Everybody takes stock around this time of year. Even more so since a decade ends. I know it is just numbers, but I do think it is good to take a moment and look back at what has happened, where you come from, how that made you feel and crystalize from that where you like to go from here.
And what interesting 10 years it has been. Let’s see:
2010 – Had Corrective Eye Surgery from -10 diopter on both eyes to 20/20 vision. I finished my education as Graphic Designer and Desktop Publisher and exchanged my lovely ´Jarod´ for a structurally less rusty and generally more exciting ´Steven´ and by now I am one year freelancer next to my full-time job as graphic designer.
My eye 5 days after.
My friend Oliver flees on his round birthdays and ´hides´at my place. But he can´t outrun the cake.
One of the displays and packaging I designed
Decade of friendships are celebrated with good coffee
The day I graduated from the Multimedia College Amsterdam in DTP.
Getting ready
Monique , Anja and I decided to learn how to make sushi.
We visited a friend but he got ill, so Arnold and I went to discover haunted Edinburgh
Unfortunately a common thing with old MX5 is the rusting understructure of the car in places like Holland. I needed to sell Jarod.
Luckily selling Jarod meant that I could buy Steven and amp up my Hair Rock status.
Christmas is a time for family
Proof I do know what snow is
2011 – I registered as an organ donor in the Netherlands, got my Divemaster in a 6-week internship on Malta and a Motorcycle in preparation of my license.
Nadjas first day as divemaster
Finished the divemaster Internship. Melita, Kevin, Arnold and Nadja
Adrian Sharky, Nadja and Arnold.
First and only Karaoke ever. Sumer of 69 with Kevin and Nadja
George and Nadja during a victory dance. Divemaster celebrations.
Graspop Metal Meeting.
Haleween in Germany. After the party at Schloss Elz
Haloween in Sixflags
Arnolds first day as divemaster
2012 – I archived my Motorcycle licence and started studying at the College of MultiMedia in Amsterdam as a Multimedia engineer. By now we finished most of the house renovations and at the end of the year I upgraded my Honda Nighthawk to a Suzuki Intruder, which we found on the junkyard
Arnold, Marije and me during our inland dive adventures
With Monique and Sander in Cochem, Germany.
Favorite place in the world. Under water
I wanted to go to egypt ever since I could think and at least the architectue doesnt dissapointy.
On my birthday visiting a friend that played in Belgium.
Preparations for Halloween. Olli is already in the spirit of things
Happy Halloween! Oliver, Nadja and Hendrik
Selfmade decorations
6 Hours of makeup later. Happy anniversary!
Selfmade decorations
Credle in echo concept photoshoot for the website and my final grade at school.
My furry family. Chunky is missed.
2013 – The company I worked for as packaging designer got bought and since the main company had already a swarm of designers I found a new job at a printing company. Besides loads of different small tasks within the company, my main responsibilities were designing all sorts of print products and handling the plate development machine for the big rotation press. I had fun dividing my time in designing and some manual labour. I loved the chemical aspect of it. It was a bit like developing a film out of camera.
Visiting Olli In Oberhausen
Ice festival with Marije, Arnold and Nadja
Finally my own Intruder
Decided to go back to red again.
Company summer party and new things to try - once
Me and my new friend. Since a year I am not going anywhere without that camera anymore
Happy as can be. Terry Pratchet book and a hammock.
Addicted to photography.
Discovering Viannen
My second try at cupcakes
Happy Halloween
Visiting Marije for Her Instructor Celebrations on Malta
Happy as can be. Sea, cats and photography.
Getting a flood in Buggibah
At the tugboat MV Rozi
Look at me, I am a starfish!
Diving at the Azur Window as it still existed.
Finished my bucket list map.
2014 – This was a rollercoaster and crossroads kind of year! I graduated from College of MultiMedia as Multimedia engineer and through that I got talking with a guy online who offered me a job setting up a company in the United States. I needed time to think about my life as did my partner and we agreed that a break was a good idea. I quit my job in the Netherlands and shortly after the job in the USA fell through. However, we decided to still go to Texas since tickets and so forth were booked and paid for so it ended up being a Sabbatical and epic road trip instead. After coming back to the Netherlands my partner and I agreed to end a 13-year long relationship and I decided to move away from the Netherlands to London. That also meant my first trip with my Motorcycle alone cross country to England and around Christmas, I got together with Hass.
Ready to go to the concert
Recording some vocals for a friend
Meeting Joyce after not having seen each other 4 years.
