Anouk(43)

I was an HR manager at a shipping company in Rotterdam. Good salary, secure job, but every morning I looked out the window and saw grey. My passions — diving and yoga — were weekend hobbies. During a holiday in Corsica, while diving at the Réserve Naturelle de Scandola, I thought: what if this were my job? Six months later I'd resigned, earned my PADI instructor certification and booked a flight to Ajaccio.

As an auto-entrepreneur with two activities — diving instruction and yoga classes — I registered with URSSAF under two APE codes. The ceiling for services is €77,700 per year. Social charges are 21.1% on revenue. I also need responsabilité civile professionnelle (professional liability insurance) — mandatory for sports activities in France. It costs €1,200 per year through FFESSM (Fédération Française d'Études et de Sports Sous-Marins).

Corsica is the île de beauté — the island of beauty — and the name is deserved. Mountains plunge into the sea, the calanques are breathtaking and the water is so clear you can see the bottom at 30 meters depth. I give diving lessons from a centre de plongée near Ajaccio: beginner courses, PADI certifications and exploration dives to wrecks and coral reefs. In winter, when the water is too cold for most tourists, I give yoga retreats in my apartment.

Living in Corsica is more expensive than mainland France. Everything arrives by boat or plane, so groceries cost 15-20% more. My 40m² apartment in Ajaccio costs €750 per month. But seasonal revenue compensates: in summer (June-September) I earn €4,000-5,000 per month from diving lessons, in winter €1,500-2,000 from yoga. Annual revenue is about €40,000.

Corsican culture is different from French culture. Corsicans have a strong island identity: the language (Corsu), the traditions (vendetta is no joke here), the music (polyphonic singing). As a foreigner you're not immediately accepted — you have to prove yourself. I learned the language, joined a local diving association and contribute to beach cleanups. After two years they call me "a Nederlandaise" with a smile, no longer with suspicion.

My advice to adventurers: Corsica isn't an easy choice. The bureaucracy is French, the mentality is Corsican and the seasonal dependency is real. But if you're flexible, learn the language and are willing to work hard, the island offers a life you won't find anywhere else. I dive every morning in crystal-clear water, meditate at sunset on the rocks and sleep with the windows open. Rotterdam feels like another planet.