Sometimes a trip is about more than the place—it’s about how you make it work.
In June 2016, we tried something new: booking an adapted holiday home. Our choice fell on Hof van Domburg in Zeeland. Everything seemed well arranged, and with the car fully packed—wheelchair included—we set off, ready for a week away.
The journey was smooth.
The arrival… less so.
What should have been a simple start turned into a long afternoon of phone calls and waiting. The adapted bed wasn’t there, the room wasn’t set up as needed, and it took hours before everything was finally in place. Not quite the welcome you hope for at the start of a holiday.
And in the days that followed, more things surfaced.
Small details, but ones that matter. A bathroom that flooded after every shower. A kitchen that wasn’t truly accessible. Furniture that looked fine, but didn’t feel comfortable. Things that remind you how important the right adjustments really are—not just on paper, but in real life.
So we adapted, as we always do.
We found ways around it. Helped each other. Made it work.
Because outside the house… there was space.
Zeeland offered exactly what we needed. Fresh air, open views, places to explore—even with a wheelchair. And slowly, the focus shifted. Away from what didn’t work, towards what did.
And what made this trip different—lighter, even—was that I wasn’t carrying it alone. My mother was there too, sharing the care, creating space for me to step back sometimes.
To breathe.
To walk.
To photograph a quiet sunset.
To just be, for a moment.
Those are the moments that stay.
Looking back, the house itself wouldn’t be my first choice again. There’s still a lot that could be improved, both in comfort and in understanding what “accessible” truly means.
But the trip?
That’s something else.
Because even when things don’t go as planned, there’s always something to hold on to. A view. A laugh. A quiet evening.
And sometimes… that’s enough. 🤍
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