Are you curious ?
Well, you asked for it...
If you've made it this far, you really want to know it all.
Fair enough—here's even more useful (and not-so-useful) information about me.
I grew up in East Germany
Well, "grew up" might be a bit of an exageration - I was only six years old when the Berlin Wall came down.
Even so, I vividly remember my time as a Young Pioneer and how incredibly excited my parents were when we finally got our own telephone.
My biggest dream: an animal sanctuary
I know that one day the time will come: I'll buy a large piece of land and create a sanctuary for old, sick, an unwanted animals.
It will be a place where people and animals can meet - a sanctuary where healing is possible for both.
I take a sketchbook with me wherever I go.
I've been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. If I hadn't studied biology, I would have chosen art instead.
Today, I also work as an artist. Almost every drawing on my website and in my books was created by me.
What do you love listening to most?
The sound of my drum, the purring of my cats, and my husband's laughter.
Other than that, I'll listen to just about anything - from drum & bass and pop to metal. German Schlager music, however, has an uncanny ability to ruin my otherwise almost always good mood.
I've never been drunk—and I don't plan on changing that
I've never liked the taste of alcohol, and I decided at a young age that it simply wasn't for me. As a result, I've never found myself in a situation where I got completely drunk.
In fact, I don't use drugs either. Shamanic journeying and communicating with nature are enough adventure for me. Cheers!
A penguin once bit my finger
During my biology studies, I spent a semester in Tasmania. This small Australian island lies so far south that little penguins come ashore there in large numbers to breed.
During a field excursion, we got very close to the penguins - too close, as it turned out. One of them bit me right on the finger! Don't worry, though: both the penguin and I escaped the encounter with nothing more than a good scare.
I love sports
So much, that I even worked as a fitness instructor for a while, teaching step aerobics and abs, legs & glutes classes.
And as long as there aren't any balls involved (childhood trauma), I'm still happy to try just about any sport.
P.S. - I love you
It's probably the film I've watched more times than any other. That's most likely because of Gerard Butler...
I don't have any tatoos
Sure, I've thought about getting one. But so far, no design has convinced me enough to want it on my skin for the rest of my life.
I danced Irish dance for 15 years.
Speaking of sports - Irish dance à la Michael Flatley, was probably the activity that shaped the biggest part of my life for many years.
I trained 3-4 times a week four hours at a time, attending Irish dance schools around the world. I even competed and performed on stage.
But despite all the hard work and dedication, the really big breakthroughs never came. After an injury, I finally decided to hang up on my dancing shoes after 15 years. hab ich die Tanzschuhe nach 15 Jahren an den Nagel gehangen.
I'm married to a Canadian
During my Phd, I spent three months in Toronto. I fell in love with the city almost instantly and I remember thinking: If I ever get married, it'll be to a Canadian from Toronto.
On December 21. 2024, that's exactly what I did. The only twist? I met "my" Candadian in Berlin.
Cat =happiness on four paws
If there's one thing my friends and family associate me with, it's cats.
They were the reason I wanted to become a behavioural biologist in the first place.
I'm incredibly lucke to share my life with Arvid, a majestic Siberian Forest Cat, and Fiona, a beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat.
Blue is my favourite colour - by a long shot
No hidden meaning - I simply love blue.
My bedroom is blue, my kettle is blue, even my wedding dress was blue.
I don't own a TV
I haven't had a television since I lived in Japan. I don't watch the news or listen to the radio.
And I have to say - it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Less is more
Several times in my life, I've sold about 95% of everything I owned before setting off to travel with nothing but a backpack.
Even today, despite having plenty of space in my home, I could pack all my belongings into just a few boxes. Everything I own is there because I've chosen it conciously.
I'm an only child
I always wished I had siblings. In fact, I grew up ina very small family with only a few relatives.
My husband, on the other hand, has no fewer than 15 aunts and uncles!
I've been to New York. And Hawaii, too.
I'm not mentioning it to impress anyone. Visiting New York and Maui showed me just how different the spirit of a place can feel. While Maui felt like coming home, I couldn't wait to leave New York - I was only able to handle its energy for two days.
I've had more than a few close calls with death
As a child, I suffered a severe kidney infection and spent a long time in the hospital. As an adult, I nearly drowned in a river in Canada, almost got shot by out-of-control loggers, and, during fieldwork in Mexico, my team and I accidentally wandered into an area controlled by guerrilla fighters. It still feels like a miracle that we made it out without being kidnapped.
And then there are the countless times someone grabbed me by the shoulder just before I stepped into the path of a car.
A heartfelt thank you to my spirits for always watching over me.
Social Media? No thanks!
Okay okay - I used to be on Facebook, too. But these days you won't finde me on Instagram or any social media platform, either professionally or personally.
I'd much rather soend my time playing the piano, cuddling my cats, and watching romantic comedies.
I'm one-quarter Slovenian
My grandfather was originally from a small village in northern Slovenia, and part of his family still lives there today.
I haven't visisted yet - but it's definitely on my list.
I can do the splits...
For some unknown reason, bending my body into all sorts of impossible positions came naturally to me.
Even at 43, I can still drop into the front and side splits.
... but I am not very good with plants
There aren't any plants in our home. It's not that I don't like plants - quite the opposite. I think they're wonderful living beings.
The problem is that, unlike my cats, they don't loudly remind me when they're hungry or thirsty. I simply forget about them...
Silence is a great source of strength
Those wise words aren't mine - they're attributed to the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu.
I truly understood what they meant during a week-long Zen meditation retreat that included 7 days of complete silence.
Ever since then, I've disovered that I genuinely enjoy keeping quiet and staring at a wall.
Konnichiwa
I spent several months travelling through Japan and completely fell in love with the country and its people.
I even picked up a little Japanese along the way. But more than anything, I fell in love with the food and the way Japanese homes are designed.
I'd always enjoyed sushi, but Japan showed me what real sushi tastes like. And to keep a little of that Japanese feeling alive back home, I filled half my house with tatami mats and futons.
