Text: Eva van der Graaf
‘Two years ago, I finished my Bachelor’s in Environmental Sciences in Madrid. I had no idea what to do, so I decided to go travelling. I worked in the UK for a while, doing dishes in a restaurant.’ After he had saved up some money, Ignacio decided to travel to East Asia. He traveled around Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. ‘During my travels I experienced all sorts of things from sleeping in the jungle to swimming with fluorescent plankton in Cambodia and staying with local families. But it wasn’t all fun. I had a motorbike accident in Vietnam in the middle of nowhere and had to continue my travels on crutches.’ After six months, Ignacio decided to go back to Madrid, where he felt completely lost. ‘I realized I wanted to do something meaningful instead of just enjoying life. That is when I started thinking of doing a Master’s.’ Since Ignacio had already done an Erasmus exchange in Wageningen, he decided to apply for the Master’s in Forest and Nature Conservation. ‘As you can see, I got in and everything is fine!’
I had a motorbike accident in Vietnam in the middle of nowhere
Sometimes he misses the vitality and energy of Madrid. ‘I miss cultural activities and going to see live music.’ But he also appreciates the quiet of Wageningen. ‘I like to ride around on my bike and enjoy meeting different people. There are so many different types of mentalities and cultures. I think it is important to appreciate the special things about each place. I am happy to be here, but then again, I’ve always been very adaptable.’
In his free time Ignacio likes to paint. ‘Abstract stuff. I also like to write, whatever comes to my mind but especially short stories.’ He and a friend just started a group that focuses on philosophy and art. ‘We don’t have a name yet, but we just started this
group with Spectrum. The idea is to discuss and reflect on different topics and then use different forms of art like painting, drawing and working with clay to express what we talk about.’