If I've learned anything this year, it's that life is unpredictable. Sometimes you learn that the nice, easy way and sometimes with a brick in the face. For me, it was the latter. It happened in September 2016 when I was at university in Switzerland studying architecture. I'd say I had an existential crisis, but let's be honest, it was more of a breakdown featuring panic attacks, ugly crying and sleepless nights. After a week of university, I decided to stop my architecture studies and reorient towards zoology studies. Pretty much polar opposites, I know. I felt pretty vulnerable making such a big decision, especially since most people didn't understand it at first, but now I'm more than excited about what's to come.

       After having left university, I found myself faced with an unexpected gap year and decided to go on an adventure and volunteer with wildlife in 3 different European countries. So far, my first adventure has been working as a cashier in a supermarket for 4 months, from October to February, in order to pay for my trips. I say 'adventure', but I don't mean it in the exciting, I-only-have-a-toothbrush-and-a-plane-ticket way. Perhaps the word 'challenge' would have been more appropriate. What a challenge indeed. Call me naive, but never had I realized just how disrespectful people could be until I was sitting there being insulted daily for literally anything.

       Now that I have enough money for my projects, I am more than ready to move on to far more agreeable species. I'll be writing about my volunteering experiences here, so if you're interested, read on and follow me through all of my (exciting, I hope) adventures.