Actually, scrap that, I tell myself revising my previous blog, life’s not all that grim. Not always, anyway.

I’m on my way back from the VU, I take an hour and a half there and an hour and forty-seven minutes back. A couple days ago I was in a dark place, overworked and overcooked, burned out. I had no intention to do anything other than do nothing, it was a heavy day when I wrote that other blog, today was heavier, but everything feels different.

The VU, the USR. I despise it to sound corny but these concepts changed my life and they changed it in ways I could never have predicted. I could’ve been home an hour earlier but I decided not to, cause I got to see my fellow council members —actually, let me rephrase that: my friends.

It’s been a couple weeks since this started going full force and quite frankly I wasn’t prepared for what came. Two working groups and four assignments per week, five lectures and more less the same USR meetings; on top of that, my job. It’s not sustainable, not for my situation but, in the words of one famous Michael Scott: somehow I manage.

This is the kind of people that make stuff happen

And I do so with a smile, it’s not an easy feat but my friends sure make it easier. Even after all these years I’m still not used to the long train rides, and I really liked being able to live through my screen sitting down on my surprisingly-comfortable gaming chair. Yes, I’m a bit of a loner, but by the time I get there and see them, it all passes, it doesn’t matter anymore.

It occurs to me what an exceptional group of people they are; even on the days I feel most drained, they always refill my energy levels. Whether happy or angry, they’re oh so passionate and they know exactly what they stand for. They’re so exciting and working with them makes me feel like I’m excited too. This is the kind of people that make stuff happen, the kind you’d want to surround yourself with if you want to make a difference one day, and I love being able to call them my friends

Many might say that there’s not much you can do or change in a year, not at the bureaucratic level anyway, but if there’s people capable of doing it it’s these eleven amazing people (Jeannetta included).

I’m not sure what’s coming or where this idealistic joyride will take us, I just know I’m very excited to find out.

Emiliano Vargas Campuzano

General Council Member
e.vargascampuzano.usr@vu.nl