November, we are almost at the end of the year. We have mentally prepared ourselves for the festive month. The children have mainly been thinking about the presents they want, and Alan has made quite a list, carefully planning which gifts are for his birthday, which ones Santa should bring, and what he wants from the Three Kings next year.

This month, as almost every month, we did another nature route. With a slightly larger group of men, we went once again to enjoy meat in its purest form accompanied by a couple of glasses of nice wine. Also this month I was the only one who enjoyed a day off, because in Telde (where I work) some saint was commemorated. The rest of the month we had creativity, happyness, ninja activities and even some worries, so it was once again a month with lots of emotions.

The soccer season has started again for Alan, so we’re back on the field every weekend. It was also the month when I could finally let go of my battery worries, and of course, the highlight of the month, we’ve been married for 15 years!

The month began with the final stretch of the holiday period. Fun, but also trying to keep increasingly bored children entertained. Godfather and honorary godfather Miguel came for a lovely visit, and we all went to Fuerteventura together. A really fun outing! After our short vacation, normal life resumed for the kids as well. Back to school every day. Extra English lessons, football, beach volleyball and tennis. A relief to have a steady rhythm again.

This month I also made some upgrades. A new backpack, because the old one was suffering from increasingly larger holes, and I pre-ordered new phone, because the old one was struggling with an increasingly poor battery. I switched from budget to expensive, just to see what that’s like. I’m not sure yet if it was the best choice, and it’ll probably be difficult to go back to a budget device in the future, but I’ll find out in the future.

The children started the month together with Ana at their holiday destination. Alex also celebrated his birthday a little early there, he’s turning 14. After the Spanish holiday park, Ana came to the Netherlands with the children for a week. Ana had to return after a week because her vacation days were over. The children stayed happily with me for a few more weeks.

I spent the whole month in the Netherlands. It was a very pleasant month, and despite the unfortunate reason (Grandma’s knee surgery), I still enjoyed it. We did quite a lot. Visit Leiden and the Hortus. Castle De Haar, Volendam and Marken, Gouda and the cheese market, visits to friends in Ermelo and Wassenaar. Beach walks with kroket and frikandel sandwiches. Getting a smoked paling. Eating a herring with onions. A visit to Space-expo / ESTEC, a zoo with fun red-butted monkeys, ice cream at Likkie, and of course, playing football with some kids from the neighborhood. As far as I’m concerned, it was a successful vacation.

It was a strange month. The first two weeks I had time off with the kids, which meant lots of activities. Some of the highlights were Agualand, Elder, Climbing World, Palmitos Park and Sioux City. After that, I went back to work, and the kids went on vacation with Ana to the Spanish mainland, for a month of sun, beach, and the swimming pool. During the weeks I spend working hard I was even able to find some time for enjoyment, like going for some quality meat at Don Chuleton and visiting the Soul Festival.

After a few weeks of work, I traveled to the Netherlands. The plan was to go sometime in early August, but plans changed. Grandmother Nel is getting a new knee, a major operation, so I decided to head to the Netherlands a bit earlier to lend a helping hand.

I used a simple spray of water mixed with garlic and onion to spay over the plant… and just like that, the problem was history. My coffee plant is thriving again and growing like crazy!

As for the beetle (in Dutch, the ‘wants’)? It packed its bags. Apparently, it couldn’t stand the stench anymore and the leaves didn’t taste nearly as good. Mission accomplished!

Vacation! Time for a different rhythm. No more of that boring daily routine, just a chance to relax. Sometimes you take it a step further and immerse yourself in a completely different environment. Traveling to destinations that are incomparable to your home situation.

Alan has now reached the ultimate level. No school, a new place, and it even seems like he’s diving into a completely different culture. Alan is going full tribal!

This weekend I’m heading to San Agustín in the sunny south of Gran Canaria. Every year, they build an impressive stage right on the beach: the ocean on one side, food, drinks, and restrooms on the other. On Friday and Saturday, we’ll be soaking up the warm sand and enjoying the Soul Festival.

Soul festival 2025 – San Agustin – Friday, July 18:
19:30 Monterreina
20:30 JP Bimeni and the Black Belts
22:00 The Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band
22:10 Shunta Mosby, Dani McGhee & Candy Fox
22:50 Carlos Strong
23:50 Junte Mayon
00:30 Gran Final

Soul festival 2025 – San Agustin – Saturday, 19 July:
19:30 Calamity Jane
20:30 Gisele Jackson and the Shu Shu’s
22:00 The Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band
22:10 Shunta Mosby, Dani McGhee & Candy Fox
22:50 Lil Rounds
23:50 Jerome Chism
00:30 Gran Final

I’ve been to this festival several times, always with Diego. The last time was two years ago. We always do it the same way: two days of fun, Friday and Saturday. One day I drive, the other day Diego takes the wheel. No kids because we’re home alone while both our families are off vacationing somewhere far away. We stay behind as loyal wage slaves.

But this year we’re doing things differently. No commuting back and forth. We plan on sleeping in the car near the beach. Just a mat and a sleeping bag. That saves us a lot of travel time we’d rather spend relaxing in the sand. Friday: we leave, enjoy the festival, sleep in the car; Saturday: more music, another car night, then head home on Sunday.

Two nights in the car? Should be doable. We’re just going to give it a shot.

Update: The festival was absolutely amazing, but I couldn’t handle sleeping in the car for two nights. On the second day, I stayed completely sober and drove back home at night so I could sleep comfortably in my own bed again.

Alan’s soccer season wrapped up this month with a group photo, a fun BBQ next to the footbal field, and a parents versus kids footbal match! He’s grown a lot as a player and really enjoys both training sessions and matches, so it’s very likely he’ll join his team again next season.

A milestone, thats for sure. 50 years already… incredible. This month we also celebrated Ana’s birthday during a combined celebration in the sun, all-in at Mogan Princess & Beach club. We spend four days enjoying the pools, the free food, the free drinks, the activities, just great; a total disconnect from our normal routine.

Besides my birthday, it has been another great month. We joined the club Metropole, the local swimming pool that also has a gym, bar, restaurant, tennis court, squash court, and more. Ana immediately started taking a lot of lessons, so her health will greatly improve. Our kids have quite a few friends who also go to the club, so that should work out well. I started by inspecting the bar, so for me I expect far less health benefits.