Old acquaintances
By RTL Boulevard·6 minutes ago·Edit: 1 minute ago
© NPO 1RTL
In the latest episode of ‘Ik Vertrek’ two old acquaintances were seen on Tuesday evening. It concerns Adriaan and Barbara from the reality program ‘Utopia’. Now they emigrate to Spain.
“We don’t actually miss the Netherlands itself”
Adriaan and Barbara met each other five years ago Utopiain which participants build a life together on a closed site. Adriaan came there to convince people to eat vegan, while Barbara gave yoga lessons. The spark flew and after the program they got married. They now have a daughter together.
The couple is now leaving for Spain to organize retreats there. The intention is that guests will be served vegan meals and can take yoga classes. Adriaan and Barbara would like to start with this as soon as possible and even have a house in mind. They will be renovating for nine months with a budget of 20,000 euros.
When we arrive in Spain, everything goes wrong. Adriaan and Barbara want to live self-sufficiently, so the house is not connected to electricity or gas. But because the solar panels do not generate enough power, they are suddenly in the dark. The gas bottle they want to cook with also turns out to be broken and they are unable to collect rainwater because it is not raining.
Although not everything goes smoothly, Adriaan and Barbara feel completely at home in Spain. “We don’t actually miss the Netherlands itself,” says Barbara. “I never knew this was my dream, but since I started living it I know it,” Adriaan concludes.
Old Acquaintances: Adriaan and Barbara’s Spanish Adventure
Ah, Ik Vertrek, the reality show where half the nation daydreams about escaping their dreary jobs for a sun-soaked life that mostly includes lugging heavy bags in and out of airports. In the latest episode, we’re introduced once more to the dynamic duo of Adriaan and Barbara. You might remember them from the show Utopia—a delightful little social experiment where they attempted to build a life on a secluded site, presumably without Wi-Fi because, really, who needs social media when you can eat kale while wearing yoga pants?
The ‘Utopia’ Dream Team
Five years and a marriage later, Adriaan’s vegan crusade (because nothing gets a party going like a tofu stir-fry) and Barbara’s yoga lessons have blossomed into a real-life partnership that actually produces offspring—how invigorating! Their latest plan? Packing their kale smoothies and heading south to Spain to set up an eco-friendly retreat. Now, before we roll our eyes too much at the notion of retreating into nothingness, allow me to say: this sounds like an Instagram post waiting to happen.
Living La Vida Vegan
With the thrilling promise of serving vegan meals and teaching yoga in a picturesque setting, it’s almost too idyllic. What’s not to like, right? Well, let’s not forget they’ve got a renovation budget of 20,000 euros. Now, that doesn’t sound like much for a quaint Spanish villa, but who am I to say? Maybe they’ve read up on some DIY magic from a YouTube channel that promises to “Make Your European Dream Come True in 10 Easy Steps!”
The Comedy of Errors
Now, here comes the juicy twist of this Spanish escapade: It turns out that living self-sufficiently is more challenging than trying to convince your housemate that tofu should replace pepperoni on pizza. Adriaan and Barbara discover that their solar panels are about as reliable as a chocolate teapot. They end up in the dark—literally!—with a broken gas bottle for cooking and no rainwater to collect because, let’s face it, Spanish weather had other plans. The struggle is real, darling! Can we get a dramatic gasp, please?
Home Sweet (Difficult) Home
But despite the glaring issues—and believe me, I’m sure Adriaan can describe them better than Barbara explains child-rearing—the couple states they feel right at home. “We don’t actually miss the Netherlands itself,” Barbara chirps, with about the same conviction as a cat declaring it loves the dog next door. Adriaan fondly reflects, “I never knew this was my dream, but since I started living it, I know it.” Well, dear readers, if that’s not a North Star of self-discovery, I don’t know what is. Now, let’s just hope their dreams don’t require them to start using candles for light every night! After all, ‘back to nature’ doesn’t include living like you’re in the 1800s!
Conclusion: The Realizations of Life
So, here’s the takeaway: As delightful as the idea of packing up and moving to a foreign land seems, sometimes life’s little challenges, like broken gas bottles and empty solar panels, sneak up on you like an ex-lover at a party. Adriaan and Barbara are off to a rocky start, but let’s give them credit—once they figure out how to convince the sun to shine on their panel-less dilemma, they might just find that living their dream might be a little easier than they thought. In the meantime, grab your kombucha and sit back because, folks, this is just the beginning of their hilariously chaotic journey. Cheers to adopting alternate lifestyles—may the *soy* be ever in your flavor!
In the most recent episode of ‘Ik Vertrek’, viewers were treated to the reunion of two familiar faces on Tuesday evening: Adriaan and Barbara, who gained recognition from the reality program ‘Utopia’. This dynamic duo is now taking the monumental step of emigrating to Spain.
“We don’t actually miss the Netherlands itself.”
Adriaan and Barbara initially crossed paths five years ago on Utopia, a reality series where participants strive to create a sustainable living environment together on a secluded property. Adriaan’s mission was to promote a vegan lifestyle, while Barbara captivated others with her yoga instruction. Their connection blossomed into romance, ultimately leading them to tie the knot, and the couple now shares a daughter.
This adventurous couple is setting their sights on Spain, where they aspire to create wellness retreats that focus on vegan dining and rejuvenating yoga classes. They are eager to commence this venture and even have a specific property in mind. With plans to renovate their future home over a period of nine months, they have allocated a budget of 20,000 euros for the endeavor.
Upon their arrival in Spain, however, they were met with unforeseen challenges. Adriaan and Barbara’s dream of self-sufficient living meant they opted for a house that was not hooked up to conventional electricity or gas. Unfortunately, the solar panels installed did not produce enough energy, plunging them into darkness. Additionally, their cooking gas bottle was found to be faulty, and their plans for collecting rainwater were thwarted by an unexpected dry spell.
Despite the rocky start, Adriaan and Barbara are finding their footing and feeling completely at home in Spain. “I never knew this was my dream, but since I started living it I know it,” Adriaan reflects, while Barbara echoes his sentiment, stating, “We don’t actually miss the Netherlands itself.”
