{"id":134092,"date":"2021-12-13T13:32:55","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T12:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=134092"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:02","slug":"im-trying-to-be-blindly-optimistic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/12\/13\/im-trying-to-be-blindly-optimistic\/","title":{"rendered":"Going home for the holidays: \u2018I\u2019m trying to be blindly optimistic\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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?<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlisa Mahaletska<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

To the beach in Brazil<\/h2>
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>

Laura: "I\u2019ll get my big friend group back together, celebrate the holidays with my family, and go to the beach."<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlisa Mahaletska<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Laura Cosendey, 1st year bachelor in Liberal Arts and Sciences:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m leaving the day after my final exam to Brazil, I\u2019m very excited to leave the 4-degree weather to go to 35 degrees in Rio!<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019ll be able to enter the country because I\u2019m Brazilian, but it\u2019s just one more bureaucratic thing to get over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019ll get my big friend group back together, celebrate the holidays with my family, and go to the beach!\u201d<\/p>\n

Back to South Africa<\/h2>
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>

Emma: "There is a chance I might not be let back into the Netherlands, but I\u2019m trying to be blindly optimistic."<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlisa Mahaletska<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Emma Kibel (19), Dual Degree Program EUC and WDkA:<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019ve moved my ticket up to this Friday. That way, I know I can get into the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s 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\u2019s a complete disconnect. Yes, South Africa is the one with the variant, but there\u2019s also all these other countries that don\u2019t have a variant, but they still cut them off. It just seems a bit questionable.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy 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\u2019m trying to be blindly optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Worried about Canadian Christmas<\/h2>
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>

Olga: "We\u2019re excited, but we\u2019re worried because Canada tends to be strict with its travel restrictions."<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlisa Mahaletska<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Olga W\u00f3decka, Poland, 3rd year Bachelor in Psychology:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019t go so we decided to go now.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited, but we\u2019re worried because Canada tends to be strict with its travel restrictions. They could tell us that we have to quarantine, but we\u2019re only staying there for three weeks, which wouldn\u2019t make sense, or they can tell us that we can\u2019t come.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited for Christmas eve for our big dinner, it\u2019s 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\u2019t have to worry about school, my parents don\u2019t have to worry about work, and the four of us can enjoy our time together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t