It’s the end of September. My race schedule for next year is still empty. Normally, I would have filled in some dream races to run, but not this time around. That has nothing to do with my ankle that is still not fine. It has all to do with one simple question: where to live next year?
I like to run a lot of local races. Don’t get me wrong. Running is my way to see the world. A beautiful way. But two or three big races abroad are more than enough. For the rest, I prefer to run close to home. Travel less. Better for the environment. Plus, racing close to home is a great way to connect with the local running community.
The edge of the forest
But what is a race far away, when you don’t know where you will be living? And that’s a thing we haven’t figured out yet. Don’t worry, there is nothing wrong with our house. On the contrary. We love living where we live. We made our house our home. It’s an old farm at the edge town. The locals call it the end of the world. Our neighbour’s house is a few hundred metres away. Around us is agricultural land, and forest. It’s quiet; it’s beautiful.
It’s the most comfortable house I’ve ever lived. And that might be the problem. It’s too comfortable. I am an adventurer. Sara is an adventurer. I lived in the Netherlands, of course, Australia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, India, Tenerife, and in Spain. Sara lived in Italy, Mexico, Bali (Indonesia), Taiwan, England, Tenerife, Spain, and the Netherlands.
A new adventure
Since 2021 we’re living in the Netherlands. That’s four years in the same place. That’s four years of stability. That’s time for a new adventure.
We blame it on Chamonix. A few weeks ago we were there for the third time. For UTMB. We fell in love with it. Again. It triggered our travel bug. We looked at options to live in Chamonix. Just for a couple of months. Undoable. At least; undoable on a normal budget. For 2.500 euros you have a broom closet. Four walls with a tiny kitchen sink, and a bed pressed against it. When I was 18,and on my own, that would have been okay, but now? No.
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Annecy, Paris, London
We have our eyes set on Annecy. We went there last year. It’s close to Chamonix. It has a beautiful lake, mountains, and a historical old town. At this moment we’re looking at places to stay. Four to five months would be great. That gives me the option to run a lot in the mountains. To film. It gives Sara the option to brush up her French.
It’s funny how one little fantasy leads to the next. After Annecy, we started to dream about Paris and London. They are still little dreams. Nothing is decided yet. Nothing has been arranged. But everything starts with a dream. At least, that’s how Australia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, and India once started. So why not Annecy, Paris, and London?
Keep on Running
