Out to the island and back on your feet
For Maria Louise and Dennis, everyday life was suffocating them. Therefore they moved to Samsø to return to what was important to them.
Life for Maria Louise and Dennis had become the life of a divorce family. Not on paper, but in reality. That’s how it felt anyway. Before Maria Louise and Dennis moved from Haderslev to Samsø in 2018, they lived a life of many, long working days, children who were sad to be handed over and where they didn’t see much of each other during the week.
“There was too much pressure and only just enough time. If we hadn’t moved, I think we would have broken in half, ”says Maria Louise.
What started it all was when Dennis got a job as a paramedic on Samsø. The day after Dennis got the job, they both quit their old jobs and started looking for a place to live on Samsø. The choice was narrowed down to an apartment in Tranebjerg, so Dennis was close to the emergency service station and subsequently Maria Louise opened the clothing store Match it All in Tranebjerg, which also operates an online store.
The fact that Dennis and Maria Louise moved to Samsø made them see life differently. It dawned on them what is important. The long working days have become shorter and there has been more time for the children, five year old Anton and three year old Bertram.
“Previously we had a house and two big cars. Now we make do with less but I have never before been so happy,” says Dennis.
“It’s about discovering what you really want,” continues Maria Louise.
Helping hands and friends
On Samsø, Maria Louise and Dennis have not only had more time for the children, they have also encountered a culture of helping each other that they did not experience before moving to the island and which they had hoped to find here.
“You offer yourself much more here,” says Maria Louise, who, as a matter of course, has started to pick up people at the ferry if they look like someone in need of a lift and to pick up the neighbour’s rubbish bin if it is overturned. They also had help during their relocation, when five of Dennis’ colleagues came and helped unload the van. At Samsø they have encountered a culture of support that Dennis remembers from his own childhood and which he would like to pass on to his children.
Samsø has not only offered a culture of support and help, it has also made their boys more independent. Anton has started going to the hairdresser himself. Sometimes to have a haircut, at other times just to chat, just as Bertram can also take himself over to Maria Louise, when she’s in the shop.
And Maria Louise and Dennis now have a life with room for ideas including starting a dance school and home-grown vegetables.
Last updated: 09/02/2021 14:34
