Three months ago, Karin left for good in the Netherlands. ”It is of course a big step (…) Sitting on each other’s lips for five years won’t leave you in the cold. We started to live like brother and sister and we didn’t pay any attention to each other anymore”, explains Karin.
While Karin tries to build a new life, Hans runs the golf course on his own. “She left with a planned vacation, which was also granted to her. And she has decided never to come back and just leave me here with everything”, Hans begins to tell. Deep in his heart he hopes that Karin will return, against his better judgment. He continues: ”I have never appreciated her so much. Now I have to do everything myself and I have gained a lot more respect for her. I never really realized what she was doing.”
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It was not an easy adventure for the two. For example, their house was too close to the neighbors’ house and had to be moved three meters. The local government also put a stop to the construction of the golf course.
At a certain point, Karin had the feeling that a lot of work was only on her shoulders. ”I really don’t miss it. All the work basically came down to me. The groceries, the papers, making sure the supplies were in order, sweeping the jobs, you name it”, she says.
Still, it wasn’t an easy decision to leave everything behind. She continues: ”Of course I leave something beautiful behind. It was my idea and we didn’t get it as a present. And then things go wrong, which is a shame.”
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Karin does see a rosy future for herself: ”I’m not afraid that I won’t be able to work. I have a positive attitude and there is plenty of work (…) In any case, I will never go back.”
Hans has never regretted the decision to move to Bonaire and that will not change for the time being. ”I’m not going back to the Netherlands anyway. I really want to stay here. I’m going to make plans again and make it old-fashioned fun.”
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