Ruben Hoekstra
My name is Ruben. I come from Zoutkamp and now live in Winsum, in the heart of the Wadden area. The Lauwersmeer is almost on my doorstep and I know the landscape well. Since studying Forest and Nature Management I look at it differently. I see how it came to be. How everything is connected. That is also what draws me to the Ziltepad. I want to understand the landscape better, walking past wierden, villages and churches that have stood in the same place for centuries.
This will be my first long journey and that makes it exciting. The past two years were shaped by caring for my little daughter, who became seriously ill. That changed a lot. This journey feels like a moment to pause. To make space again. Less rushing, more attention for what is there.
Along the way I record what I encounter, partly with an instant camera for the churches along the route. That one definitely cannot be left out of the rucksack.
Huisduinen, April 2 2026
In the urban environment of Den Helder, I struggled to find the right words for my journal. Today, on the North Sea beach, things are different. The words are blowing towards me.
It is grey. It is hard to see where the grey sky ends and the sea begins. A strong westerly wind blows drizzle against my right side. I follow the line of shells that reveals how far the sea has come. Meanwhile, the sea is receding. The wet sand spreads out before me. The Ziltepad beneath my feet is growing ever larger. How wonderful to be exposed to the elements like this.
I feel like an hourglass, with the beach dictating my pace. In the loose sand, you have no choice but to slow down. Exactly what I needed.
