Blog: alumna Godelieve van der Leij 'inside out'

''It’s been two years since I resigned from Nike in the US. And to be honest I got lost. I started working at a bar, which meant late hours and an unhealthy lifestyle. I had wanted to change my life for a while, but what I really needed was a hard stop and this ‘strategic lockdown’ was just it.''

''I quit drinking altogether, went to bed early and started a diet. But, the days were long and the hours were lonely, since I was out of a job and I lived by myself. At first, I would sit in the sun on my balcony and then move to the couch to watch the news, this routine would repeat itself five times a day or so.''

''After three weeks though, I couldn’t do it anymore. So, I joined the Red Cross. They were looking for volunteers to take people’s temperature at the local hospital’s entrance. During the first hour it was a foreign experience to me. For weeks, the news had been telling us to stay inside and avoid human interaction, and now I was sticking a thermometer up some person’s ear. Luckily, we were equipped with protective gear and after the first shift it didn’t feel so strange anymore to get into close contact with other humans.''

''I walked out the door that day feeling good, for the first time in a long time. I think that is what I missed most during this crisis: doing something to help others, interaction with people and my contribution to society as a whole. I had a flying start after graduating University. Did a traineeship and worked myself up the corporate ladder. For years I took having a job for granted. But after all this, I realise having a job is a privilege.''