ABOUT
Jolien was born and raised in a small village somewhere in Belgium. For some of those who don’t know it, Belgium officially has three languages: French, Dutch, and German. She was born in the Dutch (Flemish) part. This part is closer to the Netherlands.
“My name is Jolien but most call me jolene because it’s more English influenced. When I introduce myself to people, they almost always start singing the beautiful Dolly Parton song. From that moment Jolene on the go was born.”
“My name is Jolien but most call me jolene because it’s more English influenced. When I introduce myself to people, they almost always start singing the beautiful Dolly Parton song. From that moment Jolene on the go was born.”
Moving to Tarifa
How did you end up in Tarifa?
I graduated as a graphic designer but I decided I would rather become a beautician instead.
I was 18 years old when I opened a beauty salon in that small little village and I did this for a whopping 10 years. As much as I loved my job, I realized that it was not really the profession itself I loved, it was more the entrepreneurial journey that sparked my curiosity.
Life was pretty good and steady at the time until.. my life turned upside down because of a lot of losses and events in my life. Too much to handle in one year time for sure.
I needed to cope with all this. So, I decided to do what I always wanted to do. I sold everything, packed my bags and took a one-way ticket. I traveled through the US, Canada and South America for a whole year.
Backpacking, hitchhiking, couch surfing, camping: I did all the adventurous things that people back home told me was too dangerous. Haha.
Now we are almost 5 years later and I am still traveling. In the meantime I visited 34 countries and went to every continent.
Currently, I am traveling to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco in my campervan. This is a way that has been more challenging for me because you are more on your own instead of always surrounded by people. Therefore I switch up my accommodation from time to time. One time I am free camping in Portugal and the other time I am in a luxurious nomadic hotel in Morocco.
I do see Tarifa (Spain) as my homebase for now. Tarifa is known as the most southern point of Spain where you have a clear view of the skyline of Morocco. It’s also famous for kite surfing and other wind-related sports. This city has the highest amount of windy days in a year: 300 out of 365 days, you can count on strong wind. The reason for this is because the wind works as a funnel between Africa and Europe. Therefore it’s famous among kitesurfers and other water/ wind-related sports lovers.
Life was pretty good and steady at the time until.. my life turned upside down because of a lot of losses and events in my life. Too much to handle in one year time for sure.
I needed to cope with all this. So, I decided to do what I always wanted to do. I sold everything, packed my bags and took a one-way ticket. I traveled through the US, Canada and South America for a whole year.
Backpacking, hitchhiking, couch surfing, camping: I did all the adventurous things that people back home told me was too dangerous. Haha.
Now we are almost 5 years later and I am still traveling. In the meantime I visited 34 countries and went to every continent.
Currently, I am traveling to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco in my campervan. This is a way that has been more challenging for me because you are more on your own instead of always surrounded by people. Therefore I switch up my accommodation from time to time. One time I am free camping in Portugal and the other time I am in a luxurious nomadic hotel in Morocco.
I do see Tarifa (Spain) as my homebase for now. Tarifa is known as the most southern point of Spain where you have a clear view of the skyline of Morocco. It’s also famous for kite surfing and other wind-related sports. This city has the highest amount of windy days in a year: 300 out of 365 days, you can count on strong wind. The reason for this is because the wind works as a funnel between Africa and Europe. Therefore it’s famous among kitesurfers and other water/ wind-related sports lovers.
How did you end up Kitesurfing?
It happened by coincidence. I was traveling in Southeast Asia and decided that I needed to have a job. I saw a job advertisement where they were looking for a manager of a kitesurf school. I saw that and hopped on it. Even though I didn’t even know the sport existed. But I was up for the challenge and was willing to learn. I worked there for a few months and in exchange I received accommodation and free kitesurf lessons in return. Now who wouldn’t accept that?!
It was a struggle for me to learn this sport because it is a bit more technical but I kept pushing through. And now I can say I can manage myself and I really enjoy the sport and being in the ocean.
Now in Tarifa you have so many schools and so many students that it’s sometimes funny to see how many kites you can see on one square meter.
It was a struggle for me to learn this sport because it is a bit more technical but I kept pushing through. And now I can say I can manage myself and I really enjoy the sport and being in the ocean.
Now in Tarifa you have so many schools and so many students that it’s sometimes funny to see how many kites you can see on one square meter.
What is there to do in Tarifa?
Kitesurfing is not the only thing that Tarifa has to offer. It’s also a very beautiful village. If you like outdoor sports like hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, it’s perfect for you.
What surprised you in Tarifa?
What I was really surprised about is the people’s kindness, mostly from the locals. I really enjoy their company. Luckily they speak a bit more English than in some other places in Spain. it’s more international and touristic, so the locals adapted more I guess.
How to find a job there?
