At home in Venlo
Renée Peeters-Joordens
Having grown up in the municipality of Venlo but having left due to study, work, love, or another adventure. This applies to many residents of the Venlo districts, but some of them eventually returned. Why did they leave, and why did they ultimately, just like in the famous song, come back 'truuk, truuk, truuk nao Venlo'? In conversation with Renée Peeters-Joordens from Venlo.
At least one weekend per month a busy schedule in Venlo
"I grew up in Venlo and went to study psychology at 18. While classmates chose studies in Nijmegen or Maastricht, I consciously chose Amsterdam. I wanted to live in student housing, meet new people, and fully immerse myself in Amsterdam's student life. I succeeded! After my psychology studies, I pursued a master's in communication science. I eventually started working as a communication and organization consultant for various large companies in and around the capital."
"My husband is from Hout-Blerick and we met in our final school year at Valuascollege. He went to study in Utrecht and then moved to Amsterdam. At least one weekend a month we had a busy weekend schedule in Venlo. Visiting family and friends and also during vastelaovend and Zomerparkfeest we could be found here. First as a couple and later with our children: 2 real Amsterdammers."
An increasingly cramped apartment
In Amsterdam, we lived in an apartment and when we had children, our home became increasingly cramped. My husband is an architect and we looked at about 50 homes in Amsterdam and made plans to renovate them to our liking. When our eldest was almost ready for primary school, the pressure was on. We then also started looking at homes in Venlo: a world of difference! In 2018, we made the decision to return to Venlo. We now have a beautiful house with individual rooms for the children and a large garden. A home that would be unaffordable in Amsterdam.
It was quite a puzzle to find a good order in finding work, buying a house in Venlo, and selling our apartment in Amsterdam. Eventually, all the pieces fell into place. My partner was able to start immediately at an architectural firm owned by my uncle in Venlo. This gave me the space to stay at home with the children for a while and calmly consider the next step: very welcome after such a big change.
"Eventually, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place."
I started networking and took on the role of marketing and communications manager at a company in the agro-food sector. Before we began exploring Venlo, I didn't know there were so many great companies here. The knowledge and experience I gained in the Randstad at large multinationals is also highly valued here. At the moment, I am exploring my next career step, preferably in or around Venlo.
At first, we were a bit afraid that we would miss the Amsterdam city life. At that time, I had lived 18 years in Amsterdam and 18 years in Venlo. Still, we haven't been bored for a moment in Venlo. For our family, the outdoor space we now have is a huge plus, and of course, the proximity to family and friends. Both places feel like home, but Venlo perhaps just a little bit more."
