Patrick de Kruijk

My name is Patrick (42). Three years ago, I left the Netherlands for Spain, searching for space, peace, and a new way of living.After my student years in Tilburg, I ended up in Amsterdam, where I led a pretty wild existence and worked as a sales manager at our startup. In 2016, we successfully sold the company to an American-Canadian party. A beautiful milestone, and I stayed on board for another two years afterward. But while things were going well professionally, I was personally struggling with addiction.After two clinical admissions, I knew one thing for certain in 2021: this had to change, because I always kept one foot in my old unhealthy life. I took a sabbatical and spent a year in the Amerongen forest. There, not only recovery emerged, but also clarity. If you really want to change your life, it sometimes helps to radically change your environment too. Not long after, I emigrated to Spain.Villa Torrent became my new home: right in the countryside, yet close to Valencia. Together with my dog Guus, I started this adventure (by now there are three dogs, plus eight chickens). I discovered how good long walks in nature are for me, how simple and nourishing healthy eating can be, and how much peace a place like this provides.Villa Torrent consists of my house and three rental cabins. In my second year here, I gained experience organizing retreats. Through that, I now know all the beautiful hikes in the area and gained even more experience cooking healthy meals for groups. Now I want to use Villa Torrent as a safe, peaceful base for others in recovery: going outside together, moving, eating well, and catching your breath—without noise, without rush, with all the space to land again.