Ik Vertrek This year our holidays will be different than usual. Summer vacations are canceled and borders are closed. This year holidays will consist of camping in the Netherlands‌ However, some Dutch people live at the perfect holiday destination. They escaped the Netherlands because of the regulations and decide to have their own restaurant, hotel, or camping at the end of the world, followed by a famous TV-program: Ik Vertrek. Everyone knows that these people always run into problems. That is why I do not understand why people still participate in this program. I imagine how the idea of participating would start: a couple is watching Ik Vertrek and enjoying the gloating. They laugh about the stupid mistakes and problems the participants have to deal with. They discuss that they would do much better on Ik Vertrek and that indeed the regulations in the Netherlands suck. They start imagining what the weather in France looks like at that moment and how nice it would be to run a little bed and breakfast and spending the rest of the day by relaxing and spending time with their partner and kids. The participation of Ik Vertrek is born‌ The couple gives up their job, says goodbye to their family and friends, and travels to their new home and work. Arrived at their new place, the problems commence. It starts with the fact that their French is really bad, and the French people do not speak Dutch. Then, the building they bought is more of a ruin than a real house or hotel. And after four weeks of bureaucracy they realize that getting permission to start a hotel is not as easy as expected and that they have exactly the same problems as their predecessors. Maybe the Netherlands was not that bad, with their good regulations, nice houses, and comprehensible residents. Some of the participants return and now live in the Netherlands again, but most of these people, in the end, succeed and now live in their dream place. There are even a few of them that become really famous and get their own TV program (Martien Meiland). Despite this outcome and their endless amount of hope, I think these people are crazy to participate in this program. This holiday, we will do what the people in Ik Vertrek should have done: Stay home and enjoy life in the Netherlands! June 2020
Column Emma
Stay home and enjoy life in the Netherlands! –Emma
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