It’s not that easy for a foreigner to find a job in Tarifa because it’s a very small village and most jobs are already taken by locals. Which I prefer.
Most tourists or expats live in a campervan here. So, most of them have a remote job and income. Other people live so low-budget that they can spend the whole year here just living in their camper van.
Living in Tarifa
How do you live?
I live in my camper, although it’s a very big luxurious van. I don’t mind to live in it. It’s basically a tiny house on wheels. So I enjoy the space for myself.
If you work remotely like I do, you need a lot of data. Luckily Spain has good deals when it comes to 4g. I use Vodaphone and I have 150 GB for 20 euro a month. This is more than enough to stream and work from anywhere. Also opening a bank account and all the practicalities is very easy to set up here. As a European citizen, it should not be a problem in any way. It could take a little bit of a long time because you know, it’s Spain. You have to take in consideration they value their siesta and everything goes on their terms. Do not rush them. That doesn’t get tolerated, because then you end up back in line. Haha. I have experience in that.
So the benefit of living in a van is you can bring everything you want with you. Although I still live very minimalistic because there is not much room for extra baggage.
If you work remotely like I do, you need a lot of data. Luckily Spain has good deals when it comes to 4g. I use Vodaphone and I have 150 GB for 20 euro a month. This is more than enough to stream and work from anywhere. Also opening a bank account and all the practicalities is very easy to set up here. As a European citizen, it should not be a problem in any way. It could take a little bit of a long time because you know, it’s Spain. You have to take in consideration they value their siesta and everything goes on their terms. Do not rush them. That doesn’t get tolerated, because then you end up back in line. Haha. I have experience in that.
So the benefit of living in a van is you can bring everything you want with you. Although I still live very minimalistic because there is not much room for extra baggage.
What should people consider before deciding to move to Tarifa? When to go?
You should consider that this is a very small village where everybody knows everybody. Unless in the summertime, when tourism takes over. With so many people in one small village, it can get very crowded.
This may seem fun, but if you really live here and you want to go on the water you have no space for having an actual good time on the water or the beach. So I would advise to go into the mid seasons if you want a holiday. And if you want to live here, just run away during the high season lol.
The season starts from March to October, that’s the best time to come. That’s the time when the bars open and the parties are coming back to life.
The most quiet time is wintertime. It’s not the warmest especially not if you’re living in a campervan. So during the day it’s max 15 degrees and during the night it can go to 5 degrees. So be prepared for that.
This may seem fun, but if you really live here and you want to go on the water you have no space for having an actual good time on the water or the beach. So I would advise to go into the mid seasons if you want a holiday. And if you want to live here, just run away during the high season lol.
The season starts from March to October, that’s the best time to come. That’s the time when the bars open and the parties are coming back to life.
The most quiet time is wintertime. It’s not the warmest especially not if you’re living in a campervan. So during the day it’s max 15 degrees and during the night it can go to 5 degrees. So be prepared for that.
Final Thoughts
What are the differences between Belgians and Spanish people?
Spanish people are very enthusiastically loud. They are passionate and eat very late in the evening.
It’s common that they start their dinner at 10 pm, which makes them evening people. If you are in a Spanish restaurant you can count on extra amount of decibels. They love their culture and are very proud of it. What You See Is What You Get and they love talking and enjoying quality time with people or on the beach, which is very much different with Belgium people. First of all, Belgian people are very introverted, more on their own. They like to follow the rules, and rather spend free time in small circles.
How to find an apartment?
If you want to rent an apartment here, I would advise you to go closer to the city center because that’s where all the magic happens. You have beach bars, restaurants and also a beautiful view of the ocean and the famous pier. This pier divides the Atlantic Ocean between the Mediterranean ocean.
What else should people know?
It’s best to rent a car once you are in Tarifa because public transportation is not that expanded. Tarifa is very close to Gibraltar, which is an interesting concept because technically you can visit a country in 1 day.
Last advice?
If you are aspiring to travel the world, have a remote job and have this lifestyle for yourself. But if you don’t really know where to start or what your options are.. I got you on this one.
Follow me on Instagram, send a DM and I will come back to you and we can brainstorm together about the action steps you can make.
Safe travels and hope to see you somewhere on this globe.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? ARE YOU WORKING ON ANYTHING PARTICULAR?
For now I am planning to stay in Spain with Tarifa as my home base, which I always do. I live six months in a country and from that place I travel on the weekends because I need to have reassurance that I have a good WiFi connection and a steady place to work, which Tarifa definitely has to offer. It is easy living here and easy to travel as well, especially as a watersport enthusiast.
Thank you Jolien for this inspiring interview! It definitely makes me want to go to the beach and learn new watersports! I love the freedom with which you seem to live, so thank you for that 🙂 I wish you the best on your travels!
