Soraya grows up in Bilbao and has a busy life in Spain. Then she meets the Dutch Peter during a holiday on the Costa Brava. That meeting changes everything!
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The Spanish Soraya grows up in the Basque Country. She is close to her family and studies at the conservatory. In 1990 she travels to the Costa Brava to spend a holiday with a friend. ”She went to the same campsite every year, near Salou. Once when she asked if I wanted to come along, I thought, why not? Little did Soraya know then how this vacation would change her future.
To the disco
“We had just unpacked our things when my girlfriend saw an acquaintance approaching. That was Peter,” Soraya recalls. Soraya’s girlfriend had known Peter for years, as they had both been camping many times before. Soraya says: “I immediately thought Peter was a handsome man. He introduced himself to me and asked what we were going to do that night. He invited us to go to the disco.” Soraya gladly accepted that invitation!
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Long distance love
Soraya and her friend spend a large part of the holiday with Peter and other friends from the campsite. When her friend makes other plans, Peter and Soraya decide to meet just the two of them. “That also turned out to be very pleasant. Peter is a very sweet man and he has a great sense of humour. We immediately had a lot of laughs together.” The vacation comes to an end, but the relationship between Peter and Soraya does not. For three years, Soraya and her Dutch lover commute back and forth between Spain and the Netherlands. When Peter has also met Soraya’s parents, things are really serious between the two. “Then we had to decide, would he move to Spain for me or would I move to the Netherlands for him?”
I had to get used to the Netherlands quite a bit
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With the in-laws
It becomes the second option: Soraya moves to the Netherlands in 1993. ”There was a lot of unemployment in Spain at the time, while it would be easy for me to find a job in the Netherlands. That’s why this was the best option. Peter promised that we would still go to Spain if I could not settle in the Netherlands.” Soraya leaves a lot behind in Spain and that is not easy. “I had to get used to it quite a bit. Fortunately, Peter also realized that this was a difficult decision for me and tried very hard to please me.” During the first period in the Netherlands, the couple will stay with Peter’s parents in Zoetermeer and after four months the couple will buy their own apartment.
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Plan everything
The Spanish culture differs considerably from the Dutch, says Soraya. ”I had to get used to the fact that you can’t just visit someone here, you have to make an appointment first. The working hours are also very different. In Spain we start later and we also continue longer, and we also take much more time to eat.” There is also a specific Dutch custom that Soraya was very surprised about: “The Dutch congratulate the whole group when someone has a birthday. I used to find that so confusing!”
Back to Spain
The couple has now been married for 26 years and they live in a beautiful family home in Oosterheem. They have two grown children. ”They speak both Spanish and Dutch. Not completely fluent, but pretty good.” On average, Soraya and Peter go to Spain about twice a year to visit Soraya’s parents and sister. Soraya enjoys Zoetermeer for the rest of the year. ”I like to go for a walk or run in the Westerpark. The green landscape is one of the things I like most about Zoetermeer.”
Who is the next Zoetermeer of the week?
Do you also have a special story? Or do you know a Zoetermeer that we really need to interview? Let us know at [email protected]. These Zoetermeers already preceded you.