From van to caravan

After a long and sleepless night at Hamad International Airport we boarded our flight to Amsterdam. Thankfully without delay, as it was all taking long enough already. The flight was not too bad for being 7 hours long. The plane even had a front, rear and downwards camera to view the outside. Really cool, especially during take off.

The first thing we noticed when leaving the plane, was the air. It was so cold and dry. We hadn't felt this for such a long time. It was very empty at the airport. We were probably the only flight for a couple of hours. Compared to Perth and Doha, social distancing was considered to be important here. Markers on the floor, blocked chairs, and employees were making sure that people kept their distance. A first sign on how much worse corona is here compared to Australia.

Getting our checked in bags took incredibly long but eventually we had it all. After washing our hands again, we made our way outside. Suzanne waiting at the car park for us. How weird to see her after 5 months and then not give her a big hug. Instead we kept our hands of everything in the car and were all three of us wearing face masks. Arriving in Benschop we went into our new home for the next 2 weeks, the caravan of Machiel's parents. It's a small home but definitely bigger and more luxurious than the vans we have lived in during the previous months. And it did feel a bit like coming home. The bed was equipped with our bed covers, our winter jackets and shoes were standing ready to use, there was even a small bowl of Easter eggs welcoming us. Nonetheless, we were completely physically exhausted from the long journey, lack of sleep, and the climate differences. Plus mentally from the whole situation of having to decide to cut our trip short and escaping Australia. It's time for rest and isolation. And to get our lives back on track again, with the continuation of our travel in the back of our minds.Read more