1 March 2026
“We could just drive to Oman.”
We said it as a joke. Not taking ourselves serious. At the time, we had only just started converting our old fire truck into a home on wheels. Europe felt big enough. Logical. Oman? That sounded wild. Too far. Too complicated. And yet… the seed was planted.
Oman was never a random idea. It’s a country of impossible beauty. And for Karlijn, it’s more than that. It’s the place where she spent part of her childhood — a place filled with warm, golden memories. For years she’s carried the dream of showing it to our children one day. How special would it be to do that with our self-built home?
For a long time it felt impossible. Until we met other overlanders. Heard the stories. Learned the routes. The biggest takeaway for us? Others had done it — and loved it. So maybe “impossible” was just unfamiliar?
As our plan took shape, so did the opinions. Not all of them positive. They made us doubt at times. But they also fuelled us. If we were going to do this, we would do it well prepared.
And now… here we are. A few days ago, we drove into Oman!
Strangely, there were no dramatic tears at the border. The realization that we actually drove here — with the truck we built ourselves, with our family — is still sinking in. It wasn’t one big moment. It was a process. Leaving Europe. Entering Iraq. Crossing into the Gulf states. Each “hurdle” we once feared quietly disappeared in our rearview mirror. Step by step, the dream became less abstract and more real.
And now we’re slowing down. Exploring. Revisiting memories.
For Karlijn, that’s beautiful — and vulnerable. Her childhood memories of Oman are treasures she has carried for years. Being here again feels like carefully unwrapping something precious. What if reality changes those memories? What if the present overshadows the past?
Maybe they can exist side by side. Maybe new memories will simply grow around the old ones.
The first days have already been incredible. The kids are completely sold (how could they not!). And we can’t wait to see what this chapter holds.
Turns out, sometimes the “crazy idea” is just the beginning of the best story!
