Going home for the holidays: ‘I’m trying to be blindly optimistic’

Whether they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday, most students are rushing to finish their last assignments and exams to have a break. However, the recent discovery of the omicron variant and stricter travelling regulations leave international students on the edge of their seats. Will they risk going home?

To the beach in Brazil

Laura Cosendey, 1st year bachelor in Liberal Arts and Sciences: “I’m leaving the day after my final exam to Brazil, I’m very excited to leave the 4-degree weather to go to 35 degrees in Rio!

“I’m actually scared because Brazil just closed their borders to South Africa with the new omricon variant. There have been talks about closing the borders with the Netherlands, and of course, I’ll be able to enter the country because I’m Brazilian, but it’s just one more bureaucratic thing to get over.

“I’m just excited to see everyone again, I came back to Brazil in October and it was good to see most of my friends and family, but a lot of my friends study abroad in other parts of the world. In December everyone will be back, I’ll get my big friend group back together, celebrate the holidays with my family, and go to the beach!”

Back to South Africa

Emma Kibel (19), Dual Degree Program EUC and WDkA: “I’m from Capetown, South Africa. My initial plan for winter break was to go back to South Africa after I finished exams, just before Christmas. Now, with the uncertainty towards flights and restrictions, I’ve moved my ticket up to this Friday. That way, I know I can get into the country.

“There’s a graph that shows the countries in Africa that have been banned by flight and there are European countries that have found the new variant, and there’s a complete disconnect. Yes, South Africa is the one with the variant, but there’s also all these other countries that don’t have a variant, but they still cut them off. It just seems a bit questionable.

“My priority is to see my family and friends for Christmas. Especially since everyone is going back to be with their families the thought of just being here alone is just sad. There is a chance I might not be let back into the Netherlands, but I’m trying to be blindly optimistic.”

Worried about Canadian Christmas

Olga Wódecka, Poland, 3rd year Bachelor in Psychology: “I’m in the Netherlands, my parents live in Romania, and my sister studies in Canada. Our plan right now is to go to Canada for Christmas, because we had tickets to visit her in April 2020, but we couldn’t go so we decided to go now.

“We’re excited, but we’re worried because Canada tends to be strict with its travel restrictions. They could tell us that we have to quarantine, but we’re only staying there for three weeks, which wouldn’t make sense, or they can tell us that we can’t come.

“I’m excited for Christmas eve for our big dinner, it’s a tradition to have at least twelve dishes on the table for good luck. My mom is an overachiever so she usually ends up having more. In my family, Christmas is really the time to get together, me and my sister don’t have to worry about school, my parents don’t have to worry about work, and the four of us can enjoy our time together.”