On Groningen

I have been in the Netherlands for a little over five weeks. I guess it’s about time to write a blog about the actual place I live and what I have been up to. I got here on the first of February. It was terribly cold when I arrived. It was such a sad change from just leaving Barcelona. The nice trade was that I was able to finally unpack my belongings. It was a great feeling to have a homeafter traveling for over a month. Setting up my room brought such a nice comfort and at the same time made me miss home.

The first two people I met were Penny (Australia) and Johannes (Finland) while waiting for our rooms to open up. They have become good friends. Since being here I have gathered a close net of friends and travel buddies. Hannah and Bianca are from Australia, Jesper is from Finland, and Annie and Brittany are from the states, NAU in fact. It has been so humbling to meet people from all over the world and connect on similar things regardless of our cultural and language barriers. The eight of us do diner once a week as well as go out together during the weekends.

The first thing I had to do once I got unpacked was learn my city. I requested a Dutch mentor for my arrival. Sophie met me in the Grote Market (Great Market in the City Center of Groningen) the day after arrived and walked me through the city center. The Vismarket (Fish Market) is where the fresh market is held on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. These markets are amazing. I am able to get so many fresh items for very cheap. This is one thing that I will miss more than anything when I leave. Eating healthy is encouraged and is far cheaper than eating poorly.

Getting around the city is also easy. I purchased a bike for thirty-five euro and this is the transport that almost every person in the city of Groningen uses. Traffic is designed around bike routes and it is harder to get around with a car. The landscape is flat so it is easy to cycle. Navigating around is also easy. There are three towers in the town that helped me learn my route. The first tower was for a church, once I hit that tower, I make a right towards the next, which is the Martini tower. From there, I make a right and head towards the next tower, which is my university.

The Martini Tower is the town’s symbol. At one point, the top of it was destroyed and it has been replaced. The tower also signifies Grote Market. This is the main area for bars, coffee shops, cafes, and student life. A third of the population in Groningen is students, which makes meeting people really easy. Dutch people are very friendly and super helpful. It made the transition a lot easer.

When it came time for orientation and to receive my course schedule, the travel high ended. I was for the first time, aware that I was in a place that things were not done in the manner in which I was used to. I had three classes at one time, the schedule was in Dutch, and the start and end dates of the course went off calendar weeks not days. I spent almost two hours running around trying to figure out my schedule and the days in which I was supposed to attend. For the first time, I wanted to be back at NAU; a place where I knew what was going on, the location of my classes, the ability to understand the schedules, and LOUIE.

There was so much paperwork to fill out for residency and city hall. I had a mountain of documents piling up before me. I hate clutter and paperwork, so I became overwhelmed quickly. I had to realize that this was a very humbling feeling. I had to embrace what was before me. Once I got home, I sat down, listened to some Jack Johnson, and started filling out the paperwork. My room felt like home in a lot of ways and really helped me just relax and embrace the diversity.

The first week ended with a bang. I joined the student network out here, ENS, and basically partied all week and weekend. Through this, I met a lot of people from around the world. It was a great way to meet people and make connection with Dutch students as well.

After the weekend, school started and I had to get back into the study mode. It was a really hard transition after having almost two months off. Groningen has become my home and I am so happy that it is here. There are so many things about this place that I am so grateful for. I have to admit, I do miss the little things. I miss Cuisine of India in the Basha’s shopping center and their 8.95 lunch buffet. I miss Mexican food and horchata. The one nice thing about being here, is that I cook every meal. I don’t ever eat out unless I am traveling.

And lastly, I want to comment on the weather. It is almost always cloudy and very cold. I have seen the sun 4 days in the last month. This is very hard. I am happy that in a few weeks, the weather will be getting a lot warmer. More than anything, I miss the sun, the moon, the stars, and nature. Arizona holds so much beauty and I am so appreciative to have lived in a place so full of natural wonders. I look forward to returning and at the same time will miss my new home tremendously.

JP Popovich

Picture 1: Vismarket

Picture 2: Martini Tower

Picture 3: Bikes at the University

Picture 4: University of Groningen Main Building

Picture 5: City Hall

Picture 6: Winschoterdiep 46 - My Student House