{"id":1263,"date":"2025-05-01T10:29:03","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T08:29:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/?p=1263"},"modified":"2025-06-06T09:56:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T07:56:40","slug":"why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/","title":{"rendered":"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">ON GETTING LOST, FREEDOM AND STORIES<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>So no, this isn\u2019t a blog about hiking routes, gear tips or how to prepare for a long-distance trek. Those things might come up now and then, but that\u2019s not my focus \u2014 others are much better at that anyway.<\/p>\n<p>On May 1st, 2024, I started my sabbatical. I walked, looked, thought, got lost (more often than I\u2019d like), met people, wrote. Every day I posted a short update on Instagram. But as fun as Instagram is, it\u2019s not the place for the full story. No room for the rough edges, the depth, the silence, the real feeling of being on the road. That\u2019s why this blog exists.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you\u2019ll find:<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">DAILY JOURNAL ENTRIES FROM MY SABBATICAL<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Reposted retroactively: my sabbatical from May 1st, 2024 to January 31st, 2025, under the tags \u2018sabbatical 2024\u2019 and \u2018sabbatical 2025\u2019. Perfect for following the whole journey step by step \u2014 from the first stride to the final sigh. If you already read them on Instagram, feel free to skip a few.<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">THE JOURNALS OF MY FOUR-DAY ESCAPES<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>I\u2019ve got a fantastic arrangement with my employer. I alternate between working Monday to Thursday and Tuesday to Friday. That gives me a four-day weekend every other week. When that time comes, I grab my tent and head out. I write about these trips under the tag \u2018fourdayescape\u2019.<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">THE PEOPLE I MET ALONG THE WAY<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>From heartwarming to downright awkward. Some people moved me deeply, others I\u2019ll never forget \u2014 and chances are, neither will you.<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">MY MENTAL JOURNEY<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Nine months alone on the road isn\u2019t just a physical feat \u2014 it\u2019s an inner marathon. Here I share my thoughts, doubts, insights, obstacles and quiet victories.<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">MY PATH TO A NOMADIC LIFE<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>My sabbatical didn\u2019t turn out to be an ending, but the beginning of something bigger. I\u2019ll take you along as I search for a life as a long-distance walking writer.<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">THE DEVELOPMENT OF MY BOOK<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Behind the scenes I\u2019m working on a book. This blog gives you a sneak peek into that process.<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">BAREFOOT SHOES<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Since I started walking barefoot-style, I\u2019ve had no blisters, no foot pain, no tape, no plasters, no fuss. My feet are doing what they were designed to do: carry, feel, catch, push off.<br \/>\nSure, it takes some transition, but the effects have been so positive that I can\u2019t not share this.<br \/>\nI write about it because I truly believe healthy feet are the foundation of every step \u2014 literally. And because I wish pain-free walking on everyone, whether you\u2019re hiking, running or just dragging yourself to your car.<\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">EVERYTHING I CAN\u2019T PREDICT YET<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>That\u2019s the magic of being on the road: the unexpected is always just around the corner. I\u2019m curious to see how it unfolds myself.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you dream of your own big adventure, love honest storytelling, wonder what life on the road is really like, or just want to know how someone with zero sense of direction makes it across Europe \u2014 this is the place. Welcome to my journey in words. Welcome to Footsteps of Freedom!<\/p>\n<p><em><strong><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">P.S. If you haven\u2019t subscribed yet, now\u2019s the time \u2014 just use the box in the right-hand column (if you&#8217;re reading on your phone, scroll down). It\u2019s completely free, and you won\u2019t miss a single step, detour or wandering thought. <\/span><\/strong><\/em><em><strong><span style=\"color: #99cc00;\">Yes, this blog is completely free, but don worry: my book will definitely cost money later. Subscribe now. Save a nomad.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ON GETTING LOST, FREEDOM AND STORIES So no, this isn\u2019t a blog about hiking routes, gear tips or how to prepare for a long-distance trek. Those things might come up now and then, but that\u2019s&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/\">More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[164,157,145,98,159],"class_list":["post-1263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs-en","tag-blogs-eng","tag-fourdayescape","tag-information","tag-sabbatical-2024","tag-sabbatical-2025-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking? - FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking? - FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"ON GETTING LOST, FREEDOM AND STORIES So no, this isn\u2019t a blog about hiking routes, gear tips or how to prepare for a long-distance trek. Those things might come up now and then, but that\u2019s&hellip; More\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-01T08:29:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-06T07:56:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/vraagteken.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"612\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"408\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marnix van der Lijn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Marnix van der Lijn\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Marnix van der Lijn\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3378b8c210d8e714eabad2dc1764e0db\"},\"headline\":\"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-01T08:29:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-06T07:56:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":600,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3378b8c210d8e714eabad2dc1764e0db\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/vraagteken.