I’m Annette, a social psychologist, traveller, and believer in simple, genuine living. I divide my time between the Netherlands, where I tend a smallholding with biodynamic vegetables, chickens, and bees, and Sicily, where I collaborate with the local community in the small village of Graniti.

Both places share something rare — a pace that reminds you to breathe.

In the Netherlands, I grow food slowly and intentionally, following the seasons, observing how patience and care create abundance. It’s a daily lesson in rhythm, humility, and gratitude, lessons I bring into my work with people.

In Sicily, life gathers around food, laughter, and community. I host retreats and experiences that celebrate these traditions: olive picking, cycling adventures, visits to Mount Etna, and soon, cooking classes with the Nonne, the village grandmothers who know that joy is best served with olive oil and conversation.

Through The Slow Path, I bring all of this together,  psychology, travel, farming, and connection, to help people slow down, rediscover their balance, and find their own compass.