Bel's JourneywithU

TEXT AND PHOTOS: BEL DE LEON

Igrew up watching Disney movies, reading Harry Potter, looking at various from postcards, and wondering how it feels like to see yellow and orange leaves falling from the trees in a red-bricked university. I have always had a fascination for moving and dancing lights while hiding under my sheets, enjoying the rainy days in the Philippines. I never had the American dream or had the thought of living in another country, but I have always wanted to visit places to see the wonders of the world and study in foreign land. Maybe, it would be nice to visit Europe but not anytime soon… That was me up until the end of 2021 when we would still wear masks back home. And the following six months would become the “plot twist” of my seemingly pointless life. It only started as a joke when my friend invited me to try the JYU scholarship application. I knew that in our standards my grades weren’t enough to merit a grant from any institution. I’ll give it a try. After all, what’s there to lose?

I never thought I would make it in the shortlist. An e-mail contained the instructions for a Zoom interview. I made sure that I read and understood each word. It even contained a link to a journal which was our “reading assignment” for the interview. It was also indicated that there’s only 20 minutes for the interview. 20 minutes?? Are you serious? And yes, it lasted for 20 minutes: no more, no less. Among all of the interviews I have been in my entire career, this was the shortest but the most valuable and meaningful I have ever had! Until one Friday afternoon, I got a random call from a Finnish number and told me to wait for an e-mail by the following week. Weird. I asked her if I made it, and she just said, “I am not in the position to say anything about it.” Upon seeing the email, I bit my hand to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Out of the 300+ applicants, I was one of the few who passed! Moreover, my scholarship application was accepted and JYU is giving me 100% tuition discount. My deepest gratitude goes to the faculty members and Vice Rector for their decision. Study? In Europe? Scholarship? One event after the other: from document submission to shortlisting and interview, weeks flew by quickly while I was juggling it with my full-time work as a project manager for a video production company. I felt like I lost a lot of time with all the chaotic and eventful weeks of Marc, April and May. I had a medical

emergency that prompted me to slow down with everything and take things easy; even my diet had to be changed! While I enjoyed flying to Singapore every now and then for work, my medical and mental health weren’t at their best shape considering the corona virus was still around, lurking and waiting to infect its next target. “I am not letting this opportunity pass”, I said. My family and friends were very supportive of my decision. When I received my visa/residence permit in June and had everything planned out until July, things became bittersweet as COVID-19 hit me again. Although that meant more time with my family, I had to rebook my flights and train trips. I started questioning myself.

Am I making the right decision? Good thing, the recovery happened sooner than expected and I was able to fly. I was able to hop into my flight from Manila to Singapore and transferred to the next flight heading to Berlin. The European skies were indeed different, but it wasn’t cold as I expected it to be. Anyway, I didn’t mind because I had my first taste of a legit German beer as I waited for my next flight bound to Helsinki. It wasn’t the smoothest trip due to some hiccups, but the pilot was able to bring us safely even if our trip was delayed. Have I made the right decision? The train ride was the best! As a kid, I only imagined myself like Belle of Beauty and the Beast who would walk on the cobble stones and read books by the ravine or maybe like Harry Potter would go through Platform 9¾ and watch the vast green fields disappear as the train enters the woods. Every second was like a postcard right before my eyes! Not long after I have arrived in Jyväskylä, I had an accident which made me pretty sad and frustrated. I was just enjoying my first few days but there I was, stuck in my room, hoping to get well soon. Four weeks of waiting isn’t bad. After all, I am here already. Maybe I did not realize that I have had this European dream all along: to see the City of Lights and Aurora Borealis, ride the train, and experience autumn in a red-bricked university. I am just glad that I made this decision: #JourneYwithU.

About the writer: Bel holds a bachelor’s degree in film and audio-visual communication and currently pursuing her master’s in digital marketing and corporate communciation. She loves cooking for her friends, collecting fountain pens, and writing random notes online.