It’s 25 degrees on a Saturday afternoon. I enjoy the warmth of the last warm rays of sunshine on my face. I enjoy having all my friends around me, the atmosphere in the air. I hear and I feel the music. This is what an open air get-together in the Outskirts of Groningen feels like. Once again, my friends have united our community of music lovers to celebrate the last moments of summer. Days like these are about being not doing. They are about making space – to dance and to create. Everyone’s got something to share or to give, if it’s glitter, braiding or hula hooping skills. I look around me and everyone’s doing their personal art with the paint that I brought. There’s now a collage on my living room wall with all the pictures reminding me of that day. Why do we nurture events like these so much? Sometimes we just crave to escape the routine of everyday life and get some inspiration. After we have already been here for a year, things are not as new as they were last year, which means that we need to create something new for ourselves. After a long adventurous summer, getting back into routine is not that easy and it’s totally okay to feel like that.

Anyway, last weekend got me realise how much I appreciate this place and the initiatives it brings forth. Looking back, I’ve already gathered a reservoir of unforgettable memories ever since I’ve gotten back and It really strikes me how there’s so much beauty yet to discover beneath the surfaces of the Groningen I left behind in June. Two weeks ago we conquered the canals of Groningen on a boat, a chance I’ve also never seized before. I also figured there’s nobody stopping you from having nightly barbecues at the lake.

Soon I am having to decide whether to go abroad to do my minor next year. Last year I was so certain that I would go, now I increasingly feel like my time in Groningen is also ticking. I finally feel a sense of home here and I know if I’d go abroad, I’d only have about a year left to spend here – Is that enough time to do all those things I keep telling myself I am going to do and meet the people I have not met yet.

Nevertheless, a semester abroad is a unique chance to study in a different environment and experience a different culture and lifestyle. Also, moving around places will not be as easy in the future! Anyways, deciding where to go is the next challenge: Am I going to dive into a completely different culture and settle on a different continent ? In case I stay in Europe, I’d either embrace the vibrant lifestyle and more accomodating temperatures of Italy or Spain. In case my academic journey takes me outside of Europe, then It’ll definitely be South Korea or Japan. When considering a semester abroad one should also not forget that eventually you go there to study. I’d love to do a minor in subjects around ecology and biology as I could envision myself working for wildlife conservation purposes. Apart from that, having a scientific background can always be beneficial and you never know where you’re going to end up anyway. There’s a high likelihood of me ending up settling down in Africa, so I better get the qualifications that will allow me to find a job over there. I can say with certainty that I’m not deprived of Globe trotting so I don’t feel a desperation to go abroad but it will expand my horizon in many ways so I’ll take it as it comes. 

For now, I’m sticking around anyways so I can keep you up to date!

Greetings,

Eva