The story of Maël

Her de KEMPEN notebook becomes a colorful collection of faces – from the Amsterdam poodle to the uber-chic man with a top hat in Prague.

Bam, no re-exams! A long, carefree summer vacation awaits Maël. Before diving into the job market, she wants to see Europe. Preferably, everything. Whether that will work out is still a question, but she’s definitely going to give it a try.

On the train to Amsterdam, she opens her notebook for the first time. "Day 1 - Brussels - Amsterdam" she writes in bold block letters at the top of the page. She leaves some space for her train ticket – and starts writing. About how incredibly exciting everything is. And whether she will miss her family. Across from her sits a lady with the cutest poodle ever. To pass the time, Maël sketches the poodle in her notebook. Her first travel companion.

From Amsterdam, it’s off to Denmark – and further north. The longer she’s away, the more she wants to keep track of. The stories her Danish roommates tell, but also the strange sounds around her tent while wild camping. Writing helps her relax. Just like her new favorite word: Forelsket – Norwegian for the euphoria you feel when you fall in love with someone. But Maël doesn’t have time for love (though that might suddenly change in Greece).

“ Her de KEMPEN notebook becomes a colorful collection of faces. ”

Midway through the summer – on the boat between Helsinki and Tallinn – her journey heads south. Hiking in the rain gives way to sunny terraces. She meets the coolest people, all with touching stories – okay, sometimes also very funny ones. Will she be able to recount everything when she gets home? Of course, because she’s written it all down. Those long hours on the train are perfect for it: sketching turns out to be the ideal train pastime. Her de KEMPEN notebook becomes a colorful collection of faces – from the Amsterdam poodle to the über-chic man with a top hat in Prague. Each face a story, each story a page. And train tickets, lots of train tickets.

Three months feel like an eternity, until they’re almost over. Greece – and one Greek in particular – wins her heart. She stays there until she really has to go home. On the last page of her notebook, she writes nothing. It’s reserved for a long, temporary farewell and a thousand s’agapó.