5 years ago I arrived to Eindhoven from Colombia. I left my career, my family and my friends. I came to the Netherlands with my husband, my 2 kids and my fears. One day I saw on facebook a conference for expats and I decided to go. This sounds like a good way to start.

I had been living in Eindhoven 3 or 4 months, I lived in downtown so this was my first time taking a bus. This day changed the rest of my life in Eindhoven. In the bus I met a woman from Peru, we are very close friends now. She later introduced me to more friends, and life got the latin spark again.

At the conference, there was a presentation about Get in Touch program. I was fascinated; I thought how smart is the idea, women supporting women. I just loved it. I approached Carola to congratulate her and asked her if I could get involved. During the next years, Carola and her program touched my life, my family and my career in so many positive ways.

Through Get in Touch, I got to know the city, the shops, theaters, cafes like a local or even better than a local because I could experience the wonders of the dutch culture combined with the flavour of foreign cultures through restaurants, shops, religion and food. The program also let us share our roots, show our own culture and traditions.

That brings me to the next point.. how great is diversity! The activities with Carola has so many accents. There are always women from different countries. We have the chance to know about so many cultures; I heard true stories about war in Sri Lanka, I saw beautiful pictures of fantastic weddings in India, I tasted delicious food from Turkey, Venezuela, Egypt and I saw the tears on the eyes of an Ukranian lady suffering for her country. I have traveled a lot but this is different. There is a bond and long lasting connection.

The program also helped me to learn dutch and I attended different workshops. I learned scrap-booking from a Russian girl, quilling from a Vietnamese lady and then I saw how the program also works as a platform to pursue dreams. These women have their business now, just like me. Carola gave us the opportunity to explore, to taste the water before jumping in.

Now I am an entrepreneur. I have my own business and I created a community to connect, support and promote creative women. Carola was and is always supportive. I do not know how many women have been part in the program throughout these years. But I am amazed how Carola knows all the names of the husbands and children of the spouses.

The program is like a family, a very positive family, where every day you become stronger and happier as an expat in a city that is no longer a strange place.

Like many GiT members, I moved to the Eindhoven area for love. But unlike many of them, I had not come from far away – a mere 100 km.

My name is Melde, and I moved to the Eindhoven area from Leuven, Belgium in February 2015. The reason for my move was my Australian boyfriend, who had landed a postdoc position at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e).

Even though I was able to see my friends and family back home on a somewhat regular basis, I was keen to make friends in Eindhoven. Yet, I must admit that I was somewhat hesitant when I heard about the GiT program. A program for ‘spouses who had left behind a busy and meaningful life back home’? I did not identify with this description at all! My boyfriend and I weren’t married, and I still had my career and social network in Belgium – all I had to do was hop in my car and drive. But it seemed like GiT could help me make friends in Eindhoven, so I signed up.

My work hours were irregular, which meant that I was able to make it to some GiT meetings, but not all. That didn’t matter; I was always welcomed heartily by Carola and the other GiT members. I met someone new or learnt something new at every GiT meeting. And it was such a good way to discover the city, because it meant you were always in good company.

My favorite GiT meetings, however, were the cooking workshops. They were hosted by various GiT members, often in their homes. I learnt to make Tangyuan (a Chinese treat), Patacones (Colombian banana snacks) and Pav bhaji (a Mumbai classic). These workshops were very hands-on, and gave invaluable insights into the host’s home culture. After a few months, Carola asked me if I could host a workshop. I had to think long and hard – surely Belgian cuisine is not that exotic here in the Netherlands? And which Belgian dish could be appropriate for a workshop? In the end, I opted for Belgian-style crepes. A simple recipe, but to my surprise many GiT members hadn’t tried making them before and were keen to give it a go! So, on a sunny afternoon, I met a small group of lovely ladies for a bike ride to my home – where we spent the afternoon mixing batter and flipping crepes. But mostly chatting, enjoying each other’s company and learning about each other’s cultures. And to me, that’s why GiT is such an important program. It lets you connect with amazing people from across the globe in a friendly atmosphere.

Last September, I moved away from the Eindhoven area. The reason is once again, love – the same Australian boyfriend. This time, I did leave behind ‘a busy and meaningful life’ – my life in Eindhoven, which GiT had helped me build.