I studied marine environmental sciences and maths in Germany. During my studies, I visited various research institutions in Germany and South Korea and soon became interested in the physical side of oceanography. For my diploma thesis, i moved to Helsinki, Finland and ventured for the first time into polar regions and looked at Arctic sea ice. To get first hand experience in sea ice field work, I then went to Tromso, Norway, and worked at the Norwegian Polar Institue and for the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) International Project Office. In 2006, I started my PhD studies in physical oceanography at the University of East Anglia and the British Antarctic Survey in the UK. Within the ADELIE project, I am looking at near-surface currents near the Antarctic Peninsula and investigate the variability of drifter pathways and fronts using observations and ocean models. My first field trip to the Arctic got me hooked on fieldwork and so far I have been lucky enough to participate in five scientific cruises to the Arctic and the Southern Ocean. If I'm not in the office, I'm most likely climbing some rock, paddling my kayak, or am somewhere near the poles.