My Bio

Energetic Dutchie who loves to read and write.

I’ve been introducing myself every day to various groups for five years straight. Never though, did I introduce myself on paper.

There is always a first.

Spoiler alert: I am Dutch therefore I am direct. Some people might call it blunt.

I am Ralph, 31 years old. I’ve been traveling since I was a baby thanks to my parents. I have too many hobbies of which since April 2020 I dropped like ninety percent. Writing is the hobby I want to pursue as a career.

The road might be long but it is without a doubt the most rewarding.

To give you a slight hint of the ninety per cent I have just dropped: I’ve been breakdance teaching, hapkido -Korean martial arts- teaching, guiding, tour leading, skateboarding, snowboarding, longboarding, surfing, kitesurfing, guitar playing, cooking, reading, soccer, running, race cycling and over the years I’ve learned to speak Dutch, English, German, some French and some Spanish.

My youngest brother Justin is multi-handicapped and occasionally I take care of him. He forms a big part of my life. Every year I go skiing with him in the Italian Alps. Also, I have a beer named after me. Tropical Ralphie is sold throughout the pubs of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

For the record, I didn’t stop taking care of my brother Justin, he’s still a part of the 10% that’s left!

Looking back on the past thirty-one years of my life then there is one lesson I’ve taken away from the current COVID19 crisis:

Storytelling is what I’ve been doing my whole life and what I wish to continue doing my whole life. It’s also what I’ve been to university for. To research, write and tell a story is my true passion. During the lockdown, I started writing and I will continue doing so for the rest of my life. I know it.

History is a big jar full of candy and I will never stop reaching for the bottom. Discovering the relationship between cause and effect, differentiating between short term and long term effects and clarifying why developments went the way they did, that’s what a historian does.

Therefore, I have no particular subject -yet- I write about, as long as it involves critical thinking. Any change or dynamic in society has the potential to research and write about in my opinion. So far I’ve been writing about my travel experiences in Iran, India and my visit to two refugee camps in Thailand.

Two words: critical thinking. Always, wherever you are and whatever you read or write.

Hopefully, you’ll take a lesson or two away from my stories. Hopefully, I’ll take a lesson or two away from your stories.

We’re here to learn, aren’t we?

Some samples

Thank you for reading this article. Ralph Deckers is a Dutch historian. He holds a BA in History and a MA in History of International Relations at the University of Amsterdam. Ralph has studied at the National University of Singapore. He’s been traveling and guiding for years and has explored over 65 countries. Due to the corona crisis his tour leading work evaporated and so he decided to start writing on Medium in May 2020. He is recognized as a Top travel writer and is a publisher at Noteworthy, ONE PIN and Illumination.