Once, while on a medical trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, a man said to me, "You're the only blonde on this trip! Are you Swedish or Norwegian?" I said, "Nope! I'm Dutch" He sighed, smiled, and said, "Ahh, the blonde Dutch girl..." And that's where The Blonde Dutch Girl was first established!

I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin, surrounded by farmers and cornfields and dairy cows - pretty black and white dairy cows - and lots and lots of Dutch people whose names started with "Van" and "Ten" and other variations of typically Dutch names. And our own little "urban farmette" where we raised puppies, kittens, bunnies, fish, gerbils, and any stray animal that crossed my path. So I figured (and was told) I would be a veterinarian. But, God planted a seed in me for justice, compassion, creativity, and an insatiable curiosity about science and life. And so my story begins.

A Kindergarten art teacher told me, "Blonde Dutch Girl, you're so good at painting and drawing. You're a great artist!" So I did the logical thing. I studied pre-Vet Biology in college. And then, my brain needed creativity to balance out the facts, figures, and details of Biochemistry, Physics, and Organic. So I started taking art classes and an art professor said, "Blonde Dutch Girl, have you ever considered being an artist? You're great!" But, since I always thought I would be a veterinarian, I got into vet school...seven times! But each acceptance letter made my stomach drop. But I really wanted to work with children, global health, photography, and design.

So I finished my Masters in Public Health, told the vet schools, "No, thank you!" and now work as a freelance photographer, designer, marketer, and public health aficionado, traveling around the world on medical missions, meeting beautiful children all around the globe, and serving and loving God's people locally. I'm passionate about the local Church, the sanctity of human life, urban development, and community outreach, and love to serve in ministry by engaging culture and loving people. Ahh, I feel so blessed to do what I love doing and bring photos of the world to your home.

Welcome to my world!