As the attentive reader may already have noticed, we are considering next steps in our journey. In our blogs we always enjoy sharing a little more of the background behind our journey, and lately we have been spending quite a bit of time thinking about the future. It feels exciting and slightly surreal because nothing is certain yet. But much like the way our current travel story itself began, we are slowly placing the pieces of the puzzle on the table and seeing what might make sense for the life we want to build.

One thing has become increasingly clear to us. At some point we will need to find a place where we can create a more stable base. Especially for Philou this feels important. She is absolutely loving life right now, discovering new places and experiences with endless enthusiasm. Still, we also know that at some stage it would be wonderful for her to experience a more settled school environment where she can build lasting friendships. And for us as well it would be good to land somewhere where we can start earning money again and begin building something new. After all, money sadly does not grow on trees.

From the very beginning of this journey we carried one thought quietly in the back of our minds. We wanted to keep our eyes open to the possibility of living abroad. Returning to the Netherlands was never the only option. This trip has felt like the perfect opportunity to explore what life might look like elsewhere and to cross what we jokingly call the entire Mediterranean sea of possibilities.

We have always said that if we found a place that truly felt like home, we would be open to exploring that possibility further. And interestingly, as much as we love Greece, the place that has most often felt like the practical and most suitable option so far has been Spain.

Spain simply offers a certain ease. If we do not go too far south it is still within travelling distance from the Netherlands. There is a large international community, and for a reasonable budget you can find properties that match the kind of home we are dreaming about. So Spain has always quietly remained on our radar.

At the same time our love for Greece never disappeared. We kept telling ourselves to stay open minded and keep looking. Yet until recently we had not come across a place here that truly matched our wishes. Many of the Greek islands are beautiful but also very remote, and we do have certain needs when it comes to daily life.

Then we arrived on Crete.

Before coming here we already knew that Crete might be the most suitable of the islands simply because of its size and infrastructure. We are looking for a place that offers comfort in terms of facilities such as schools, healthcare and good flight connections. Accessibility matters when you are building a life somewhere.

During the past week we have been exploring the island almost obsessively, driving around different regions and trying to get a sense of whether this could actually work. Crete is enormous so we cannot possibly see everything in one visit, but from the very beginning we have been completely charmed by it.

So now we have reached the stage where we are starting to create a real list. A list of questions and practical considerations. What would living here actually involve. What kind of property would we need. What budget would make sense. Which regions might suit us best.

These thoughts suddenly make everything feel very concrete, even though all of this would only happen next year at the earliest. Back in the Netherlands we would still need to sell our house first. For now the question is simply whether it could be possible.

We only have a few weeks here on Crete during this trip. If this island continues to feel like a serious possibility then I suspect we will come back and spend a longer period here to explore it more deeply.

At the same time we are still comparing everything with Spain, especially areas such as the Costa Blanca and perhaps even a little further north. We are also thinking about what we want in the long term from our home. We are dreaming of something substantial, something that allows us to build a real life.

I have quite an extensive list of wishes and practical requirements that we are working through. In a future blog I will share more about those details. For now I simply wanted to take you along in the thoughts that are quietly shaping our journey.

So the question remains.

Could Crete become the place where we eventually settle and truly feel at home. Or will the road lead us somewhere else entirely?

I believe that paths reveal themselves as you walk them. Somehow it feels meaningful that we came here now. We could easily have skipped Crete on this trip, but something told us to experience this island for ourselves.

And we are very glad that we did, because it truly has potential.

In the next blog I will take you deeper into the choices and comparisons we are making along the way. In many ways it feels like a journey within our journey.

Sometimes the future begins with nothing more than a quiet feeling that you might already be in the right place.