Wouter(55)

At my 25-year anniversary at an insurance company in Enschede I was offered a twelve-month sabbatical. My children were grown up, my mortgage nearly paid off. I decided to walk the Camino de Santiago — 800 kilometers from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela. Those five weeks of walking changed my perspective on life.

Santiago is not the Spain most Dutch people know. It's in Galicia, in the green northwest. It rains often, temperatures are mild, and the landscape resembles Ireland. The city itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a 500-year-old university. It's intellectual, quiet and affordable. I rented an apartment in the old town for €500 per month.

During my sabbatical I started writing — a novel based on my Camino experiences. I wrote every morning at Café Derby on the Praza do Toural, with a café con leche for €1.40. After six months I had a manuscript. I sent it to a Dutch publisher who accepted it. The book appeared a year later and sold 12,000 copies.

After nine months of sabbatical my employer called: did I want to come back? I declined. I arranged a settlement agreement and used the severance pay to finance my writing career. As an autónomo in Spain I fall under the category actividades literarias. The Seguridad Social contribution is €330 per month. My gestoría in Santiago handles my modelo 130 and annual IRPF return.

Galicia has a unique culture: the gaita (Galician bagpipe), pulpo á feira (octopus with paprika), and a melancholic atmosphere the Galicians call morriña — a kind of longing for something indefinable. The language — Gallego — resembles Portuguese and is the official language alongside Spanish. I'm learning it slowly and my neighbors really appreciate it.

Financially I live simply but happily. My writing income fluctuates around €1,800 per month including royalties and readings. Rent is low, groceries cheap — fresh fish at the market for €8 per kilo, Galician wine for €3 per bottle. Santiago airport has direct flights to Amsterdam. My advice: if you ever doubt whether you're happy in your work, walk the Camino. And see if you come back.