On March 1st 2016, our visas were finally approved. After receiving the news, I took some time to be alone, lie down, and stare at the ceiling, ‘this is finally getting real’. I am going back to the country where I discovered the art of learning, now with my husband and one-year old son.
For the last couple of years, the closest encounters that I have had with a lot of great minds in my field of study was reading and studying their works. Now, I am going to meet them in person, perhaps sit in their classes, ask questions, and have discussions. I am going to have a desk and space of my own, where I could fully concentrate on my project. I am going to have the leisure of not having to think about making ends meet, I only need to immerse myself in creating good research. I will finally be free from noises of the crowded city where I have been living. I imagine Wageningen to be so quiet and peaceful, hence providing a conducive environment for studying as well as for my child’s formative years.
I feel casual but underneath I have some anxieties.
Nadya Karimasari
I feel casual but underneath I have some anxieties. Our arrival is actually two weeks late but it’s the earliest we could get. Our visas were slightly delayed. The NWO scholarship is designed for a single person, so bringing a family is a bit more complicated because I had to send an ‘additional income’ statement. Other than that, I had to negotiate over additional day care support. Also to be noted, had I known better I would do the legalisation process earlier on. It was time-consuming, cumbersome, and extremely expensive. The legalisation of our documents (birth and marriage certificate) will only be settled two weeks from now, but considering all things, I choose to have it sent via airmail instead of waiting.
By the time you will be reading this blog, we will be flying our way to the Netherlands. Hopefully we will arrive safely and see you there.
Nadya will start her PhD research this month at the chair group Sociology of Development and Change.
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