Sanne(22)

Halfway through my biology bachelor at Wageningen University I felt lost. I was sitting in lecture halls while I wanted to be outside, in nature. Through a European volunteer program (European Solidarity Corps) I found a placement at Parc Natural de s'Albufera des Grau on Menorca — the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

The volunteer program covered my travel costs, accommodation and a small allowance of €300 per month. I lived in a shared house with five other volunteers from France, Italy and Germany. We worked on bird counts, beach cleanups, and educational programs for schools. It was hard physical work, but every day I saw flamingos, turtles and rare orchids.

After three months the nature reserve offered me an internship as a research assistant, linked to the Universitat de les Illes Balears in Palma. I could transfer my Wageningen credits through an Erasmus agreement. The university in Palma recognized 30 ECTS of research work I conducted on Menorca — microplastics research in coastal waters.

Menorca is the opposite of Ibiza: quiet, protected, and the local population is proud of their nature. The entire island is a Biosphere Reserve, which means construction is strictly regulated. There are no large hotel chains, no disco strips. In winter only 90,000 people live here. I do my shopping at the mercat in Mahón, where local farmers sell their produce.

Financially it was tight but feasible. After the volunteer program I received €600 per month as an intern. My room in a shared house in Es Castell cost €300. Food is cheap if you buy local: fresh fish, vegetables from the market, Menorcan bread. My parents helped with €200 per month. In total I spent less than as a student in Wageningen.

Now I'm 22 and I've decided to complete my marine biology master here. The Universitat de les Illes Balears offers an excellent program and the research field — Mediterranean ecosystems — is infinite. I applied for my NIE as a student, valid for the duration of my studies. My dream is to work as a marine biologist in the Balearics. Menorca taught me that the best career choices are sometimes the unplanned ones.