“Rotterdam inspires me because it symbolizes that you can always rise from the ashes,” says Könül from Azerbaijan. “The city is unlike any other city in the Netherlands. It has a long and important history, which shows that the city is resilient.”
She first came here at the age of 18 as an exchange student. At the time, she was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Turkey. “I chose the Netherlands mainly for my career. I was very young and didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I was interested in Rotterdam, though.”
After completing her exchange in Rotterdam and her bachelor’s degree in Turkey, she returned to Azerbaijan. After a short reunion in Turkey, she ended up back in the Netherlands via her home country. “The second time, I chose the Netherlands because I was already familiar with the country and the education system. And the Netherlands had left a good impression on me the first time.” This time, she ended up in Tilburg. “For practical reasons, I couldn’t study at Erasmus, so I chose the nearest city where I could study. And it immediately felt like home.”
Rediscovering and rebuilding
This time was different from the first time. “The first time I came here, I was just focused on the fact that I was going to live on my own in a country I didn’t know much about, meet new people, and discover new places. At the time, I wasn’t really aware of how much would change. But when I came here for the second time, I was more aware of the fact that I was having new experiences. I had to rediscover and rebuild myself. That can be difficult at times, but also beautiful.”
From Russian to Turkish
After a year, she decided to move to Rotterdam. “I love all the cultures you can find here. The first few days I was here symbolized that. A handyman was renovating my house, but he couldn’t speak English. Then I found out that we could speak Turkish together. After that, I met his boss, who didn’t speak English or Turkish either. I could speak Russian with him. Then I spoke Azerbaijani with my hairdresser. That was so much fun!”
No pressure
In addition to the multicultural society, the city’s down-to-earth attitude also makes her want to stay here. “I love my country, but life there always puts pressure on you to present yourself in a certain way, to behave in a certain way. For example, I could never leave the house without makeup. That pressure at home can be a good thing, but I think it was one of the reasons I didn’t see myself living there in the long term. Of course, you can live any way you want, but you also want to live comfortably and not be different from the crowd. Here, you can do that. People in Rotterdam respect others and don’t care what you do, where you work, or what you wear. They don’t judge; they try to understand you. You can be yourself here, and that’s what’s important. People here are not materialistic, at least not as much as in Azerbaijan.”
Family and friends
Of course, Könül misses her homeland, family, and friends. “I’m happy to be here, but it’s not easy to live far away from your family and friends. I left Azerbaijan when I was in my late twenties, so I had already developed close friendships that I had to leave behind. I can see my friends and family, but it’s not easy; I really have to plan it. So that’s perhaps the only thing that makes it not feel 100% like home.”
She tries to maintain her connection with her homeland by honoring Azerbaijani customs. “I try to cook Azerbaijani dishes, visit Azerbaijani artists, and celebrate the holidays. For example, I celebrate Hovruz, which is the celebration of the new year. I have now passed this tradition on to my Dutch partner, and he enjoys it too.”
Ideals and dreams
Despite missing home, she tries to focus on the advantages that Rotterdam offers. “When you miss home, you start comparing things there with things here, but I think it’s important to focus on the things that make it better here. You mustn’t forget why you came here. I came here with ideals and dreams, and I assume that everyone who came here did so with a purpose.You should not loose that goal in daily life. And learn Dutch and make Duth friends, that makes the experience here so much better.”
That is what Könül does too. She now has a Dutch husband. “And there are still a lot of experiences i can make here, so for now, we stay.”