I was born in 1979 in the Dutch town of Hoorn, 40 km north of Amsterdam. In 1997 I followed my love for linguistics by enrolling as a student of Spanish Language and Literature at the University of Amsterdam. My love for both Spanish and the history of the Iberian inhabitants grew fast. This culminated in spending the third year in Vitoria, capital of the Spanish Basque Country. Fully immersed in my chosen language, it took next to no time for me to dream, think, eat and drink only in Spanish.

In 2004, I found my way back to the Iberian Peninsula. In Torre del Mar (Málaga) I learned the basics of translation, surrounded by fellow youngsters from various European countries. After 15 months, I returned to Amsterdam.

Beside my studies and work, I have always nurtured my passion for language in more creative ways. Inspired by everyday occurrences, I have composed diaries, poems and journalistic articles. In 2003 and 2004, for instance, I wrote several interviews and background pieces for Amsterdam local magazine De Eilander (The Islander). Before this, I was chief editor at El Mensajero (The Messenger), a light-hearted magazine for Spanish Language and Literature students at the University of Amsterdam.

In December 2005, I became a freelance translator. I was fortunate to start off with an English to Dutch translation assignment from my beloved world of football. Subject at hand was the Official FIFA World Cup 2006 Guide.

By the autumn of 2006, I became an English to Dutch translator and project manager for a publisher of car manuals in Amsterdam. Becoming familiar with the automotive jargon I improved my translation skills while also seeing the translators from a client’s point of view.

In February 2008, I resumed freelancing under the name LangPep. Again, I had the good fortune of being assigned as a translator to the official websites of three Dutch professional footballers.

In recent years, I have become a specialist translator in the cycling industry. Working for major brands from the US to Japan, the content ranges from providing subtitles for videos of mountain bike legends trying out the latest e-bikes to accurately localizing catalogues of new apparel and accessories. This allows me to indulge my prosaic passion while plunging into the technical jargon of the world’s greatest means of transportation.