“Migration is by no means a new phenomenon. When you study history, you realise that the world has always been interconnected in various ways”
Laura probably charted her path to discovering antiquity before actually realising it. After high school, her curiosity drove her to learn Italian to study Art History with an American university, where she won a six months scholarship that represented her first solo trip at the discovery of a context totally different from her own. Her interest in antiquity resurfaced during her bachelor’s degree in Political Science in Medellin, Colombia, during which she became passionate about Greek history and Athenian democracy, to the point that she began studying ancient Greek on her own. Even before graduating, she knew she would continue her studies in the field. Aware that this would have not been possible in Colombia, she began looking for opportunities abroad. It is unusual for non-Europeans to be interested in these subjects, and scholarships dedicated to them for master’s degrees are rare. After several inconclusive searches, she then pursued a master’s degree in Archaeology, History, and Art History – with a particular emphasis on Ancient Worlds – in Poitiers, France, that afforded her the opportunity to undertake an internship at the archives of the French Institute of Archaeology in Bouto, Egypt.
“If I had been born on this continent, I would definitely have studied archaeology”.
She then decided to pursue a PhD in Archaeological, Historical and Art History Sciences in Turin. Here, the scholarship guarantees financial stability for at least three years, and in the History Department there is a renowned school of epigraphy. But above all her sister lives here, an important point of reference for her. Migration is a phenomenon that Laura has experienced, in all its complexity, only in Europe. Something she feels very fortunate about as Colombia has been characterised by years of violence but unlike many others, her family has never been forced to move or leave the country.
“Migration is by no means a new phenomenon. When you study history, you realise that the world has always been interconnected in various ways”.
Due to bureaucratic delays, If Laura had been in Colombia she probably would not have been able to get a visa for Italy. But being in France, she was able to easily apply for both the visa and the residency permit. In her opinion, bureaucracy is complicated everywhere, but waiting times are often too long “especially for those who, unlike me, are not here to study and pursue a dream”. Waiting for her residency permit and trying to understand the bureaucracy was very stressful and travelling to Greece and back to Italy was often difficult. Public healthcare is another reason that prompted Laura to move to Europe, she would never want to put herself or her family into debt because of a medical emergency. While health insurance was affordable during her first year in Italy, the cost has become disproportionate over the last two.
The stress associated with her job, the competitive academic environment, job insecurity – which is prevalent in the humanities – legal procedures and public exposure sometimes overshadow everything else. But in my family, “we tend to be enthusiastic, and this predisposition helps me persevere in a context where sometimes you just want to give up”.
Laura specializes in Greek history, but she never imagined that going to Greece would be such a fundamental part of her research. It was a dream come true that motivated her and made her feel that she had already achieved part of her goal.
“It was a population that tried in many ways to manage itself, and these ways of managing are what I study”.
Travelling to Greece has made her more aware of the intellectual and methodological challenges of her research. A direct approach to sources provides access to more information and critical thinking, and being there in person “offers a much richer experience that goes beyond the mental. It’s sensory”. In Athens, she finally travelled across Attica and realised the incredible distances walked to reach public assemblies. There she deepened her knowledge of modern Greek, and although she feels she still has a lot to learn, “the process is fun”.
“I enjoy the challenge of cultural discovery and the intellectual stimulation that comes with learning another language. That’s what motivates me now, but I didn’t realise it at first. I discovered this through travelling”.
Compared to France or Colombia, she noticed a more traditional academic system in Italy. However, thanks to the welcome and patience of her colleagues and professors, she managed to improve her Italian. Knowing the language gave her access to the stories Italians love to tell about their traditions and food. Aspects that are always recounted in the same way, which she finds amusing. Being often the only foreigner in her field, she thinks that the beauty of cultural encounters lies in daily exchanges and in the different ways people interpret and perceive what surrounds them.
Laura thinks that the Italian small towns are beautiful, but so different from Colombia that she feels like living in a parallel reality. In Colombia, there is not the same connection to the past she has noticed here. On the contrary, buildings are demolished and rebuilt every ten years to demonstrate the country’s stability and modernisation. She believes it is always important to reaffirm the dignity and humanity of the Colombian people, but with extreme caution as every action has a direct impact on people’s lives. Something she is experiencing through the effects of the crisis on her family in Colombia and her brother, who is a researcher in the US. She misses her family, the 25°C weather all year and the fruit. In the family they love unspoilt nature that she finds here in parks where she runs long distances – her way of managing stress. “For me, this adventure is partly a sacrifice. I’m pursuing a dream… which comes at a very high personal cost”.
In retrospect, she believes that what prompted her to study Greek history was the idea of finding herself in a context very different from her own and today, she is open to all opportunities that will come on her now well-trodden path here, in Colombia or in any other part of the world. She would like to return to Colombia and share everything she has learned here, even if it means inventing job opportunities that do not currently exist.