Die 3 Fragezeichen in Oberhausen. My childhood in the flesh.
Visiting with Joyce and Hass in Amsterdam
Trying my hand first time at Band photography
Waiting for my first flight solo
Saying goodbye to friends. The big road trip awaits.
On Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas.
Let’s try this
Taos New Mexico
Meeting Rosie the Tarantula
Im growing horns
At the shooting range killing Nazi Zombies
Dragons breath in Yellowstone
Big Boots in Seattle
Getting the sight seeing tour by Marc.
Thors well
Hello San Francisco
Hello Hawaii
Diving with Sharks and Turtles
Hass needed to get a picture with Elmo for his Kids.
Beautiful view up from the bottom of the canyon
And this is how crowded it really was
Colorado River and the Horseshoe bend
Daring to crawl to the edge for a selfie
Grand Canyon
Wilson up for Sale
Just because
My first Intruder Meeting
My first Intruder Meeting
Hello London. You going to be my new home.
Watson, the game is afoot
And nevermind where I live, I will always come back to her.
2015 – Lonon was great for me but Hass didn’t feel too comfortable and as we got a Job offer in Malaga Spain, we jumped at the chance to move. After a few months, we found a rental property in Pinos De Alhaurin with private pool and fruit orchard. We were in heaven. Hass worked at a tech company and I worked at a dive centre in Benalmadena. Ekky and the other fur babies entered our life, we crashed my Flames on a roundabout and learned a very valuable lesson: Spanish roads are slippery as fuck. That holds true in wet and dry state by the way. I joined a photography group to get to know my surroundings better and I volunteered at a cat charity as a graphic designer. this led to making friends and one of them was coincidental one of my vocal heroes who then offered teach me the guitar.
Monique studies just a busride away. How lucky are we.
SAying goodbye for teh last time.
Hello Spain. Do you want to be my new home?
Crashed the car.
Photo club winner for happyness
Chocolate fabrik viosit in Mijas with my boss.
Monique came to visit and we went to Granada for the day.
My personal pool and paradise.
Out with the photoclub.
Benalmadena - Monument to seafaring folk
Kids visit for the first time.
Malaga Christmas lights with friends
2016 – With everything I ever thought of as normal turned upside down I jumped on the chance to give in to a longterm dream of mine. Photography. Hass found me an amazing study and I started studying professional Photography at the New York Institute of Photography. I also got my first Job as product photographer. We went on a breathtaking adventure in Malaysia. Living in Pinos de Alhaurin was beautiful, but since we kept having car trouble we also understood how isolated the place was. We decided that Spain is a place we would like to stay longer and put a payment down on a house in Estepona. The delivery date got pushed further back a few times though and we decided to go and rent a place in the town where we planned to buy the property. After all, we needed to get our life going there and by now Hass had swapped job and worked in Marbella, which was also closer to Estepona. After a few delays more we decided that the situation appears a bit fishy and we backed out of buying the property, after all, we were happy enough with our rental at that point.
New year clean up and this beach was in dire need of it. With Danny, Thomas, Hass and Melissa
We plan to live here.
Visiting the kids in Sweden
Visiting Oliver for his bIrthday.
Spring is in the air
In our back yard
Malasya
Dreaming of past days and future adventures in Georgetown
Fresh coconut juice
BOH Tea Plantation in Malasia
Yanjon Jara Resort
Kuala Lumpur
Visiting Monique in Amsterdam
Marije visited Mijas with me
Finally my bike is finished with its rebuild.
Some new life in the house
Kittens are stressfull
Visiting Cadiz for the day
Kids visit for their summer vacation
The cats are wondering who to play with
Learning horseback riding
Cat TV
Our view from the living room window
Started 52Frames challenge
2017 – This was a mixed year too. I got to visit North New Zealand with Hass and I got hired to tour twice with Tyketto but I also lost my Granny and ruptured my ligaments which bound me nearly 6 months to the house.
However, I registered as Freelancer in Spain to offer creative services from graphic design to photography and we bought a little apartment in town that was meant as retirement insurance. So we started to rent it out on Airbnb.
Bahia Dorada. New years clean up with Hass and me
Going on tour with Tyketto ad merch and Tour manager.
Danny and a marshal
Visiting teh doctor Who Exhibition in Cardif with Matt
Hobiton
Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata, New Zealand
Hobiton - the only hobbit house you can enter.
Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata, New Zealand
The streets are sooooo scary
Carvings in Wellington
Waiotapu Thermal Park
Like a Glass of Bubbly, Champagne Pool Is an Ever-fizzing (Hot) Spring at 74 degrees Celsius. The Pool is the centrepiece of the even-lovelier-named Wai-o-tapu (sacred waters) Thermal Wonderland. This area, located in the north island of New Zealand, was formed over thousands of years of geothermal activity.
Haka and Poi experiance
Love to see the landscape pass bye
Beach day
Milking a Cow in Whangaruru, New Zealand
Coopers Beach in Mangonui, New Zealand
Having a Mai Thai in Palm Beach Estepona
Motorcycle rider and his Triumph Bobber in motion
Kids Summer vacation
Kids Summer vacation
And the second leg with tyketto.
2018 – This year was for me all about the camera. After being not able to do much with the broken ligament, I redoubled my efforts on the Photography studies and I graduated from the New York Institute of Photography with really good grades! The dedicated service NM Photography was born and I spent the summer photographing weddings together with Naomi, who was a great source of information and inspiration to me. I had an exhibition lined up and all was going great in camera land. However, Hass’ Job in Mabella was not so much. Luckily he is awesome and besides being headhunted found a challenging opportunity in Lisbon. And we always said the best way to get to know a culture is living in the country. so we moved to Lisboa.
Photo practic for school at Cocora Coffee
Photo practic for school with Melissa and Paul
Photo practic for school with Michael at Siopa
Photo practic for school
Beautifully contrasting colors
2nd wedding
4th wedding
Naomi and her Son in the river
5th wedding
A Day in Lisbon
A Day in Lisbon
First shot at cooperate headshots
Visiting London for work. At least Hass, Bruno and Gata are.
My bronce hero
Hass at a tech symposium as speaker
2019 – Portugal was easy to sign yourself into, much more difficult to get your property into though. It took 6 weeks to deliver our furniture and we quickly made friends with the local restaurants and bars, since they had places to sit and our home had not. Registering our car and getting the right tax status was another never-ending story with the car being in the garage for 8 months till every last paper had been stamped or signed or whatever the authorities do with it. For the taxes to resolve entirely, we are still waiting. Hass has made a name for himself in the startup community and has given several speeches and was invited to speak at tech symposiums. he also volunteered at the local startup incubator. Though I am having a bit more of a hard time being a bit further away again from my beloved beaches I got to photograph interesting people including but not limited to the prime minister of Luxembourg and Portugal, the president of Portugal and the mayor of Lisbon. I started going to the gym and I got help fixing my dodgy knee. I started Krav Magar and found a way to go swimming regularly. In summer I fulfilled another of my longterm dreams. Learning a bit of silversmithing in a short course. I had so much fun and the teachers were so adamant that I had talent and should explore this avenue a bit more, that we decided to turn a traumatic experience into something positive. We got burgled and most of what was stolen were my families jewellery. Luckily the insurance paid some and we decided to invest the money back into enrolling me to silversmithing school. Winter is no time for photography anyway and this way I maybe can recreate one item of the stolen loot that I was most attached to.
Naomi visits us in Lisbon and takes a shot at me 🙂
Fireman graves
Lisbon at night
Favorite season, purple flower season
Porto Covo seacret beaches
Sant antonio celebrations with Hass
Harley Meeting in Cascais
Daytrip to the most western point europas
Red Frog magic
New Camera and seth has to model
Firstly, Xavier Bettel met with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Portuguese Republic in the Belém Palace.
Xavier Bettel with the Mayor of Lisbon
On the ferry, back from a day of boat watching
Happy birthday to me
Venice through the eyes of Hass
Dancer in Lisbon
Dancer in Lisbon
A moment of beauty and rest in a busy city center.
Fading in the foam.
Guardian angle
Tres Marias ruin at the sea
Happy birthday Hass
Arriving at Belém Palace.
Xavier Bettel with the Mayor of Lisbon going towards the most famouse balkony in Lisbon
Looking back, it been a hell of a ride but I have very little regrets. I have seen amazing things, met incredible people and pushed myself out of my comfort zone so often, that I have grown to a much more balanced and happy person. As always, there is still enough to work on and strive for, but so far so good. I managed to take so many things off my bucket list and though I might not be physically in the place I most want to be, I am with the person I want to be and I am professionally very close to what I want to do with my life. So, all in all, a very good decade indeed and I feel the best is yet to come!
I hope you’ve been able to tackle everything you set out to accomplish in the last decade and I can’t wait to hear about what you’ve got lined up for 2020+!