Stress, patience and sun

By Ed from Bike Villas Travel

No patience and no sun are a good basis for stress for me! In the Netherlands the sun was shining, on Mallorca it was grey, dreary and wet the last period. And now, after 2 years Covid, we are finally "open" again, the world is still restless. My patience becomes impatient...

A confession

In 2018 we emigrated to Mallorca to live our dream. The first period ran smoothly in business and private life. A flying start in our new life or as a friend said to us, "a blueprint for how to emigrate". Until Covid brutally brought us to a halt. Now that Covid is no longer a headliner in the news, the harsh reality of this bizarre period is slowly sinking in. The loss of my parents, life as a nomad (we have lived in 8 different houses) and the business challenges. It has affected me and therefore also Louisa.

Bike Villas Travel stands firm!Beautiful Bike Villas, cool (tailor-made) arrangements, expansion into Tuscany, we have bought our own gravelbikes, a beautiful and clear website, marketing is in full swing and Martin, Louisa and I are ready to go. Several guests have already enjoyed and will enjoy a unique cycling holiday in a Bike Villa in the coming period! However, we also notice that people are still hesitant. We are satisfied but had honestly hoped for more. We have also stood still for 2 years and must realise and accept that we are still a young company. Patience is required! This may not be my strongest side. I always want to move forward, seize and develop new opportunities.

I will be honest: I am stressed and not the nicest person at home at the moment. And then Louisa gets to live with me 24/7 on 50m2. The past week was a wake-up call for me...

After rain comes...

Being aware of what is going on helps me a lot to realise why I feel the way I do. A lot has happened in recent years. But apart from stress, I also notice that I still have enough energy to tackle these challenges. I'm on my bike a lot and that's no punishment on Mallorca. And the reward is that I am finally physically fit again and can fully enjoy long rides through the Tramuntana Mountains and beautiful gravel bike rides in the interior. Gravel really got to me and now I'm even going to offer guided gravel tours on Mallorca with some cycling mates. A great addition to your cycling holiday! See 'gravel biking mallorca' for more information!

And how is it going with Louisa? Of course, the past period has also had an impact on her and she also has to deal with a stress-head like me. By talking openly and a lot about it, there is mutual understanding and clarity about how we get through this together. The focus is on the future. There are some great catering weeks ahead of her and she has also started doing yoga at the brewery in the village (great combination...). In June, we will move to another house, also in Alaró. Our Bike Villa "Es Costeret" will then be taken over by summer guests who will have the whole house at their disposal to enjoy their holidays!The coming week Louisa and I will enjoy the presence of our daughters. Maartje has been here for 2 weeks already to be able to focus on her studies in peace. She goes like a rocket but also puts a lot of effort in it. She will complete her bachelor's degree in July. After that, she is preparing for a study trip to Brazil, after which she will immediately travel on to Norway (Trondheim) for her minor of four months. She will see a lot of the world this way! Floor will also come next week. She has a well-deserved holiday after a busy, hectic and also fun period in Antwerp. She is having a great time in a cosy student flat, a tough and fascinating study of veterinary medicine and an exciting social student life...

The sun is shining again today and from next week on, the temperatures are slowly rising to 20 degrees. If my patience is going to be patient, everything will be alright!

Hasta luego from Mallorca!