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Blogs ENG\",\"fourdayescape\",\"Information\",\"sabbatical 2024\",\"sabbatical 2025\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Blogs ENG\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking? - FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/vraagteken.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-01T08:29:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-06T07:56:40+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/vraagteken.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/vraagteken.jpg\",\"width\":612,\"height\":408,\"caption\":\"The question mark is sand painted on sand. Symbol of choice and doubt.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM\",\"description\":\"Hiking &amp; writing\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3378b8c210d8e714eabad2dc1764e0db\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3378b8c210d8e714eabad2dc1764e0db\",\"name\":\"Marnix van der Lijn\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/logo_fof.svg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/logo_fof.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/logo_fof.svg\",\"width\":1160,\"height\":250,\"caption\":\"Marnix van der Lijn\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/logo_fof.svg\"},\"description\":\"Ik ben Marnix (1964), schrijver, langeafstandswandelaar en minimalist in hart en nieren. Na een loopbaan in de commerci\u00eble wereld, coaching en training, en jarenlange inzet in de vluchtelingenopvang, koos ik op mijn zestigste voor een radicale wending: ik gaf mezelf een sabbatical en trok de wereld in \u2013 te voet. Wat begon als een plan om 10.000 kilometer door Europa te wandelen, groeide uit tot iets veel groters: een nieuwe manier van leven. In negen maanden legde ik meer dan 5.500 kilometer af, met alleen mijn tent, schrijfboek, wandelkar (die ik liefdevol \u2018Wheelie\u2019 noem) en mijn barefoot schoenen. Al lopend ontdekte ik dat dit mijn pad is: een nomadisch bestaan, schrijvend onderweg. Ik geloof in het ritme van de voeten, in eenvoud, traagheid en aanwezigheid. Reizen zonder haast, leven met weinig, en onderweg de verhalen vangen die zich aandienen. Mijn missie? De schoonheid van vertraging, vrijheid en verbondenheid tastbaar maken in woorden. Ik b\u00e9n onderweg. En daar voel ik me thuis.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/marnix_footsteps_of_freedom\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\\\/en\\\/author\\\/cheersmarnix\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking? - FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking? - FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM","og_description":"ON GETTING LOST, FREEDOM AND STORIES So no, this isn\u2019t a blog about hiking routes, gear tips or how to prepare for a long-distance trek. Those things might come up now and then, but that\u2019s&hellip; More","og_url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/","og_site_name":"FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM","article_published_time":"2025-05-01T08:29:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-06-06T07:56:40+00:00","og_image":[{"width":612,"height":408,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/vraagteken.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Marnix van der Lijn","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Marnix van der Lijn","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/"},"author":{"name":"Marnix van der Lijn","@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/3378b8c210d8e714eabad2dc1764e0db"},"headline":"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking?","datePublished":"2025-05-01T08:29:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-06T07:56:40+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/"},"wordCount":600,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/3378b8c210d8e714eabad2dc1764e0db"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/vraagteken.jpg","keywords":["Blogs ENG","fourdayescape","Information","sabbatical 2024","sabbatical 2025"],"articleSection":["Blogs ENG"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/","url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/","name":"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking? - FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/vraagteken.jpg","datePublished":"2025-05-01T08:29:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-06T07:56:40+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/vraagteken.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/vraagteken.jpg","width":612,"height":408,"caption":"The question mark is sand painted on sand. Symbol of choice and doubt."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/why-this-blog-even-if-walking-is-your-worst-nightmare\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why this blog \u2013 even if you hate hiking?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/","name":"FOOTSTEPS OF FREEDOM","description":"Hiking &amp; writing","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/3378b8c210d8e714eabad2dc1764e0db"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/3378b8c210d8e714eabad2dc1764e0db","name":"Marnix van der Lijn","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/logo_fof.svg","url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/logo_fof.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/logo_fof.svg","width":1160,"height":250,"caption":"Marnix van der Lijn"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/logo_fof.svg"},"description":"Ik ben Marnix (1964), schrijver, langeafstandswandelaar en minimalist in hart en nieren. Na een loopbaan in de commerci\u00eble wereld, coaching en training, en jarenlange inzet in de vluchtelingenopvang, koos ik op mijn zestigste voor een radicale wending: ik gaf mezelf een sabbatical en trok de wereld in \u2013 te voet. Wat begon als een plan om 10.000 kilometer door Europa te wandelen, groeide uit tot iets veel groters: een nieuwe manier van leven. In negen maanden legde ik meer dan 5.500 kilometer af, met alleen mijn tent, schrijfboek, wandelkar (die ik liefdevol \u2018Wheelie\u2019 noem) en mijn barefoot schoenen. Al lopend ontdekte ik dat dit mijn pad is: een nomadisch bestaan, schrijvend onderweg. Ik geloof in het ritme van de voeten, in eenvoud, traagheid en aanwezigheid. Reizen zonder haast, leven met weinig, en onderweg de verhalen vangen die zich aandienen. Mijn missie? De schoonheid van vertraging, vrijheid en verbondenheid tastbaar maken in woorden. Ik b\u00e9n onderweg. En daar voel ik me thuis.","sameAs":["https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/marnix_footsteps_of_freedom\/"],"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/author\/cheersmarnix\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/vraagteken.