Ben Freije (60) is the captain of an asphalt tanker on the Great Lakes, operating between destinations in Canada and the United States. He alternates with another captain, and they relieve one another every few months. ‘When I was last on leave, I had to go back to the ship shortly after returning home. My colleague's mother had passed away and he wanted to go home for the funeral. It was a bit of a readjustment, but it’s part of the job. I still had all the necessary information in my head, so I could get right back to work. After a while on board again, my leave could get started. My wife and I live in Drenthe, in the east of the Netherlands. Our two daughters have left home and they now live in Amsterdam. If they have time, we meet up at Schiphol airport when I’m leaving or coming home, and we have a coffee together. My first few days at home feel like a bit of a holiday – I take it easy and do nothing. I then start doing the jobs that have been waiting for me, including some pretty big ones. We have a house from the 1970s with a lot of land around it, so there’s always something to do. I like being outside all day tackling a bit of do-it-yourself. And my wife and I like cycling and going for walks, so we often go out together. We also love going on holiday with the caravan, into the mountains, and I like going on a cycling holiday by myself.