Tieske's Adventures

Last Christmas one of my cousins asked: “ Who is joining our family on a ski trip? ” “ That would be me! ”, I replied. After confirming I wasn’t joking around we made arrangements. “ We always go to Alta Badia, in the northern part of Italy,”  my uncle explained. “ It is a beautiful area and we get along well with the owner of our pension.”  I’ve always said I would go on a ski trip one day, yet it was never a priority for me. Now this opportunity presented itself and I decided to take it.  Our group counts eight people: my uncle and aunt, their three children, two partners and myself. It’s about a ten hour drive from Den Bosch to the town of San Cassiano, the town where we are staying. Anna, Vera (two cousins) and Callum (Vera’s boyfriend) join me in my car. Plenty of time to catch up and to get to know Callum better. A couple of conversations, a podcast, some music and sandwiches later, we arrive at our destination where the rest of our group is awaiting us....

“Hey man! When are you going to visit us again?” A customer asks me in January of 2019. “As soon as I get my visa approval you guys will be my first visit!” Last December, I sent him an e-mail: “ Guess who’s coming to America? Merry Christmas!” I’ve been working from home (wherever that was) for almost a 100% of my time since I left the United States in January of 2017. “ Don’t you miss working with people around you?” is the question I always get when I tell about my work. In response I usually tell how great it is to be flexible to work whenever and wherever I please. About how I can get so much work done, because I’m not distracted by people around me. Later this week I would be reminded of what I’ve been missing… Belonging I get to the office and am excited about seeing people I haven’t seen since December of 2016 and about meeting people that I’ve worked with so much over the past few years, but never met in person. A lady behind the desk greets me: “ Good mornin...

My sister Gonneke works for KLM. A couple of times each year she is allowed to bring someone on the trip with her. “ Do you want to join me on a work trip to Panama City? We’ll leave on Thursday and be back on Sunday morning." In this phase of my life I’m saying "yes” to almost every opportunity or invitation that comes my way . I get to visit places I wouldn’t have chosen myself and meet people that I otherwise wouldn’t have met. Trying out new things is sometimes uncomfortable, but it makes me feel like I’m living life to the fullest. For some reason that is important to me.  “ Of course I will join you!” I respond to her question as I’m purchasing a highly discounted ‘standby’ ticket. The rules are simple: if there is an empty seat, you can board the plane; if there isn’t, you’ll get your  money back .  A couple of days before our trip it turns out that the flight is overbooked by 7.. “ Don't worry”, my sister reassures me, “ there is always a chance peo...