Ultimate freedom to go or stay
Inspiration shot April 2026
Can you act immediately when life happens,
or are you stuck in your schedule?
The past few weeks felt like one big movement. Three days of travel from New Zealand to Miami when my father got sick and my sister ended up in the hospital. All travel plans cancelled, just go! And then the complete opposite: sick in bed in Amsterdam, followed by deep slowing down on my land in Puglia, South Italy. All the way to the slowness of the stones, deep in the earth. Nothing to do. Just being, feeling and listening.
That contrast showed me again what freedom really means to me. Not only being able to go when needed, but also being able to stay. To slow down. To choose. In this Inspiration Shot I’ll take you into both worlds, and invite you to reflect, how free are you in practice?
📸 Header photo: Ellen van Bennekom for @saarmagazine
Ultimate freedom
My location independent lifestyle is often restless, and not always the easiest choice. But it gives me something invaluable, the freedom to be somewhere when it truly matters. Like recently in Miami, when my father and sister needed me. I wrote a Facebook post about it.
Slowness of the stones
After my experience at the Mystery School in New Zealand, I felt I was not ‘done’ yet, I wanted to go one layer deeper. Not so much to learn something new, but more to remember. One of the facilitators came to Puglia to do a mini retreat with me. Together we slowed down even more, all the way to the ‘slowness of the stones’. I have never felt so relaxed and so connected to my own heart, the land, the trees, even the stones deep in the earth. From that stillness, the best insights arise. Some cannot be put into words (I tried it anyway, in this FB post). A lot shifted in my energy body. I am still processing it, and learning to take the time for that as well.
Inspiration bites
FILM
A big bold beautiful journey
A special story about two strangers who -not entirely by choice- go on a journey together and discover what it means to truly live, love & let go.
I watched this dreamy, visually rich film for the second time on the plane.
FILM
Roof man
Another intriguing true story I watched on the plane. It follows a charming but elusive burglar who enters stores through the roof. He escapes from prison and lives for a year ‘hidden in plain sight’ inside a Toys“R”Us store. A surprisingly human portrait of someone balancing between crime and the desire for a normal life.
BOOK
Salt on my skin
When I was sick, I picked up this favorite again. Once more I was drawn into this intense, sensory love story between two completely different worlds; an intellectual Parisian woman and a Breton fisherman. The combination of raw honesty and poetic simplicity makes it feel as if you are experiencing their love yourself.
PLAYLIST
Divine remembering
This beautiful music helps to slow down, remember and surrender. It takes me into another dimension. Especially the first track divine surrendering is stunning; listen closely to the lyrics.
Congratulations on your book
BOOK TIP
Marie Nellens
When I arrived in Amsterdam, the book ‘Getekend door het leven’/’Marked by life’ by one of my writing coaching clients was waiting in my mailbox. True therapeutic stories, with beautiful illustrations and a matching notebook. I am always so proud when a writer truly follows through!
BOOK TIP
Chef David
In January, when I was in Miami, I wrote the unique, raw story of Chef David as a VIP ghostwriter. In the weeks after, it was edited and designed, and we added his striking photos. When I unexpectedly returned to Miami in March, his book was already available on Amazon, with the first enthusiastic reviews!
Did you know...
…that you can now experience my lifestyle in different places?
My TinyTrullo with modern holiday house is available for rent from end of April, and there are still a few weeks open during the summer. It is a beautiful place to slow down, relax under the olive trees and by the pool, and reconnect. Maybe you’ll also feel the connection with the land and the slowness of the stones I mentioned earlier. On Airbnb you can find all photos, details and prices. Feel free to message me if you want to book directly, with a 10% ‘friends discount’.
Would you like your own place in Puglia, in my village Ceglie Messapica? My studio is for sale.
My apartment in Amsterdam is also available for short or longer stays, and potentially for sale. The same deal applies if you book directly with me.
Where is Esther?
The trip from New Zealand to Miami to see my father and sister took three full days. But the moment I arrived, I knew it was worth it. My father had recovered slightly from pneumonia, but was so weakened that he can no longer walk. Before, he would still walk for an hour most days. In addition to Alzheimer’s, he also has Parkinson’s, which now seems to have seriously affected his muscles and coordination. This makes it even heavier for his caregivers and for my sister, who coordinates everything. Unfortunately, she suddenly ended up in the hospital herself, as her gallbladder had to be removed urgently. So it was exactly the right moment for me to be there.
After that, I spent a week in Amsterdam. I had planned 16 meetups with friends. I saw Annaliza at Schiphol Airport when I landed. Unfortunately, I got sick on the first day and spent the entire week in bed. I thought the double jet lag had caught up with me, but it turned out to be a respiratory infection. Even now, almost three weeks later, I still cannot talk without coughing. A message from the universe to turn inward?
Until the end of this month I am on my land in Puglia, Southern Italy, at my TinyTrullo. Spring is my favorite season here, everything is green and full of colorful flowers. I truly relax here. I feel connected to the land and to my neighbors, the locals. There is always time for a chat, an espresso (decaf is completely normal here, and good), and I am often invited to join for a meal. A true joy.
Inspiration in your mailbox
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