S1E8 – Our appreciation for change

Planing to travel to New Zealand by Denise Jans


It was my birthday, but instead of celebrating with friends and eating a slice of cake, I was soaked in the pages and pages of work and projects I was doing. I decided it was time to apply for a master's or Ph.D. in Canada, as I had planned (S1E3). I already had an advisor and was finishing writing the project. I paid the application fee with borrowed money and applied through a program that my country had in agreement with Canada. However, a few weeks later I found out that, due to the financial crisis, the country would not grant any more scholarships of that type that year. 

Soon, my dream went down the drain. This made me extremely sad because until that moment all the other things were falling into place. Axe and I decided to research some countries where we could study. I remembered we were especially interested in Portugal, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. We both appreciated the possibility of living and studying in another country, due to the richness of culture and learning that it may bring. In addition to the experiences, living together in another country would give us a new perspective on life. 

So, after getting back from our class, we used to spend many hours researching the best places to study and live, looking for scholarships and open positions to apply. Then, Axe and I decided to apply for Portugal. It seemed to be one of the European countries with the lowest cost of living and offer good quality of life.  We filled out the application, sent the documentation, and waited. On the day of disclosure, behold, our names did not enter the list of students who had been selected. It shocked us. I was about to enter my final semester and my options were starting to get more limited. What could I spend my energy on now?

Follow our journey from the beginning in S1E1, and share your experiences with us.code-box

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