This morning I woke up early in Washington, D.C., where I’m attending the 2025 AVMA Convention. After a stretch of back-to-back meetings and what feels like months away from home, I needed a little time to breathe. So I took a sunrise stroll down the National Mall—from the Capitol to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial—soaking in the calm before the city turned into a humid oven (90s and sticky is the forecasted fashion this week).
This AVMA has been extra special for me—I was scheduled for my very first DJ set! Yes, really. Ever since my student days in the Netherlands, I’ve dreamed of spinning tracks in front of a crowd. I even auditioned for a local club back then, only to realize that knowing how to play music was just as important as what you played. My musical taste scored points—but my inability to keep the gear from crashing didn’t help my case.
Just before moving to the U.S., a good friend and I made a pact to go to DJ school together. That plan never saw daylight, but he gave me a mix panel as a farewell gift—one that stayed boxed up in my garage for 12 years… until now.
When I got the invite to play a set at AVMA, I dusted it off, plugged it in—and to everyone’s surprise, it actually worked! I practiced for weeks, ready to light up the party and maybe even pave the way to Coachella or Ibiza (a vet can dream, right?).
But fate had other plans. My flight from Salt Lake City was diverted to Philadelphia, the crew timed out, and by the time I made it to D.C., my DJ slot had passed. No beats, just baggage.
Still, as I walked past the iconic monuments and world-class museums this morning, I was reminded how lucky we are. Lucky to gather with amazing people in our field. Lucky to celebrate the work we do in veterinary medicine. And lucky that—even when the gig doesn’t happen—the joy of the journey is still very real.
Coachella can wait another year.
Global Veterinary Surgery 