My career as an urban planner is the result of what has intrigued me ever since I was a kid: The interaction between people and their environment and how this interaction shapes the world we live in. From venturing into the fields and woods near my hometown to visiting cities around the globe, all these experiences have allowed me to gain a better understanding of the places we live in and why they look the way they do. It is then no surprise that I chose to obtain an undergrad degree in Human Geography and Planning after finishing high school. My graduate degree in law and public policy made me much more aware of planning as a practice and how this is shaped by our institutions and their policies and rules. As an urban planner—first in the Netherlands and since 2018 in the US—I have always focused on urban development. I find this type of project particularly interesting due to its intrinsic complexity, both from a legal and environmental perspective, and strong community involvement. Creating plans and building projects that help cities adapt to a changing economy, population, and climate is what I am so passionate about. I believe that as a planner I should do more than paint an abstract future vision. Therefore, I put my knowledge, experience, and determination to work to see projects through, get shovels in the ground, and create plans that focus on their actual implementation. In other words, I am impact-driven in the work I do. My success in managing impactful, catalytic development projects is the result of being dependable, diplomatic, and a clear communicator. I am calm, resourceful, and down to earth, which all helps me overcome any obstacles that pop up and drive action in high-pressure environments and across disciplines.