Whim: a capricious or eccentric and often sudden idea or turn of the mind.
(Merriam-Webster dictionary)
My background
A computer scientist by training, an independent researcher driven by curiosity, an outdoor photographer by accident, and a world wide wanderer by choice. That pretty much sums it up!
For almost 30 years now I have been working, living, and traveling all over the world as a wandering scientist. From Amsterdam, Brazil, and Cape Town, to Xi’an, Yosemite, and New Zealand. I am always looking out for new projects and opportunities. Have skills, will travel…
Although this blog serves mostly as a personal archive and notebook to collect my whims, hopefully there will be some things that are of interest to others as well. New whims are usually announced on X (@WanderingWim). More information about my science, publications, and wanderings can be found on my personal website.
My name
My full first (or given) name, as it appears in my passport, is Willem. This is the Dutch equivalent of the English William, German Wilhelm, or French Guillaume. And just like people with the English name William are commonly called Bill, in the Netherlands people with the name Willem are often called Wim.
Given my wandering lifestyle, I eventually became known as “Wandering Wim”. I don’t even remember who first used this phrase (probably one of my colleagues), but the name stuck, and I actually quite like it!
