Sam and Tegan - Australian adventurers at Feel Flex

For years, Sam and Tegan had dreamed of traveling through Europe. The continent had always been at the top of their list. Moreover, Sam's brother lives in Belgium together with his family, which motivated them even more to start their adventure in 2024.

Traveling is great, but it can also be a significant drain on your wallet. Under the motto "nothing comes for free," they decided to stay in one place for a longer period and look for temporary work to fund the rest of their trip.

That's how they ended up at Feel Flex, where they worked for three months with great pleasure. When their work visa expired, they were ready to continue their European adventure. Their inspiring story definitely deserves a spot on our blog! Read the interview with Sam below:

Why did you decide to explore Europe, and how did the Netherlands end up on your route?

"We had wanted to travel through Europe for a long time. The continent offers so much diversity and beautiful nature! Additionally, my brother lives in Belgium with his family, so that was definitely a big reason to come this way. To be honest, Instagram played a big role in our visit to the Netherlands. We were influenced! We were drawn by the cycling culture, the beautiful towns with canals, and its central location in Europe."

And, did the Netherlands meet your expectations?

"Absolutely! It's fantastic that you can really do everything by bike in the Netherlands and that the infrastructure is completely designed for it. Taking your bike on the train is very normal here. The Netherlands in general is a country of sustainable transport options, which many other places could learn from. We were also surprised by beautiful cities like Maastricht, Nijmegen, Utrecht, and Den Bosch. And Giethoorn was one of our favorite places; we stayed there for a while."

How did you come into contact with Feel Flex, and why did you decide to work for us?

"We came across Feel Flex online. We were specifically looking for a job in the agricultural sector. I have worked on a farm myself, and my partner wanted to experience this kind of work. We were also specifically looking for something in the south of the Netherlands to be close to my brother. The connection with Feel Flex immediately felt good!"

Through Feel Flex, you started at the tree nursery in Udenhout. What did you think of the work and the working environment?

"It is a large company, but we were welcomed very warmly. Everyone was kind, and people wanted to get to know us. Fortunately, the Friday afternoon drinks were an excellent time for this. Working outside with trees is super interesting and the tasks are very diverse. It also gave me the opportunity to see if I would like to continue this kind of work in the future, and I certainly would! The process here is also different from Australia, and we can really learn from it."

What impression has Feel Flex made on you?

"A very good impression. The communication was very pleasant, we received answers to any questions within the hour. We could also contact someone seven days a week, which must take a lot of energy and effort but was greatly appreciated! We received work clothing, the contracts were prepared very quickly, and the job agents drove us to our accommodation themselves. Everything was very well organized."

How did you find the Dutch culture, and what were some of the biggest surprises?

"Honestly we didn't know what to expect, but we were very surprised by how friendly everyone is! Especially in the smaller cities/towns, it's normal to greet each other on the street. I didn't experience this as much in Belgium. This statement will of course do well given the rivalry between the Netherlands and Belgium (*laughs). Additionally, we are fans of the frying culture and I learned that it's called 'friet' and not 'patat' here in the south! But perhaps what surprised us the most is that really everyone cycles. In all weather, both young children and the elderly are just on their bikes."

And now your adventure in the Netherlands comes to an end, where does the journey go next?

"We will first do some babysitting in Belgium and enjoy some quality time with the family. After that, Morocco, Portugal, and Austria are still on the agenda!"