About Me

The coolest thing I’ve ever done

That has to be surfing G-Land.

G-Land is a surf spot on the edge of the jungle in Java (Indonesia), with insanely beautiful waves. There are several breaks there, and one of them picks up seriously big swell.

One day it was double overhead (waves twice the height of a person) and I was absolutely terrified.

There were about twenty guys in the water and just one other woman.

I took a boat out to the waves with three friends.

My nerves were all over the place, especially after all the stories I’d heard in the days before. Guys falling on the reef, breaking ankles…

One of the world’s biggest big-wave surfers, Garrett McNamara, had cracked his head open on the reef just three days earlier.

So yeah, I was a little nervous.

But I went in anyway. I didn’t really have a choice—I wasn’t about to back out in front of all those guys. I do have a bit of an ego like that.

It took about twenty minutes, sitting in the lineup and watching the other surfers, before my heart finally settled down.

Then a wave came. A big one.

One of my friends started yelling at me: “Go Jess, gooooo!!”

So I went. Without thinking, I paddled for it.

And I had the most beautiful take-off.

I glided across the water, down the face of the wave, and made turn after turn. It felt like it lasted forever.

Pure bliss.

But I wasn’t always this cool (*wink)

I used to struggle with panic attacks, especially in the winter. I wanted to learn how to surf, travel, live abroad, write a book.

But I was too scared. When the panic attacks hit, just getting through the day without anxiety felt like enough.

Luckily, there were also times when I felt stronger. At twenty-three, I lived in Barcelona for six months. And at twenty-six, I finally started surfing.

To get better at surfing, I also started practicing yoga. That changed my life completely.

I learned how breathing techniques can reduce stress and even prevent panic.

Since then, now more than a decade ago, I haven’t had a single panic attack.

And in that decade, I’ve become an entrepreneur, yoga teacher, and digital nomad, spending winters in warm destinations.

Through yoga, I learned how to calm my body and mind—and that’s when I finally started doing what I truly wanted.

Career highlights

There are a few things I’m really proud of. In the last decade, I’ve:

• Organized seven surf and yoga retreats in The Netherlands, Spain, and Bali
• Worked as a freelance content specialist and copywriter
• Taught yoga and surfing (since 2014)
• Written and published a self-help book (in both Dutch and English)

What motivates me

Through my articles and books, I hope to bring a little more light into the world—and make it feel normal to talk about the “hard” or uncomfortable topics.

Twenty years ago, my father passed away due to depression. In my book Out of the Mud, I share how I coped with that loss and how I overcame my own (mental and physical) health challenges.

I also write about my life as a digital nomad and entrepreneur, and share the tools that have helped (and still help) me truly enjoy life.

Education & training

• MSc. Political Science (Cum Laude) – University of Amsterdam, 2010
• BA Latin American Studies – University of Leiden, 2008
• Yoga Teacher Training (200 hrs) – Santosha Yoga, 2014
• YTT for Trauma, Depression and Anxiety – Anjali Yoga, 2026
• Holistic Health Coach Training for Women – Arhanta Yoga, 2024
• Clinical Hypnotherapy (150 hrs) – Arhanta Yoga, 2023
• Yoga Synergy Interactive Applied Anatomy & Physiology of Yoga (18 hrs) – Simon Borg-Olivier, 2016
• Breath Control – Simon Borg-Olivier, 2018
• YTT Prenatal, Postnatal, Children & Teens (30 hrs) – Santosha Yoga, 2018
• Yoga Life Coaching – Transformation Academy, 2020
• Ayurveda – Ellen Helwes, 2020
• ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor – International Surfing Association, 2013
• Beach Lifeguard Qualification – Royal Life Saving Society UK