A week without wifi
Last weekend it was that time again: together with a group of girlfriends/colleague actresses and stylist friends, we were selling our second-hand items at the Huishoudbeurs. The hilarity started when we had to make a sort of marathon from the parking garage to our stand with countless bags and suitcases. As if that effort wasn't enough, we were hit by a wave of visitors at opening time and the crowd was hardly manageable. We decided to ask one euro for each time someone wanted to take a photo for the charity that Melissa Drost supports (a primary school in Johannesburg), and by the end of the day, we had raised almost 600 euros. Completely exhausted but satisfied, we sat down at the table afterwards, where the first glass of wine hit everyone quite hard.
When Jon does something, he absolutely cannot do it ‘halfway’. So when I ask him if he can ‘just take a little photo’, I get a half shoot including lights, a professional camera, and shots from three different angles. Or if he has to ‘whip up a meal’, his chef's coat is immediately pulled out of the closet, all knives sharpened first, and the kitchen cleaned with military precision before he starts cooking. So when Jon mentioned last week that he was going to ‘take a first aid course’, I knew right away that this wouldn't be a silly little course for an afternoon, which I would be perfectly fine with. No, he chose one that lasts three Saturdays and is so extensive that afterwards he gets to walk around Lowlands in a yellow vest. You won't hear me complain, I much prefer these scenarios to someone who just gets by with a quick fix. And with our adventurous trip ahead, I'm quite happy that Jon has the necessary info at hand.
Because: this week we are sleeping at Nutchel in a treehouse in the middle of the woods... A whole week without wifi, no heating, no lights, and no fridge, but with a breathtaking view, cozy bunk beds, gathering wood for the stove, dining by candlelight in the evenings, beautiful forest walks, and quality time with the family in the middle of nature. The first night it took some getting used to having to throw some wood in the stove at night and searching for things with a flashlight, but by now we are completely accustomed to the back to basic vibe. I even brought a knitting set and knitting in our treehouse with Jon and Otis dancing to the sounds of Prince on one side and a glass wall with a view of the trees on the other side is already the best moment of 2019. Absolutely a recommendation for anyone who wants to ’unplug’ for a bit and experience what offline life looks like again.
