We finally left for Belgium on the evening of August 8th. A few days earlier than we initially thought. But the boys were done. They wanted to go home, to their friends and to the cat. And to be honest, I was ready to go home too. At that moment we had nothing else that needed our attention. And so we said goodbye to the 2 people who were still staying in CASAdelDRAGON at that time, to the lovely people in the garden with whom we had (and still have) nice contact and we decided to go.

We drove through the night (including our traditional nightly cup of hot chocolate) and the next day to return home tired but satisfied in the late afternoon on the 9th. It’s strange to come home to a house you haven’t been in for 6 weeks. Everything felt like home, but somewhere we had also made a shift. Everything is so different. From the people on the street, to the flat roads, to the steps of the stairs, which are much smaller here than in CASAdelDRAGON. So with literally every step, we were confronted with these two worlds. It feels a bit like we’re in between. Saying goodbye to this world here in Belgium has begun, but it has a long run-up. Landing in Spain has also started, but it will take a while before we can really get settled there.

So, the location, Cervera del Maestre, check! We absolutely love this amazing place. The next question is of course, how about community life? What about that? Well, I wouldn’t mind telling you.

On the one hand, it is a bubble that bursts. That is mainly my own projection of what my ideal world would look like. In my head everyone is dancing through the streets singing, butterflies are flying everywhere and everything is light and love. Yes, nice and realistic, I know.

No, without nonsense, where people live together there is conflict, sometimes small, sometimes bigger. I don’t think I had taken into account that this could also be the case in FamiliaFeliz. But also here, so many people, so many opinions. And those opinions do not always work together, which sometimes causes some friction. And because you have not known each other for long and have not built up a history together, there is little trust and willingness.

At first I was a bit shocked by the lack of willingness. This was later somewhat softened by the realization that everyone is responsible for his or her own happiness. I really feel that very strongly. However, in practice this concept proves to be interesting in some situations. Sometimes you would like to receive something from the other, while that person may not be willing to give you what you want. It remains a challenge to manage your expectations. Communication is so important, but communicating effectively and efficiently is easier said than done. Not least because of the language barrier.

So all this was interesting. I think I had an unfair expectation. I think I hoped for a world without conflict, but that is of course a utopia. At the same time life with conflict might as well be a gift. It invites you to break out of old patterns that no longer serve you. And it gives the opportunity to grow as a person and as a group. But easy and automatic? No, certainly not.

Outside of moments of conflict, I have also seen the power of community. It touches me deeply to see that so many people want to spend time together and are also willing to help each other, but simply because they want to. I see so much value in all these different people on so many levels. And certainly for our children. So many people to learn so many different things from. Sometimes very practical, such as working with wood or learning a new language. Sometimes much more indirectly by an experience or an interaction.

So if we can be part of such a nice group of people, including the conflicts, then I foresee a nice place for us in the future. Of course, you can never be completely sure what this future will bring. But I am confident that once we settle here, we will make it. Back to basics, back to each other.