son. Over the course of the year, it became clear that he needed something different. This realization prompted Suzan and Tijn to pause and ask themselves a pivotal question: What do we truly want? Do we pass on to our children the same story we’ve been told for generations, or do we begin exploring a new narrative?
Tijn felt called to reconnect with his roots, combining spirituality with his coaching business. Suzan wanted to amplify her voice for animals, embracing a holistic approach. Together, they embarked on a journey to discover a different story.
The lockdown had brought certain truths to light—about the school system and society—that they began to observe with curiosity and wonder. Taking stock of their lives, they asked themselves, Do we still feel at home here? This reflection intertwined the old with the new, planting a seed through a simple suggestion: “We could move to Portugal.” The idea of creating a space to step away, to rediscover everything together and individually, began to take root.
They made two trips to Portugal to explore where they wanted to live. It was clear to them that they wanted to live among the Portuguese—not isolated on a mountain, but in a village. Their search led them to northern Portugal, where they decided to rent a comfortable house for almost a year while finding their dream property.
Refine the balans with our ‘Boss Boss’ camper
It is good to work with the hands.
It felt so good to truly disconnect from work for two months. Together with the whole family, including our parents, we worked on the camper. Weeks filled with beautiful weather, meaningful conversations, and fresh ideas. Of course, this was alongside homeschooling—something we quickly realized was not our strongest suit.
The building process brought us so much connection. The Boss Boss became a symbol of the changes we had set in motion: rebuilding the old, keeping what was good, and replacing the parts that no longer served us with something new—a foundation for a new life.
Location
Fafe
Portugal
22-2-22
This special date we went.