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‘What my different activities have in common is that – apart from my woodworking – they are always aimed at making situations better for people. In healthcare I am involved in reintegration, recovery, youth care or interference care. At municipalities I often work as a policy advisor or project manager and then you are constantly looking at how policy can be improved.
“I get my assignments through a secondment agency – that works best for me. This way I don’t have to look for another one during an assignment, the agency does that for me. If I stay with the municipality for too long, I will miss the direct contacts from healthcare. If I work in healthcare for a long time, I will miss the dynamics of policy advice at municipalities. So it is ideal to alternate it.
“I am also a woodworker. I make pens, competition cups, vases and jewellery. Often made of wood that is meaningful to people – for example, from an old family desk. When I once ended up with a reflex therapist myself, because of a stuck shoulder, I was so fascinated by the technique that I took a course in it and now teach it myself. That’s really my story: if things are fun, I’ll get to work. I am also convinced that if you do something you enjoy, growth and development will arise.”
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‘My husband and I have been living in Putten near the forest for almost seven years. Over the years we have taken solar panels and had extra insulation installed in the cavity walls. Now we use a smart meter to see exactly when I’m working in the woodshed: then that consumption peak increases enormously. We have two cars, one of which is a plug-in hybrid, and if you stay around for a bit, we’ll drive it for free.
“We have two large dogs and the third is on the way. One of the adult dogs has just had an operation on incorrect bone growth, which cost us 1,000 euros, but it grows back very quickly. Fortunately, our vet has a subscription that gives you a discount. Our cat was the 500th visitor, so he got a free subscription for a year.
“My husband and I both play golf and you can make it as crazy as you want in terms of costs. We are members of a track in Nunspeet and then you can go on the track every day. We are also a member of ANWB golf, which gives you a discount on other courses. The nice thing about the sport is that you can easily walk around outside for about four hours. And your cup must be empty otherwise it will not go well. Some people earn huge amounts of money playing golf, but we just haven’t succeeded yet.”
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper on May 30, 2023.