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":180,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/finally-hitting-the-road\/","url_meta":{"origin":1263,"position":0},"title":"Finally hitting the road!","author":"Marnix van der Lijn","date":"1 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"#throwback - May 1, 2024The day has come \u2014 May 1st, 2024. Finally, it\u2019s happening. My big journey is about to begin. I\u2019ve taken a year-long sabbatical and I\u2019m planning to walk across Europe for a whole year. You really don\u2019t need to go far to see beautiful things. My\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blogs ENG&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blogs ENG","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/category\/blogs-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/4b518f32-1797-450d-b674-20e7f06e3c03-e1746735730756.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2603,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/from-wage-slave-to-nomad-my-path-to-ultimate-freedom\/","url_meta":{"origin":1263,"position":1},"title":"From wage slave to nomad: my path to ultimate freedom","author":"Marnix van der Lijn","date":"12 March 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Footsteps of Freedom: the path to a writing and hiking life Resignation and cold feet It's been quiet on this blog for a while, but that's about to change. The time is almost here: I've handed in my notice. March 31 is my last day at work, and I hope\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blogs ENG&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blogs ENG","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/category\/blogs-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-09-at-19.29.57.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-09-at-19.29.57.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-09-at-19.29.57.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-09-at-19.29.57.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-09-at-19.29.57.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":332,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/and-now-vacation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1263,"position":2},"title":"And now\u2026 vacation!","author":"Marnix van der Lijn","date":"18 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"May 18, 2024 I enjoy the morning sun and get up feeling relaxed and calm. I decide to take a sort of rest day today to write\u2014suddenly I feel the need. I also really need to do some laundry, so I go looking for a nice spot where I can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blogs ENG&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blogs ENG","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/category\/blogs-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-18-klooster-2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-18-klooster-2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-18-klooster-2.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-18-klooster-2.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-18-klooster-2.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-18-klooster-2.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":231,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/the-fatigue-sets-in\/","url_meta":{"origin":1263,"position":3},"title":"The fatigue sets in","author":"Marnix van der Lijn","date":"4 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"#throwback - May 4, 2024 I sleep incredibly well on my first night in the tent, but still, I spend much of the day taking it easy. The exhaustion of the past few months is definitely catching up with me. It\u2019s cold in the morning, but with the right gear,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blogs ENG&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blogs ENG","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/category\/blogs-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-4-strand.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-4-strand.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-4-strand.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-4-strand.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-4-strand.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":254,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/throwing-all-the-rules-overboard\/","url_meta":{"origin":1263,"position":4},"title":"Throwing all the rules overboard","author":"Marnix van der Lijn","date":"7 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"#terugblik - May 7, 2024 The spot by the lake is so lovely and sunny that I don\u2019t start walking until 10:30. Sleeping in has become the norm by now\u2014it seems that\u2019s just my natural rhythm. I\u2019ve also decided to start eating only when I\u2019m actually hungry, not according to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blogs ENG&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blogs ENG","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/category\/blogs-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-7-boerderij.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-7-boerderij.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-7-boerderij.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-7-boerderij.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-7-boerderij.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-7-boerderij.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":279,"url":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/mandatory-rest\/","url_meta":{"origin":1263,"position":5},"title":"Mandatory rest","author":"Marnix van der Lijn","date":"10 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"May 10, 2024 My knee\u2019s not doing great. It\u2019s swollen and sore. It feels like I\u2019ve lost control over the muscles, like my leg might just give out underneath me. Very wobbly. Hmm\u2026 not good. It doesn\u2019t seem serious, but pushing on right now wouldn\u2019t be smart. I weigh my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blogs ENG&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blogs ENG","link":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/category\/blogs-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-10-hotel-buiten.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-10-hotel-buiten.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-10-hotel-buiten.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-10-hotel-buiten.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-10-hotel-buiten.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/dag-10-hotel-buiten.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1263"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1288,"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1263\/revisions\/1288"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/footstepsoffreedom.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}