Tag Archives: family

The Reunion

We met my brother and his family at lake Garda today. I was a bit worried that it would be impossibly crowded at this hotspot for Dutch and German tourism, but I have to admit, it was pretty good. We spent a lazy day at a small and partly shaded beach. The crowds were manageableContinue reading “The Reunion”

Boiling point

After a solid four hours of driving on a mostly empty highway, we spent last night with the camper parked in a forest parking lot close to Wiesbaden. The drive was a breeze. The kids were completely out for most of the ride. The night was quiet and my sleep was dreamless and mostly uninterrupted.Continue reading “Boiling point”

Well… It is supposed to be family time after all

Christmas 2021. We’ve chosen not to take the long-ass drive back to the locked-down Netherlands. Some people in the family circle choose not to get vaccinated, and several also refuse to get tested before meeting up. This, for me, is more than enough reason not to meet up for several days. There also has beenContinue reading “Well… It is supposed to be family time after all”

Growing up with online family

One of the aspects of the current pandemic that I have found super frustrating, is the lack of options to see our family in The Netherlands. For the past year or so, we have seen all of them only in digital format (like many others have, I’m sure). Although I personally can deal very wellContinue reading “Growing up with online family”

I should have stayed in bed this morning

I’m frazzled. Not a feeling you’d expect at the end of a day off, right? One of the PhD students I co-supervise will harvest her final experiment this weekend. Timing would not have it any other way. I’m generally not a big advocate for working weekends. Therefore, I offered a helping hand, so we couldContinue reading “I should have stayed in bed this morning”

Germany you should – a series (part 3)

When you’re expecting or raising kids, being in Germany is fantastic. Why? In the Netherlands*, the conditions to become parents are pretty grim. My country hates kids. Mothers get four months of maternity leave, which includes the weeks before the baby is born. I guess the government thinks dads should not be involved in raisingContinue reading “Germany you should – a series (part 3)”

The price we pay?

The long-distance relationship format sucks in almost all types of relationships, except academic/professional relationships. Yet, it seems to have become an unwritten rule that if you want to make it in academia, you have to move around, and preferably abroad. What kind of fucked up rule is this, really? When I finished my PhD, IContinue reading “The price we pay?”

Like father, like son

I’m one of these people that really REALLY cannot hide their opinion of things around them – good or bad. My facial expressions are pretty strong, and I think it is hard for me to hide those. Especially, joy and disgust are easy to read off my face, but when I’m confused about something, myContinue reading “Like father, like son”