My name is Wouter. I am a Dutch national, living in Sittard with my family, and working on the Brightlands Chemelot Campus. I moved here a whopping 25 years ago and I am still not bored. Limburg is a brilliant place to live and work. Although a Chemist by training, I spent most of my career (first at DSM and thereafter at a spin-off, Yparex) in Sales & Marketing roles. I spent much of my working days travelling and this has allowed me to be exposed to all kinds of different cultures, which I truly love. I have tried to pick up several languages, but in the end only English and German stuck. OK, I can manage in French. I should learn Spanish though, as I frequently travel to Latin America.

Living in Limburg has kindled my love for cycling in the “Dutch Mountains”, on my racing bike and on the mountain bike. And I cycle to work every day, you can’t get my more Dutch than that. On a rainy day I may opt for spinning in the local gym instead. Listening to heavy metal music and occasionally sipping single malt whisky are some of my other favourite pastimes.

I have experienced many a cultural shock during my travels, and this has brought me to join the buddy programme. I think it is important that travellers from other parts of the world can feel at home here, in the most beautiful part of the Netherlands.