So after 7 months in The Netherlands the question that many people ask me is: How did you do to be so connected already?? How do you know so many people in different places in a new country?
And the answer is so simple that sometimes I smile when answering the question. The answer is: Diaspora! There are other groups that I have become in contact and participating with (Alumni of my University, Expats gatherings, facebook and meet up groups, and work related groups). However, a good basis for the network developed here is thanks to becoming part of the organizations that gather compatriots as well as people that in one way or the other are related to Argentina.
The tools available today make it so easy to find each other, meet and greet. From the simple "Argentinos en Holanda" mailing list to the more structured work of the Argentine Dutch Foundation for Solidarity, there are plenty of opportunities to socialize, network and fight homesickness, while 'helping back.'
Something I find is that I not only miss family and friends, but also the Argentine Diaspora in the US! So missing not only the people, but also the institutions I helped grow there. At the same time, what worked in Washington, DC to bring us together and the initiatives we put in place to 'help back,' not necessarily will work from here. It is a new start at that level as well.
What I find as a constant is the interest and urge to get together to not just to drink mate, but also to do something for our country. I am simply proud and happy to experience so!
