When does it become home?

When I moved to Maastricht a year and a half ago, my plan was very clear: I would follow a Master program at Maastricht University, graduate and return to the average corporate lawyer life in Bucharest, Romania.

I could see myself becoming a litigation attorney and enjoy it; there was a downside to this plan, however – it eats up your life. My colleagues were struggling to insert a theatre play or an art exhibition in their agendas, and most of the time their long hours at the office didn’t leave them much room for social life.

I will never forget the words of a young lawyer in Bucharest: “So what if I make a lot of money? I never have time to spend it!”

Starting a new chapter
Romania saw a wide boom in foreign investment right after its accession to the EU. Before the economic meltdown, real estate was the promise of a sunny future for any law student who was willing to use his or her degree in that sector.

I, however, had different career goals; I became a UN fan and the dream of practicing international law started getting under my skin. I came to Maastricht in an attempt to combine what I eventually wanted to study – inter-state law – with what I needed to study first – national and European law.

Changing my life day by day
I’ve been fascinated by the biorhythm of Maastricht ever since I unraveled it by myself, little by little. My endless strolls in the city centre, my fascination with certain places – the new Hoog Brug bridge when it’s windy outside – or tiny discoveries of new pubs or stores, captivated me slowly but surely.

Apart from this, Maastricht University was exactly what I needed after my Bachelor years at Bucharest University. Unlike the latter, Maastricht University is the youngest academic institution in the Netherlands, and this in my view very much explains the common effort I noticed among staff members to keep the university’s curriculum and atmosphere very dynamic. This added freshness to the way I perceived the entire city.

So it happened that when the time came to start making plans for the grand return home, I simply didn’t have it in me to take the final decision. I realized that I had grown accustomed to this chic little quiet city in the southern tip of the Netherlands.

Unable to leave it behind, I decided to stay, and do an internship during the summer and beyond. This period was to change my view of Maastricht: I saw the city empty of its students in the long warm days of summer. I felt as if I could easily live here even if my studies were soon to end.

Feeling at home in Maastricht
My internship at the European Centre for Development Policy Management gave me the revelation I was looking for: I would pursue my academic path in development studies.

Working with colleagues from all over the world, who had come to Maastricht for professional reasons, also made me realize that taking up a job in a foreign country came with more challenges than I thought. In a new work place, unlike at university, where activities and people are easily accessible from the beginning, a lot of patience is needed to figure out how best to fit in. I had the impression that it had taken longer for my colleagues to make new friends, discover favorite urban spots and basically feel comfortable in their new life, even in an “overall very welcoming” place like Maastricht.

Now that they have completed their Master degree, some of my university friends are packing up and going back home, wherever that is. Looking at them, I cannot help but wonder: why am I still here?

A dear friend recently visited me for a few days. He was here for the first time and I showed him around the city. Everywhere we went space seemed to have acquired a twofold dimension: I experienced the wide-eyed deep breath – “wow” – in front of certain picturesque scenes, and at the same time I realized that I had built many memories linked to these places.

When I tried to explain to my friend why I feel comfortable and calm living in Maastricht, I became aware that I was describing a feeling that was the closest expression of home.

Maastricht might be a transit city for many international students, and it might attract short contract researchers who move on to another country when they finish their assignment, but for me, Maastricht is the place that I resonate with right now and that gives me peace within.

I tried to picture myself moving to another European country for a couple of years, but the thought isn’t as appealing as it used to be, in spite of my adventurous character. Is it the hassle that comes with moving that is stopping me, or do I really like it here?

Maybe I don’t fully understand what it is that makes me feel this way about this place, but I’ll probably find out some time in the future, because I’m now starting a new study at the Graduate School of Governance, fulfilling my wish to specialize in development issues.

I also know that I’m not still here because I don’t want to go back home, but because I want to be here some more.

By Catalina Goanta

Catalina Goanta, the eternal Master student sailing from one UM Faculty to another.

Photos by Tudor Mircea

Kings of Convenience – Homesick