A couple of weeks ago, I made a grave mistake - I inadvertently acquired enough credits to graduate. Now my presence was no longer acceptable on campus and I had to face the bitter reality of the world outside.

As a result of this tactical blunder, I now find myself in a quaint fishing village located just on the edge of civilization. In Terneuzen (which is Dutch for “Practically Belgium!”), I’m now performing the duties of an intern. This is the first time I’m working at a chemical plant, which is quite exciting and different from campus life. Well, that is if you call working 50m away from gigantic tanks of potentially flammable chemicals exciting.

In the first week itself I experienced an emergency alarm, a near-miss chemical spill and a surprise government inspection. I spent the rest of my week drinking coffee, wearing my helmet and hiding under my fireproof desk. So far, so good. If I manage to complete three months onsite, preferably without blowing anything up, I’ll call it a success.

This internship also marks the end of my TU/e chapter. I’m not doing a PhD, unlike many of my friends who jumped at the chance to spend four more carefree years on campus. No, instead I’ve opted to venture out, knowing that if I set my aim high enough and work hard, I could end up working for a huge impersonal corporation run by robots. Just like all the other grown-ups.

So, this will be my last column for the Cursor. I’ve spent nearly two years in Eindhoven. And in these two years, I’ve met some amazing people and had some great times. I came to the Netherlands pretty much blindfolded. In many ways, it was a leap of faith. But I’m glad I did it. Living on my own, in a foreign land among a diverse group of people was a challenge I enjoyed. Eindhoven and its experiences, on and off campus, have gone a long way in defining who I am today. Mumbai is where I grew up, but Eindhoven is where I found myself. And that I shall never forget.

Tot ziens iedereen en bedankt voor lezing!

p.s.: You can catch more of me at my blog: axshuzaifa.blogspot.com, where I shall continue to document my experiences in the Netherlands and beyond.