About Me
Whenever I'm not doing science, I'm usually active with a whole lot of other things :)
Travel: Curiosity and an explorative DNA drives me to frequent and long voyages across the globe, with my partner, my friends, as well as solo. Born and raised in Germany, I have spent the past ten years of my life either living abroad or traveling.
Scuba diving: I got hooked with the Cambridge University Underwater Exploration Group (CUUEG), getting my BSAC Open Water certificate in the freezing waters of British Lakes in March 2018. Since then, I have dived around the globe, from Mozambique to Hawaii, earned my PADI Rescue Diver certificate, and even worked on marine biology research (measuring coral reef decay and fish species in Mozambique).
Mountain hiking & trekking: I guess it's the age. While I used to chase footballs and basketballs in my youth, I now really enjoy tall mountains and long hikes. From week-long hut-to-hut hikes in the Alps, to the Inka trail up to Machu Picchu, to the snowy White Mountains near Boston. I love it.
Rock climbing: I'm not very good, but I enjoy it nevertheless. Both the technical aspect and trust in your climbing partner for rope climbing and the freedom of bouldering. Who would have guessed physicists love solving puzzles on a wall (spoiler: everyone).
Marathon, triathlon & obstacle course races: I used to say, "I only run when I can chase a football", and look at me now... I finished my first half-marathon in Austin, TX, back in 2013, my first full marathon just two months later, then my first triathlon, and now I'm hooked on Tough Mudder and Co. It's a slippery slope.
Photography: I love travel photography, especially of animals and landscapes. As an astronomer, I of course also try my hand on some obligatory astrophotography whenever I'm in places like Chile and Mozambique.
Learning languages: My mother tongue is the Franconian dialect, closely followed by German :) Having spent nearly ten years abroad, I am also fully fluent in English (C2) I've spend many months in Spanish-speaking countries and speak Spanish with my partner, gaining me a C1-level fluency. The photo shows Universidad de Habana in Cuba, where I studied Spanish. Currently I am learning Russian and am on my way to the A1-level.
Designing board games: I designed my first board game, "eXo", in 2020 (thanks to lockdown). Starting with an idea to developing the first mechanics, getting help from family with the drawings, to teaching myself all the Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to see it through. I made the game available online and for print-and-play for free, hoping to raise funds for Love The Oceans, a fantastic charity I worked with in Mozambique.
Writing children's books: I have three lovely god-nieces, and the Easter bunny needed a gift aside from eggs and chocolate... So I helped out a bit :) I wrote and designed this children's fantasy book and had my family support me with drawings. Right now, chapter I and II are only available in German, with chapters III, IV and V following for the winter holidays, and English as well as Spanish translations.
