Ben The Bushman

First of, language choices… It’s always a dilemma. Will I write stuff in Dutch, or English. The international Letshaveabigassadventure.com fan-base isn’t necessarily growing, but if I keep writing about doing the ‘polonaise achteruit’ it probably never will. I do have some friends abroad, and an Australian website storyofmyworld.com picked up my story on Eddy the wallet-thief and asked if I was willing to write some more. So, lets put aside the Brabant jokes for now and aim for that TED-talk so I can die peacefully.

Sweet stuff has been happening lately. And since most of it is relate to future Big Ass Adventures I’ll share some of it. Most importantly, I finally found some clue's and what-to-do’s carreerwise. It was so in my face that I cannot believe I missed it all this time. I feel I would make a great and happy bushman/forester/boswachter! It has literately been years since I thought about a career path that gave me this much excitement. I do not reminisce on last year's 2€ Neapolitan Aperol Spritz that much, I do however clearly recall the smell of Italian seaside pine trees and the joy of seeing Bee-eaters in Tuscany. I love solitude, Flora & Fauna and a picture myself living in a Tiny House, on the land I’m investigating and protecting.

Of course there is knowledge to be gained. Roads to be taken. Knowing Stork from Blackbird will not be sufficient. Bring it on! I really am excited to start learning again. Fuck artist management, tell me 'bout the birds and the trees! I’m researching a couple of options. Doing a 2 year part time study to become a Nature Guide at IVN is probably a good start. I also discovered there’s a study called Bos- en natuurbeheer. Stoked! How did I miss this all these years?! Now I can do the Bachelor, or even the Master is this field, but it don’t want to be writing rapports on ecological topics till my eyes hurt. I want to look for mushrooms and tell people to leave the birds alone. So, maybe the MBO deeltijd Bos-Natuurbeheer is most suited? Maybe MBO stands for More Booty Options? The 15th of June I’ll go to a meetup at the campus of both studies(in Velp) and take it from there.

Tiny House Nederland Jamboree

Yes, I am one of those. I want to live in a tiny house. On wheels. So many cooI option, so excited. The final result will totally depend on the help I’m able to get(not a born builder) and of course the budget. I’m slowly saving cash to make this happen, 2018 might be thé year if all goes well. In the meantime I volunteered for a project at Tiny House Nederland to keep the inspiration flowing and help the movement. Together with 7 other small-living-lovers I will organize an event around tiny housing to inform and excite a large(er) public on the 7th of October(More on this project later, save the date!). We had our first meetup at the Tiny House of Marjolein, who lives on a piece of land somewhere in Alkmaar. This was my first time in a Tiny Home after seeing heaps of them online. Unsurprisingly I was not so much interested in the functioning of the toilet, electricity and heating, even though I probably should be. No, my attention went straight to the cat who seemed to be living the life a o true cat queen, the kitchen-garden, the water nearby, the green, the silence. Like with the bicycle camper I want to be the end user, the process towards it is mostly just a necessary hiccup.

The Eleventh Commandment

In the meantime, no financial crisis yet, it is business as usual in Amsterdam. People are drinking beer, and I enjoy giving it to them. The Eleventh Commandment, Voluptatibus Fruendum, Thou shall enjoy. I contacted my old boss at Gollem to find out if he had an opening in my old team. Turns out they just bought a new bar at the Zeedijk, and before I knew it I was behind the bar again. Just had my first weekend: happy with the job! Nice bar, nice crew, discovering new great music and practicing my Italian. The trick will be to not let the night life take away my other ambitions… So far so good.

Niels.

#Other #Boswachter