Why a poppy?
Why a poppy?
People sometimes ask why there’s a red poppy on our site. Fair question. What does a wildflower have to do with living naturally?
Why a poppy?
People sometimes ask why there’s a red poppy on our site. Fair question. What does a wildflower have to do with living naturally?
Everything, as it turns out.
I once read that the poppy stands for hope, renewal and remembrance. It’s a flower that refuses to wait for perfect conditions. It pushes up through broken, stony ground and blooms anyway, bright red, right where nobody expected it. The first time I really thought about that, I recognised our own story.
Thirteen years, four countries
For thirteen years, home was wherever we unpacked our boxes. Myanmar. Laos. Suriname. Thailand. We learned new languages, new customs, and watched our daughter grow up between cultures. We celebrated, struggled, doubted, and grew.
Coming home
Four years ago, we came back to the Netherlands. It was summer, the sun was shining, and that first week felt like a holiday. We ate fries on a sunny terrace. We drank clean water straight from the tap. We marvelled at smooth roads, trains that ran on time, and being able to pay for anything with a quick tap of a bank card. Little things most people never notice, and we loved every one of them.
Then, after about two months, the holiday feeling faded.
Everyone talks about the adventure of leaving. Nobody tells you how hard it is to come home. You’ve changed. The country has changed. And suddenly you’re a stranger in the place you know best.
There were moments we felt stuck, tired and far from home, even while we were home. But like the poppy, we learned that hard ground isn’t a dead end. It’s where the next chapter takes root. We learned to rest, to protect our energy, and to trust the journey.
Today I look back with gratitude. We made it, and we’re richer for every step.
Why this blog
Living Naturally is where we share what those years taught us. It’s about daring to choose the life you truly want, and then actually living it. You’ll find stories and honest reflections on:
- discovering who you really are, your talents, mission and vision
- living and working abroad, and coming back
- healthy living, close to nature
- relationships and raising children
- growth on a spiritual, mental, emotional and physical level
We don’t have all the answers. We just have our story, life experiences and tools that proved to be working and we hope it helps you bloom wherever you’re planted.
Welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Tell us your story in the comments, we’d love to hear it.