Martijn (23) comes from an agricultural family: his parents have a mixed farm which includes twenty acres of tulips and twenty seven acres of seed potatoes. He attended horticultural secondary school, studied business studies for a year and obtained his nursery and glasshouse certificates. To complete his studies, he spent a number of months in the United States. “I was in New York State and took part in a Cornell University research project. The project involved trials with various flower bulb crops such as tulips, hyacinths, narcissi and lilies. The flower bulbs were set out and planted in the autumn, and everything flowered in the winter and spring. During that period I was busy recording all kinds of data, measuring plants, checking for disease and other defects. Everything was recorded photographically for the research report.” Other students from Cornell University were also involved in the study. “The nice thing about that is that you come into contact with people the same age as you. We had some wild times at the weekends.”

What taught him most? “The work itself. It was varied and extremely interesting. You also learn from the people and the culture. I had the opportunity to visit various cities nearby. That was amazing. All in all it was an unforgettable experience.” Martijn lived in an apartment next to the glasshouse where the trials were being conducted. “So I had to cook for myself and do the laundry. That teaches you independence.” Martijn believes that he was very lucky with his placement. “A placement abroad is not easy to find. It helps if you have family, neighbours or other contacts locally. You also hear stories sometimes about poor accommodation and homesickness, but I would not let that put me off. The world is not that big: if it goes wrong, it's easy to get home again.” Martijn previously spent a couple of months with relatives in Brazil. “I thought that was amazing too. You really are in a different culture there. The weather is great and the difference between rich and poor is enormous. That makes it all the more of an adventure.” He has now returned to his parents' home in Creil. “I will be working at home this summer and autumn. I haven't really decided what I am going to do now. Working abroad is great, but at some point I will have to make a choice.”