diff --git a/pyicon/pyicon_params.py b/pyicon/pyicon_params.py
index 8c2247123d40e3a903b68e61bfc05f80896f232a..da436aa7f9e485e77c9ff841271f6880890634f0 100644
--- a/pyicon/pyicon_params.py
+++ b/pyicon/pyicon_params.py
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@ try:
       params_default = json.load(f)
 except:
   #print(f'Could not find {fname}. Continuingwith backup solution.')
+  HOME = os.path.expanduser('~')
   params_default = {
-    "path_grid": "/work/mh0033/m300602/icon/grids/",
-    "path_example_data": "/work/mh0033/m300602/pyicon_example_data_download/"
+    "path_grid": f"{HOME}/pyicon_data/grids/",
+    "path_example_data": f"{HOME}/pyicon_data/pyicon_example_data_download/"
   }
 
 fname = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'params_user.json')