Marjolein Smeets-Kuntzelaers

“I come from a creative and entrepreneurial family. Together with my brother and sister, I grew up in Tegelen, in a house that has been in our family for five generations. Outside of school hours, I was often engaged in creative activities. I played the violin, took jazz ballet classes, and our family participated in the Passion Plays. After high school, I went on to study pedagogical sciences and educational sciences at the University of Nijmegen."

"In the second year of university, I moved into student housing in Nijmegen. I had a part-time job at the Venlo hospital and formed close friendships with people from the Tegelen and Belfeld area. I would return for this on weekends, although in the final year of my studies I also stayed in Nijmegen for some weekends. In 2015, I graduated and with my master's degree in hand, I returned to Tegelen. The friend who helped me move back then, I can now call my husband."

"At that time, I wasn't quite sure what my next step would be. Around me, people were saying that this was the perfect moment to travel. A completely different environment, new people, and beautiful adventures. In April 2016, I decided to go to Australia to work as an au pair. I ended up in a family with 5 children in the Melbourne area. After that, there were two families in Manly, north of Sydney. It was hard work but also incredibly fun. During the interim periods, weekends, and on days off, I had the opportunity to explore the country."

"I had a wonderful time, but also a chapter with a clear beginning and end. I remember one moment very well: I was lying on a beautiful beach with a smoothie in my hand. Everything seemed perfect, but I was bored. Surprisingly, you can even get bored on the beautiful coast of Australia. In December 2016, my boyfriend came to visit me, and in the new year, we eventually went home together."