This is my story - so far ...
Carefree childhood
I was born in a small city hospital set in the beautiful countryside of the "volcanic area" Hegauberge in southern Germany, close to the Lake of Constance and 2km from the Swiss border. My childhood was protected and secure financially due to the hard work of my father and emotionally by the passionate family sense of my mother.
I had a good life as a child together with my sister and was able to have everything a child could dream of. Kindergarden was fun and school was not a problem. At my first attempt to enter Vet School I was accepted. But somehow going through teenager times and thinking about what I wanted from my life, the life in rural Southern Germany where the majority of people's mind is quite narrow regarding different lifestyles, could not satisfy my needs. I never envisioned myself as the housewife with children and getting settled as soon as possible. I wanted to see the world first - or forever?
First taste of traveling
It occurred that I organized a trip to South America on my own, that would last 6 months. After my A level exam I headed out to Quito in Ecuador where I learnt Spanish for 2 months and then went traveling in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia with Esther, a Swiss friend I made at the language school. What an adventure! It was the best time of my life and I enjoyed every minute of it. Ignorantly I didn't think about my parents and the anxiety they must have gone through. In 1993 social media and wide use of the internet for communication was not part of everyday life yet and the only signs they received to prove that I am alive were postcards, letters adn the occasional long-distance phone call. While traveling I didn't think much about what my parents went through. But now when I think back, I can feel their anxiety not knowing what their daughter is experiencing traveling in a country far away. Retrospectively it was a very important period in my life to find myself, to become more confident in myself and to find out what I want. I would always encourage young people to take the opportunity to see the world before they embark on the journey creating their careers.
Vet School experience
Then Vet School followed, at the Tieraerztliche Hochschule in Hannover, Germany. What an amazing time! I could not imagine studying anything else and the group of fellow students I had around me were the best companions during that time. So many unforgettable experiences, parties, trips during studying and outside of studying. It was hard and we all studied hard, however we balanced it out with hard partying! The same was true for the time I spent in France studying at the Ecole Nationale Veterinarire in Lyon for 18 months together with two fellow students from Hannover. What a blast we had and I will never forget the memories I made with those two exceptional friends in an exceptional setting.
Work and Travel
USA - Mexico - Germany - UK
After 7 years in Hannover, the longing to leave the country returned. I was able to start my Master thesis working with Mexican wolves at the St. Louis Zoo, Missouri, USA with an incredible team of researchers and technicians and again made friends for life. Lucky me, I then continued working with Mexican wolves for another 6 months. This time I had my base in Mexico City and was traveling to different zoos collecting biological samples. Riding long distance buses through Mexico and interacting with the Mexican people was a pure joy and these experiences nourish my love for this country and its people until today.
Back in Germany I started working as a proper veterinarian in an amazing mixed practice veterinary team with an emphasis on pig's health. I think I missed every single lecture about pig's health at Vet School and never ever thought I would end up working in a pig's practice. However, I enjoyed it in all its aspects - for a while. After 4 years, my thirst of working as a small animal surgeon, which was always lurking in every day professional life and was the underlying reason why I studied veterinary medicine was back. The next 6 years I worked in first opinion and referral clinics in Nuremberg and Hannover.
I reached the end of my professional growth in 2012, when I decided to take a step back - or further - depending how you look at it. I became a surgical intern at an amazing referral clinic where I was able to work with outstanding veteirnary surgeons in orthopaedics and neruosurgery. It was a year I will never forget, filled with hard work, exhausting hours, amazing team work, intern solidarity and making great friends for life.
The next 18 months I spent in Columbus, Ohio at The Ohio State University and had the wonderful opportunity to work as a research fellow with one of the best researchers in small animal orthopedics. In 2015 I followed my research mentor and visionary veterinary surgeon to the United Kingdom. Starting at the University of Cambridge as a research assistant, going on to one year of a PhD and finally reaching my life's goal I have always dreamt of: doing a residency to become a small animal specialist surgeon. Due to some challenges with the residency I intermitted the training to go back to the roots. I enjoyed one year of first opinion work in a wonderful practice in beautiful Norfolk, where I worked with one of the most lovely people I have ever known and I wil never forget this time, being close to the ocean and having a great time with them. For my last (third) year of my surgical residency I returned to the QVSH at the University of Cambridge, which was filled with struggles and did not end with my wanted outcome of finishing the training successfully and I was not considered eligible to sit the board exams. I will very likely expand on that further at some point, but I'l leave it like this for now.
Since July 2020, I have been working as a "freelance" veterinary surgeon filling in at a practice nearby Cambridge and have moved to Surrey recently. Currently I am working as a freelance consultant, offering services of medical writing and clinical research, and am looking to join a friendly veterinary practice to work as an orthopaedic surgeon.
What else is there to know?
Apart from being a veterinarian with a passion for orthopaedic and neuro-surgery, the following is also true:
Having played tennis in my teenager time I was lucky enough to get introduced to lacrosse in my late 20s, which started my second athletic "career". I am beyond grateful for the universe to have thrown me into the lacrosse community because I met so many amazing people, made wonderful friends for life and had awesome experiences playing for Hannover and Germany. During my first stay in the US I discovered my love for triathlon, which I have pursued for sprint and Olympic distances so far.
I am very passionate about everything connected to water, being born close to a beautiful lake and having sailed endless hours with my Dad. After my time in Norfolk, I am now very happy to live close to the sea again and hopefully will embark on new adventures experiencing more watersport soon.
Hiking was a big part in my childhood and teenager life, climbing up and down Austrian and Swiss mountains with my parents. Ever since I have escaped the busy veterinary surgeon's schedule hiking parts of the Santiago de Compostela trail in 2010 and 2017, I have discovered hiking as a tool to bring silence and calm into my life. My greatest hiking adventure so far was climbing the majestic Kilimanjaro in 2019, on which I will talk about in a different post.
Otherwise I love languages, new cultures, dancing, music (especially the Blues) and spending time with family and friends an my favorite little people - my niece and my nephew.
I am so thankful for all these opportunities I had in my life so far and am open and excited for more to come. I hope you enjoyed the short trip through my life and maybe could draw some inspiration from it already.
Every life is different and unique.
Be bold and courageous to build your own life so you can enjoy every minute of it.
It is your life and you are here on this planet to live and love it!