"Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is mainly known as a tourist destination, but the region has a lot more to offer besides the beautiful beaches, historical places and tourism during summer seasons."

Living in a village sometimes makes you think about the opportunities bigger cities have to offer. After finishing secondary school, I thought it was time to leave the region. At the moment, as a person born and bred in West-Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, I mainly live in Eindhoven because of my education. In the spring of 2021, I have graduated from the Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Urbanism & Building Sciences at Eindhoven University of Technology. Currently, I am doing a double master's degree in Urban Systems & Real Estate and Construction Management & Engineering. After 4 years of living in Eindhoven, this city feels like a familiar environment.

I am certainly not the only student from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen who left the region to go to a university. A different environment means a new network, new friends; actually a completely different life. Despite the long distance, there are also a lot of people from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen living in Eindhoven, which made it even easier to adjust to a new environment. My relationship with Zeeuws-Vlaanderen remains strong; friends who live in the region and my family make sure that I like coming back home. In addition, the surroundings, and the peace and quiet that the region offers make me want to live and work in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen after I graduate. Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is mainly known as a tourist destination, but the region has a lot more to offer besides the beautiful beaches, historical places and tourism during summer seasons. The region does not have large cities, but all the facilities can be found here too, although the distance might be a little longer sometimes. Actually, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is a peaceful location between large Belgian and Dutch cities. These aspects make Zeeuws-Vlaanderen an ideal place for me to live and one that I can highly recommend.

Because of my interest in living and working in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen after my studies, I started looking for a place to expand my work experience during spring and summer. After doing some research, I got the chance to set up and conduct a study for OnbegrensdZeeuwsVlaanderen with regard to the lack of occupancy in the municipalities of Hulst and Terneuzen. This study examined the differences between the theoretical vacancy levels and the vacancy levels in real terms. It is nice to see what the study has brought about and that the results have provided new insight.

I hope I will be able to find a challenging work environment in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen in the near future, in addition to a beautiful living environment.

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