I’m trying
to keep the blog in chronological order, because that way it seems as if my
life has a certain order to it. But I guess I am only fooling myself, so we’re
going to fast-forward to the here and now in this post, neglecting an amazing
tour of New Zealand with my brother for the moment.
We got back
from India on a Sunday in February. Monday we went to work again. Tuesday evening 11 pm Thomas
had his skype interview with the Dutch soil people (got to hate the time
difference! And busy scientists’ schedules!). Considering the short time-frame
he had had to prepare, it didn’t feel very real I suppose. Wednesday my brother
arrived, and Thomas started his woodworking course and I my Spanish course.
Thursday Thomas heard the Dutch wanted him to fly over for a second interview. Friday
I had my skype interview with Sydney, at work, while Gareth was doing last
minute cleaning out of his corner of our shared office. Then we went for drinks
to say goodbye. To say this was a bit of a hectic week would be an
understatement.
I was sad
about Gareth leaving. I wasn’t sure about the job I had interviewed for.
Suddenly the possibility of going back to the Netherlands had come much, much,
much too close. And through it all was the happy presence of my brother, who
made all this more bearable by cooking wonderful dinners for us and enjoying
from the couch our “young professional lifes”.
So my
brother and me went on our trip, and Thomas flew to the Netherlands. The
insanity of driving through New Zealand’s most beautiful landscapes and Thomas
maybe changing the course of our lives in snowy below sealevel.
We stayed
in constant contact. His interview went well. I got offered the position in
Sydney. I said I needed to think about it. Thomas got offered the position in
the Netherlands. We thought about it.
Thomas was
happy because it is his dreamjob. I was terrified of going back to the delta,
mortified of having to go back - as if it would eliminate all my international
experiences in one blow - , and in blind panic about being stuck forever in my
worst nightmare.
That was
all pretty irrational of me, so after some nights sleep, some liquid spirits
and the thought “it’s only for two years”, I decided to see it as the ultimate
adventure, a new challenge to myself. And after all, finally Thomas would
become fluent in Dutch …!
So
Wageningen it is. I declined the offer in Sydney, as well as another
possibility that I had open there. I started emailing my contacts in Wageningen
and reading up about EU fellowships.
The
comparison Wageningen-Sydney is one that should not even be attempted. For
anyone who knows me, Wageningen has never been an option. But really, it is the
city of life sciences, and perhaps more so the city of global soil science, so
not having worked there would be a waste of this career.
End of May we’ll pack
up and leave amazing New Zealand. We are both incredibly sad to be leaving this
fantastic country, but also excited about the new opportunities. I will treat
my home country as any new land I enter and see it all with new eyes. And at
least we’ll be closer to all those wonderful European family and friends that
we have!
