O testemunho No. 1 do Nacho (SPEA)

Although I arrived in Lisbon three months ago, it still feels like I just got here.

The day I arrived, I felt very sad. I've lived away from home for many years, but never outside of Spain, far from my family and friends, without a strong support system nearby (even though Portugal is very close to Spain). Because of this, the first few weeks were tough. But as I started to adapt to this new city and my new life (and as they adapted to me), I realized the incredible opportunity I had in front of me.

I’m doing my volunteer work at SPEA (Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves). Within my professional field, it’s an absolute privilege to work here for a year. Any ornithologist would be thrilled to have this opportunity. Honestly, this job has been my greatest motivation throughout this new experience. Because of everything I learn every day and everything I know I still have to learn, I feel incredibly lucky to work in something I’m so passionate about. Bird conservation involves many different tasks, like fieldwork, environmental education, or office work. I enjoy every single one of them.

Beyond my work, I’m experiencing many new things socially. Building a circle of trust from scratch was very challenging at first. But soon enough, I met amazing people, and I’ve never been more open to new experiences than I am now. I feel like the best is yet to come.