‘I left the Netherlands to find my great love’

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Anath Lievendag (45) is married to Dave (47) and mother of their son Ethan (4). Anath travels the world with her family and runs her company Unlimited Life by Anath. They currently live in the Middle East.

“Ten years ago I quit my job quite impulsively. I was working as a senior manager at a large multinational and was about to become part of the management team. After a week of vacation in Tel Aviv, I returned with my letter of resignation, rented out my house and left for a sabbatical. I was 34 and had met nice men, but I wanted a long-term relationship and none of them had it.

“I was looking for someone who had seen more of the world and in whom multiple cultures come together”

In order to look for someone who really suited me, I decided to leave the Netherlands. Because my father worked at Shell, I grew up in different countries. I also looked for that adventurous in a man. Someone who had seen more of the world and in whom several cultures come together, as I recognized it in myself. And preferably I also wanted a partner who is not afraid of a successful woman.

To flirt

My first destination was Bali. If I had met someone there, I might have stayed there. But after a few months, I returned and then left for Israel to volunteer at a shelter for at-risk youth. When one of the young people asked me if I wanted to stay, I thought: why not.

I had a good time and noticed that the men here treated women differently, more pleasantly. In the Netherlands I often had the feeling that men do their best not to look at you, they are less concerned with making advances. Mediterranean men are a bit more outgoing and flirting seems to be more part of the culture. I also found dating a lot less complicated. You meet up and if the match isn’t there, you can just say that to each other without feeling uncomfortable.

Also read – Expat mothers say: ‘We hardly ever go back to the Netherlands’ >

My great love

Finding love was admittedly a mission, but I didn’t frantically look for it. I felt free in Tel Aviv, did a lot of fun things. I liked it so much that I decided to start a new life in that city. I first worked at the Dutch embassy, ​​then spent a year in the legal profession and then started my own international coaching practice.

“People feel very involved here to lend a hand to singles”

I got to know more and more people and was often introduced to nice men. People here feel very involved in helping singles out. That’s how I was introduced to Dave, who was born in the US to an American mother and an Israeli father. When he was waiting on the bench in front of my house, he looked different from how I had imagined my great love. Now I can laugh about it: he had a beard and that was not trendy then. He had reserved a table in a bar, where we sat with wine and cheeses. The longer I talked to him, the more he fascinated me.

At a fast pace

Within two months I took him to my family in the Netherlands, we traveled through Spain and Italy and I went with him to his cousin’s wedding in Florence. Our relationship deepened at a rapid pace, it just felt right. It was a dream come true. We moved in together and six months later I was unexpectedly pregnant. Unfortunately, I miscarried shortly after.

“To this day I am happy with the choice I made: to travel to find love”

Later that year my father passed away, Dave was there. Then we made our first plan to travel together for a year, to India, America and Brazil. The following year, our son Ethan was born. We lived in one place for a while, but when he was a year old, we started traveling again. We still prefer to do that. To this day I am happy with the choice I made ten years ago: to travel to find love.”

This article is in the Kek Mama Love Special 2022.

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