The first detection of gravitational waves (GW) in 2015 revolutionized the way we observe the universe. LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA will soon embark on O4, the fourth observation run of terrestrial gravitational-wave detectors. To date, nearly a hundred GW sources have been observed, including mergers of binary black holes, binary neutron stars, or one of each of those compact objects. In this talk, I will give a general review of the basics of GW detectors, their current status, and my own role as a researcher in the LIGO collaboration. Furthermore, I will sketch some plans for next-generation detectors that hopefully will help us expand our knowledge of the peculiar nature of the universe.