From the Netherlands to Spain: Koen’s Inspiring Relocation Story

Koen’s long-time dream to relocate to Spain became a reality when Dutch company Launch! became a part of SD Worx and he took the opportunity to move to sunny Andalusia. 

In March 2022, Koen moved from the Netherlands to Malaga, Spain. He is a Service Delivery Manager at SD Worx SAP solutions and serves as the central point of contact for clients and manages colleagues. Read on to discover more about his relocation adventure.

Koen was interested in relocating to Spain for a few reasons, mainly because it was a favourite holiday country of his. He enjoyed many aspects of the country on his visits and could imagine himself living there. Also, he likes football, and FC Barcelona has a history of having Dutch players! In addition, Koen and his wife wanted to relocate to Spain for medical reasons. The warm climate would be both enjoyable and beneficial for their health.

Koen was excited to embark on this new process. As mentioned before, he had always dreamt of moving to Spain. Now that Launch! would form part of SD Worx, it was the perfect time and opportunity for this exciting change.

While it is now a fun story, Koen had a not-so-fun experience driving belongings over the border to Belgium. A friend of his daughter had a camper van, and they decided to use it to move their things from the Netherlands to Spain. Since the process is typically expensive, they wanted to keep it as simple as possible. 

At the Netherlands-Belgium border, the police stopped Koen in a routine check. When they weighed the camper van, it was far too heavy. He paid a ticket and had to figure out how he would do with the extra 200 kilograms of weight. Luckily, his wife and daughter could meet him with two cars, and they unpacked in the middle of the highway.  

Fortunately, the Belgian border was not too far away from his house. If it were the French border, it would have been a problem! So, this is a lesson about trial and error and creating a backup plan. While moving abroad, you can prepare as well as possible, but still have a last-minute surprise! 

 The rest of Koen's experience has been relatively smooth. Of course, paperwork and such processes can take time, but there have been few unexpected surprises.

As of the 1st of March 2022, Koen began to work in Malaga. He credits the successful relocation to luck and entrepreneurship. Still, there were some challenges, like filing paperwork and getting settled in his new country. Next on the list is getting a Spanish phone number! 

For Koen, the main professional challenge was if he could continue to do the same work based out of Spain. His position involves people management, knowing the content, guiding the team in the right direction, and escalation management. The most demanding part is multitasking and taking on a lot at once, which he thoroughly enjoys. He especially likes the project management aspect and is having fun in his role. Koen's conclusion is so far, so good!

On a personal side, the biggest challenge was, of course, balancing a move with his family. Koen has two daughters who are 23 and 26 years old. They were supportive and pushed him and his wife in the direction of Spain. His children favoured the relocation, as they saw it as an exceptional opportunity for their parents to make their dreams of moving to Spain reality. Still, he notes the biggest downside is that he cannot hug his children every weekend. 

Along the same lines, the distance from his parents has been a personal challenge for Koen. They are both 91 years old, and he has dedicated much time to caring for them. His brother has taken over as caretaker, as Koen can no longer do so. Still, he does as much as he can to support them from afar.  

Koen is planning visits to the Netherlands, and luckily, he can combine work with seeing his family. As he is a contact point for the client, in-person meetings help build relationships and foster communication. He hopes to see his children every four to six weeks, and his wife will also visit frequently.