I grew up in the Dutch town Kerkrade, a town that is called the ‘Europe’s largest linguistic paradise by the Dutch comedian Herman Finkers.het grootste taalparadijs van EuropaIt was no real surprise that I spoke more than one (European) language from a young age onward. Besides Kerkrade having a completely unique dialect, it also lies on the border with Germany. For me, playing out in the woods meant learning German from the neighbouring children, at the same time. It was there where I learned my 'first second language' - even before I could read and write in my mother tongue. From the minute I learned to read and write, I could be found with my nose stuck in a book or working on a typewriter.
However, I wanted to see, hear and taste more of the world. In 2005, I left my hometown and went to go to live and study in Utrecht. After I finished my Bachelor’s degree, I seemed to have two options: either I’d continue with my studies or I’d go on a big adventure by go traveling. I decided to combine the two and went for a third option: moving to Wales to continue my studies there. Once again, I perfected another language (English) in a playful way from my peers while going out. Not only that, during my studies I also learned the secrets to writing great stories.
I returned to Utrecht in 2010, which has been my home ever since. Actually, not much has changed throughout the years. Replace Kerkrade by Utrecht, playing in the woods by walking through the woods and replace the typewriter by computer and here we are. When I’m not busy writing, editing or translating, I still like to read. And I read a lot. Most of the time, you'll still find me with my nose stuck into a book. I'm still not done with learning and keep continue taking writing and translating courses. In the last years, I’ve also learned a third foreign language: Swedish.
