The very first time that I saw the light of day was in May 1981. I couldn’t identify the people around me but I heard three voices that seemed to belong to my mum, my dad and my sister. They were talking in Dutch (more specific Flemish), the language that is spoken in Belgium (a country famous for its chocolate and its beer).

I grew up in a village near the countryside where I was surrounded by cats, rabbits and chickens. Together with the children of the neighbourhood I loved playing in the hayloft and in my garden. When chores had to be done, my sister liked helping in the house while I preferred gardening.

Unfortunately, these easy times passed: when you need to go to school life becomes more serious. But I didn’t give up having fun: I had several hobbies, all of which I loved. The first of these was ballet, followed by horseback riding and jiu-jitsu. After these I started the most wonderful sport I can imagine: scuba diving.

Thanks to my parents I very often had the opportunity to go abroad. We went on holidays to Italy, Spain, France, Austria, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands where we enjoyed cultural as well as nature daytrips.

The years passed. I finished secondary school and I had to choose what job I wanted for the rest of my life. I definitely wanted to be a vet, so in 1999 I started my six years long study of veterinary medicine at Ghent University. During this period I did several student externships among which was one at the Bristol Veterinary School. After my fourth year in college I went to Mali in Africa for a period of six weeks, to take part in a project concerning milk production in cattle for “Vétérinaires sans frontières”

In June 2005 I finally qualified and received the title “Master in Veterinary Medicine”. After a well-deserved holiday I started looking for a job. In January 2006 I found one in a mixed practice in Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland, where I worked for a year with dogs and cats as well as cows, horses and sheep. The people were lovely and during visiting rounds they often offered tea, coffee, biscuits and home made bread (including recipes which I sometimes tried but which often didn’t turn out as well). During my time off I liked taking long walks along the coasts of Donegal, shopping and chatting about golf with my friends.

After a year of general practice I started looking for a job in a good small animal practice. I came across the Fairfield Veterinary practice where, during my interview by Terry Dunne and Geraldine Young, I was convinced of the quality and high standards of the practice. So, in March 2007 I started a new life in Hinckley. I enjoy the work and my fellow vets and the nursing staff are all wonderful. A speciality of each individual vet is encouraged. My main interests are skin problems, so I will soon subscribe with a speciality course in dermatology. With the certificate in hand I hope to give all clients the extra service they deserve.