It also didn’t take long to realize that hanging out with her “old” parents wasn’t going to cut it anymore.
Sure, she loved us, but she needed someone her age to share the fun.
Enter Eden, her childhood friend and fellow adventure-seeker.
Eden wasn’t just any friend—her dad, Noam, grew up in the same town as Yoni, and they even lived one street away from us in Amsterdam. Talk about a small world!
Starting around 2007, whenever we planned a spring break getaway, Eden was automatically on the guest list.
We’d usually rent a bungalow in some cozy park, with the idea of just chilling out.
But for Thom and Eden, “chilling out” wasn’t exactly on the agenda. So, we had to come up with activities that would keep their excitement levels high.
Then came May 2008—the ultimate thrill-seeker’s dream vacation. We rented a bungalow in Belgium, right across the border from Holland.
Now, Belgium might not scream “adventure capital,” but somehow, we hit the jackpot that week.
The entire trip was packed with adrenaline-pumping activities—go-karting, ziplining, cave exploring, and canoeing.
There was barely a moment to catch our breath, let alone chill out.
The only time we got to relax was on the last day when an unusually warm and sunny day gave us the perfect excuse to lounge around and soak up some rays.
That vacation set the tone for all future trips. If we wanted to keep Thom entertained as she headed into her teenage years, we knew we’d have to keep the thrills coming!
