Good Question!
The cheesy but truthful answer is I followed my heart.
Oran and I have been long distance for about 80% of our relationship.
We met when he decided to study abroad at the College of Wooster in 2012; the liberal arts college I had called home for just shy of 12 months.
After a year together in the heart of Amish country, he headed back home to Ireland to finish off his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Queens University in Belfast, while I completed my final two years in Wooster.
In the summer of 2015, we ended up opting for two more years of long distance. Even though we were entering year number three apart, we were both offered incredible fellowships for our continued education that were too good to pass up. So, I headed off to The Ohio State University to study Arts Policy and Administration and he shipped off to The Netherlands to pursue his Doctorate at Leiden University.
Thankfully, I like to credit school for keeping us together. Due to our respective scholarly interests, we both have pretty impressive success rates with receiving travel funding that conveniently takes us abroad to either Europe or the USA. Yet, as much as we both love romance with a side of research a couple times per year, it’s not the same as seeing your partner every day.
That is why we both agreed that after I finished my Master’s degree, I would obtain a Dutch work permit and join Oran in the Netherlands. So, it wasn’t wanderlust that brought me here so much as a deep desire for normalcy. I’m ready for the stage in my relationship where I can count on Saturday mornings filled pancakes, French-press coffee, and a hearty dose of trashy-TV rather than the occasional crackly Skype call between two busy people 6 time zones apart.
Okay, boyfriends are great, but are you excited to be in the Netherlands?
Of course! Don’t get me wrong. I have spent the last two years getting pumped about my big move. After 2+ decades in Ohio, I have been craving a change of pace and I knew that’s what I would find in my new Leiden life.
I also knew I had no intention of just sitting around 2+ years, which leads me to my big news: I got a job! For the last five weeks, I have been working as a University Lecturer for InHolland University of Applied Sciences! More specifically, I am a part of the faculty for their undergraduate program in International Media and Entertainment Management.
If you want to learn more about what a typical day is like at my new job, you’re in luck! I am participating in the Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy at Ohio State’s #takeovertuesday on Instagram this coming Tuesday, September 26th! Just follow @theohiostateaaep on Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/theohiostateaaep) and follow along!
Next week’s blog I’ll give you the full scoop on how I managed to land a dream job one week into my new Dutch life.
Dutch experience of the week: Nacht van Kunst & Kennis (Night of Art and Knowledge) in Leiden
Last Saturday, September 16th the historic center of Leiden was transformed into a festival of culture! From 7PM to 1AM nearly every cultural institution (the Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Academy Building, National Museum of Antiquities, Old Observatory, the Society of LVVS Augustine and Japan Museum SieboldHuis) were open to the public and filled with unexpected surprises!
Starting around 8PM, Oran and I, along with our friends Onni and Edgar, set about exploring the twilight streets of Leiden.
We participated an immersive sound and poetry experience.
We watched music artists tucked away on stages throughout the nature conservatory.
We stumbled across some unique art installations.
We tried out some unconventional instruments, including an actual air guitar (imagine a cross between a Wii-remote and a light saber), and of course, we had plenty of drinks and churros to keep us warm through a late night!
The Night is one of the biggest cultural festivals in South Holland and according to the Dutch Review it attracts over 5500 visitors to the more than 100 acts spread over its 9 locations. If you ever end up in my area in Mid-September I highly recommend a visit!
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