interviews
Eva Daeleman and Stijn talk about their inspiring lifestyle
Interview
Eva Daeleman
Eva Daeleman is a creative soul. In addition to being a yogi and writer, she is also an entrepreneur and coach. Her life partner Stijn Heymans is also an entrepreneur and coach. In addition, together they are travelers and bon vivants pur sang. They have found each other both on a private and professional level and that is reflected in several creative projects. Travel Reasons interviewed them about their way of life and what traveling means to them.
Changing environment
At the beginning of 2019, Eva and Stijn exchanged the city life of Mechelen for a quieter life at the Belgian coast. They made that choice consciously and they have not regretted it to date. In addition to personal reasons, it has also been a good choice on a professional level to move. They experience the coast as a place that brings a lot of inspiration. There is less distraction and they experience less (time) pressure. Once they move inland, they work a lot more efficiently. This allows them to schedule multiple meetings in one day and then return home afterwards. In the past, this was spread out more, but they also lost time with it. Video calls now also make this a bit easier. You can do more in less time because you don’t lose time by standing in traffic jams, for example.
They also notice differences in their dealings with people. Everyone lives slower by the sea. Having a weak network is less common and when friends or family visit them, they are there especially for them. They both agree that living by the sea has completely changed their lives. The rat race of life is now less present and there are less incentives. You can easily do your own thing . People by the sea often have a different mindset.
However, the Belgian coast was not their first choice. Spain and Portugal were also places they thought about. But actually nature, sea and beach were the essence for their move. And they can now combine that with their job and they still see family and friends regularly. The Belgian coast is ideal for Eva Daeleman and Stijn Heymans.
Impact Corona
Eva Daeleman and Stijn Heymans make podcasts together about important themes in life and the lessons you can learn from them. In addition, they provide (online) coaching to empower people. And they host webinars, workshops, weekends, and yoga retreats. Precisely because they are working on so many projects at the same time, the corona crisis does not have a huge impact on their lives. Of course they notice it. Coaching weekends that cannot go on or their camper bus that literally stands still, for example. But they can still fall back on other projects. The work they have invested in recent years pays off now more than ever. This crisis has once again shown that they themselves need to remain active in as many different areas as possible. And they are already used to working remotely online. They didn’t have to adapt to that.
Privately, Eva and Stijn think the quarantine is fine. Living slower and being able to stay in your cocoon is something they also implemented in their daily lives before. They do miss the human, personal contacts. They try to look at it positively. Something that now temporarily disappears awakens their desire again. Furthermore, Eva and Stijn mainly think in a solution-oriented way and shift their focus if problems arise. Talk about a creative mindset!
It is important to integrate the essence of vacation into your home place
Way of life
Everyday Holiday is the platform where Eva and Stijn share their podcasts full of life lessons. The idea behind it is that you don’t have to go on vacation to enjoy every day. You can bring bits of vacation into your everyday life. And that is also possible in corona times. Put down a candle during dinner to approach the restaurant feeling, have lunch in your garden on a sunny day or go for a walk in nature. It’s the little things that can make a world of difference. The “recharging” that many people allow themselves on vacation once a year, you can do every day by changing your mindset . Eva and Stijn help with that search through their podcasts and coachings.
Way of travel
When we ask Eva and Stijn about their favorite way of travelling, there is no unequivocal answer. They like variety. From winter sports holidays to distant trips to Bali or just a small road trip in Belgium with the camper. Stijn likes to seek adventure while travelling. Eva also likes comfort. Their campervan, which they named “Marcel” , is therefore the perfect combination. You have all the necessary comfort to get out and start your adventure.
Conscious travel is an important aspect to them. If they go a little further, they think carefully about their travels. They show respect for the host country and consider the impact on the environment. They do this, for example, by eating vegan, taking ecological soap with them and cleaning up their waste. The connection with nature is always central. You don’t have to go far either, closer can be just as nice.
And closer, in Belgium, the duo will find plenty of nice places to stay. Eva’s favorite is Damme near Bruges, where she cherishes fond memories. Or kayaking on the Ourthe. Stijn is happy when he can SUP (Stand Up Paddle) on the water. They are not really attached to one specific place, but they both love the Eglegem pond in Hombeek. That’s where they got to know each other. If there is water, it is usually fine. It is soothing to see the world from the water. It also brings a lot of fun.
If traveling gives inspiration or shows the world in a different way, then it's good
Travel life lessons
Stijn believes that by traveling you literally distance yourself from everything. Travel gives you space. Adventure is an important part for him. Step out of your comfort zone and start looking. By traveling you are inspired by other cultures. How does someone live on the other side of the world? It’s exciting to see that. Travel broadens your own limiting thoughts. Vacation differs from travel in this respect. Taking a vacation means stopping and then starting again. It’s different when traveling.
Eva tells that traveling brought her herself . Travel and vacation are not the same. Vacation is taking a break from your life. Traveling is discovering yourself. There may also be less enjoyable moments when traveling, but you learn from them. You learn to recognize your own patterns, you learn to reflect, it brings inspiration and it connects. With yourself, with the world, with the environment and nature.
We can certainly confirm the words above. Travel changes your life. One of the many reasons why we so often visit other places. Living a life that you don’t really need a break from is just happiness.