Escaping the rat race
Too much work stress, too little time for family, constantly busy — for many people, this is the daily reality. Last year, Maastricht University alumni Dick and Izabela Bemelmans decided to leave the rat race. They moved to a secluded spot in the Polish countryside, with the aim of offering guests rest and relaxation and to teach them something about by nature. “We may be working harder than ever, but we’re more relaxed.”
The night before our interview, the pair slept little. Not because of nerves, but because three baby goats were born on their farm in the early hours of the morning. Izabela proudly holds up a photo. She and Dick live with their three children in a small village about nine kilometres from Krakow. There is no shortage of space; the nearest houses are some distance away and the farm borders on large forests, fields and a national park. It all stands in stark contrast to their old life: just over six months ago, their situation was very different …
The start of something beautiful
It all started in 2006, at Maastricht University. Izabela: “Dick was studying Healthcare Policy, Innovation and Management, I was an exchange student and later a master’s student in Public Health. We took courses together and hit it off. After our studies, we lived together in Poland, but eventually moved back to the Netherlands for our work; first to Rotterdam and later to Breda. That was the start of a number of wonderful but also stressful years.”
Busy, busy, busy
Dick: “We both had demanding, full-time jobs in healthcare and worked long hours, often on the road. At the same time, we wanted to spend as much time as possible with our eldest two children, who had been born by then. Izabela was also taking Dutch lessons, we were maintaining a web shop and a vegetable garden, and we were actively involved in the only Polish scouting group in the Netherlands.” They seemed to have things under control, but increasingly they began to wonder: was this hectic pace really how they wanted to live their lives?
Dick Bemelmans obtained a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and two master’s degrees, in Health Science Innovation and Health Policy, Economics and Management, at Maastricht University. He then worked at IBM and as a management consultant and manager.
Izabela Kucmin first came to Maastricht as an exchange student, and later returned to follow the master’s in Public Health. She subsequently worked as a consultant for various companies; she now has her own consulting firm and also works as a coach.
Dick and Izabela married in 2010 and have three children. In 2020 they moved to Krakow, Poland, where they run a care/teaching farm.
Changing course
In 2014, Izabela took the first step in a new direction. She began working part time as a freelance consultant and as a doula (a coach who provides non-medical support during pregnancy. Dick: “Her newfound energy got me thinking. Before our youngest was born, I quit my job and started volunteering at the primary school of our children and a care farm. At the farm, I met a severely handicapped boy who could barely move, but who got so much joy from the sounds around him. That was when I realised what’s really important in life: appreciating the little things, meaning something to someone else. It became our dream to have our own care/teaching farm.”
Focus on the possible
Dick and Izabela have been living their dream since last summer, not far from Krakow. Their farm is ideally located: spacious, close to a beautiful city with a large international community, easily accessible and yet surrounded by nature. The latter point is crucial, Izabela says. “We want to bring people into contact with the healing power of the outdoors. After all, being outside is incredibly good for us, especially for guests with burnout, depression, illness or disability. Together we grow vegetables or do outdoor yoga or meditations. We always focus on what’s possible, not what isn’t.”
How were your student days in Maastricht?
Dick: “I had five wonderful years in Maastricht. I enjoyed all my study programmes, especially doing research and writing theses. I also made lifelong friends in Maastricht. Together we enjoyed student life, hung out in the beautiful old town. It was only later, when I started working, that I discovered how relevant the skills I developed during my studies were to the business world. As a manager, I hired four UM students, just because they were good employees.”
Richer feeling
Dick manages the farm full time, Izabela helps on the farm and still works as a consultant and coach. Dick: “We may be working harder than ever, but we’re more relaxed. We are also richer than before. We have so much more family time! The kids have settled in and have their own friends, sports clubs and hobbies. We’re raising them with a mix of Dutch and Polish traditions. Corona means that at the moment we can’t see family from the Netherlands, but fortunately we have Polish family and friends nearby. We make the most of it.”
What will their lives look like ten years from now? Izabela: “Our motto is: today is today, tomorrow is tomorrow. For now, we’re very happy here.” Dick: “We do hope that in one or two years’ time the farm will be self-sufficient and that we’ll be open for guests. And we’re full of ideas: workshops for children, building and renting out a chalet in the forest, a camp ... You can always choose to do something new, to make a change. People sometimes feel stuck, but you’re never really stuck. Take action, take the first step in a different direction. Ultimately it’ll make you happier.”
How were your student days in Maastricht?
Izabela: “My exchange in Maastricht was great. There’s a reason I came back later as a master’s student! The close-knit international community really appealed to me, likewise Problem-Based Learning. As a teaching methodology focused on practice, it was very different from Poland. I gained all kinds of new insights. Dick and I particularly enjoyed the classes taught by Chris Breemer ter Stege and Arno van Raak.”
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