SO MANY WAYS – REMKE

Remke – Playa Las Americas, Tenerife
25 years, from Antwerp, Belgium

Remke inherited her adventurous spirit from her mother. Already in her childhood, she went camping with her family somewhere in Europe. She got to know other ­countries and cultures, made contacts with people from all over the world. Recently, she tended to travel to distant destinations. The pandemic changed her behaviour. Remke realized for herself that it is not necessary to travel to countries like India or Ethiopia to have a good time, tried Europe again for a change. The decision to buy a van was spontaneous, she had no clear idea of life in a van at that time. Her plan was to chase the sun. She gave up her flat in Antwerp, for which she was paying a lot of rent, and set off for Tenerife in January 2022.

She studied social work and had a side job in an organic food shop. Remke never tried to find a job in the field she studied for, only did some internships in social work. Being a very empathetic person, she soon realized that she was not ready to care for other people, to support them emotionally to the extent she needed to. The stories of people living impoverished took her away. She did not feel that she was ready to take on a job in this field. In addition, a job in the social sector entails a permanent position. But tying herself down for a long time was out of the question for Remke. The idea of working for two to three months, saving money and travelling again suits her attitude to life better at the moment.

She likes the atmosphere in Playa Las Americas. All the wealthy people who stay in the 5-star hotels, in between the surfers who live in their vans in the car park by the McDonald’s. This spot is easy for a surfer. You can get out of your van in the morning with a coffee in your hand and check out the waves. But she can’t stand it here for more than two or three days at a time. Then she drives to a place in nature to detox from humanity.