Travel & Hotspots

MARIE-CLAIRE IN MALIBU

Marie-Claire Witlox lives with her husband Jeroen van Koningsbrugge and children temporarily in Los Angeles. But taking a sabbatical is not that easy.

Did you know that taking a sabbatical is quite difficult? Going with your whole family to a beautiful place with sun and peace sounds very romantic, and to some extent it is. Listen, I'm the last one to complain about it, but there is a catch under that pristine white sandy beach. Because wherever you go, you take yourself with you. What I mean is that the peace you previously found hard to achieve in daily life might just as well elude you in paradise. I am always restless and I like to do a lot, see things, visit places, and meet people. In the first months here, I promised myself to walk on ‘my little beach’ every morning. Listening to the waves, the sea breeze in my hair... That became every other day. Once a week. Now I haven't been there for a week and that's where it goes wrong. It shouldn't become that I start to stress about scheduling my moments of rest. And that's what I realize. The hurried life and the things we impose on ourselves that we must do are so ingrained in our system that we can break down if we're not careful. Even in paradise.

So enjoy every moment. Laugh a lot. Hug, kiss, and make love, because before you know it, it's over.

Catch & release

There’s a place I go to

Where no one knows me

It’s not lonely

It’s a necessary thing

It’s a place I made up

Find out what I’m made of

The nights I’ve stayed up

Counting stars and fighting sleep

Let it wash over me

I’m ready to lose my feet

Take me off to the place where one reveals life’s mystery

Steady on down the line

Lose every sense of time

Take it all in and wake up that small part of me

Day to day I’m blind to see

And find how far to go

Everybody got their reason

Everybody got their way

We’re just catching and releasing

What builds up throughout the day

It gets into your body

And it flows right through your blood

We can tell each other secrets

And remember how to love

For Igor