I have been working as a tour director and guide for about 16 years now. Back in 2007, my first tour was a 5-day trip to Latvia and Estonia I organized for a group of friends and other international students during my exchange semester in Finland.

At that time I would have never imagined that this improvised tour would lead to a career that would take me hiking to the summit of Malaysia’s Mt. Kinabalu, snorkelling along the Belize Barrier Reef, and walking along the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Egypt, to name just a few of the places I have been fortunate enough to visit as part of my career in the tourism industry.

More recently my job as an expedition team member at Hurtigruten Expeditions has allowed me to bring adventurous travellers to even more remote places. Paddle-boarding north of the Article Circle in Norway, driving an expedition zodiac surrounded by icebergs and glaciers in Greenland, and exploring the historic Northwest Passage in the footsteps of some of the world’s greatest explorers was not a likely career path for a shy child from a small town in the Netherlands.

For the past few days my career has been going south, as I made my way from Vancouver to Buenos Aires, and from there to Ushuaia, where I embarked once again on the MS Fridtjof Nansen. Starting today, my time onboard the expedition ship will take me across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctica is often referred to as the coldest, windiest and driest place on earth. Here we will take guests kayaking, snowshoeing, camping, zodiac cruising and hopefully provide them with memories that will last a lifetime. All of these activities are weather dependent and regulated by strict guidelines regarding windspeed, sea-state and visibility to ensure the safety of guests and crew.

It’s safe to assume that the next 8 weeks will provide another unforgettable adventure where I get to work with a team of world-class experts in the field of glaciology, marine and environmental science, local history and activity guides. Be sure to follow along on this adventure by following me on Instagram!